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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Resistance on proud display along the Lennon Wall in Taichung, Taiwan. (Yet another reason this country is such a bright light during these dark times…)

Subway entrance in Taichung. Steps. White tile walls. A painting shows a female protester wearing a yellow helmet.

On a tiled wall, the Chinese characters for resistance.

On a subway wall, red letters read Taichung Stand With Hong Kong. Hundreds of handwritten Post-It notes with messages of support surround it.

A painting shows Winnie the Pooh setting alight to a sheet of part held by a man wearing a sash labeled Joshua Wong. Written on the paper is the word Democracy.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended last night’s book launch for “Why are We in Okinawa? A History of Violence” ( @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social ) at @soasuni.bsky.social We had a great turnout from Okinawa, UK, Ireland and the US. I’ll post the recording after it is uploaded.

Author Jon Mitchell stands in the doorway of SOAS holding his book titled Why are We in Okinawa?

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

If you're in London on 4 March, please come along to the launch event for my new book, "Why are We in Okinawa? A History of Violence" from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social You can also attend online. Details in the link below. www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/...

A pale blue obi belt featuring flowers, a dugong, swallows and fighter jets wraps around a book with the title ”Why are we in Okinawa? A History for Violence” with the author and publisher names, Jon Mitchell and Bloomsbury.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

On 4 March, @soasuni.bsky.social will hold a launch event for my book, "Why are We in Okinawa? A History of Violence." I'll talk about how Okinawans' resistance via protest, music, comedy and art offers an inspirational model of grassroots democracy / civic engagement. www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/...

In the lower half of the image, there is a pale blue obi belt featuring flowers, a dugong, swallows and fighter jet. Titled “The Ryukyu Beltway” and designed by Yuken Teruya in 2025. There is information about the book’s launch at SOAS University of London on 4 March 2026 and the times 17:00 to 19:00.

A pale blue obi belt featuring flowers, a dugong, swallows and fighter jets wraps into a book with the title ”Why are we in Okinawa? A History for Violence” with the author and publisher names, Jon Mitchell and Bloomsbury.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Yesterday, my publisher @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social revealed the cover for my new book, "Why are we in Okinawa? A History of Violence." Feeling super honoured that artist, Yuken Teruya, designed an obi wrap for it. Release date set for February 2026! www.bloomsbury.com/us/why-are-w...

Book cover featuring the text, Jon Mitchell - Why are we in Okinawa? A History of Violence and Bloomsbury. The off-white cover features a sky blue obi belt which includes a swallow, red hibiscus and two jet fighters.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Much-needed break from book editing = sunset run along Tokyo’s Tama River. (Finally sounds/smells of an end to summer’s heat).

Orange skies over Tamagawa, Tokyo. On the left, three apartment blocks (and Mt Fuji) then a long roaded bridge. The foreground reflects the above.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

The Memorial to Fallen Journalists (戦没新聞人の碑) in Naha. Around the anniversary of WW2’s end, Okinawan media workers gather here to pledge not to glorify militarism or romanticize state violence. 「戦争のために二度とペンは取らない」

A teardrop shaped stone memorial in an Okinawan park engraved with the names of journalists who died in the Battle of Okinawa.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

After giving a two-hour lecture at Waseda Uni about investigative journalism, the only thing to recharge my batteries was a bowl of spicy vegan tantan noodles from the legendary Sora no Iro. Highly recommended!

A red porcelain bowl filled with vegan tantan noodles topped with moyashi, chingensai and soy mince.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

"In 1879, our Ryukyu nation was taken from us by Japan. Since then we have been forced to get our education through a system that has turned us into Japanese citizens... we, as Ryukyuans, have the right to say we are Ryukyu people, not Japanese people." Fija Byron newyddion.s4c.cymru/article/27964

In the foreground, Fija Byron plays the sanshin. He is dressed in a light blue cotton kimono. In the background a man dances with a fan.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! Happy St David’s Day from Tokyo! Tonight’s menu: leek and chickpea soup.

Chopping board with leeks, garlic, potato, cutting knife, chickpeas and wooden spoon.

Two bowls of leek&chickpea soup, olive focaccia and a glass of Napa Pinot Noir.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Fuel for a long night of editing: vegan tonkotsu ramen from the ever delicious T’s Restaurant in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo. Lovely.

A colourful bowl of vegan tonkotsu noodles atop a wooden tabletop in a Tokyo restaurant.

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

明けましておめでとうございます！ Happy 2025 to everyone! May your year be filled with peace, love and piping hot bowls of (vegetarian) ozōni!

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Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル @jonmitchell.bsky.social · 25/09/2024

Important upcoming webinar by the Okinawa Interest Group. "Cover-up? Sexual Assaults Continue in Militarized Okinawa." Guest speakers, Suzuyo Takazato and Alexis Dudden, w/ commentary by Steve Rabson. When? October 4th (US) or 5th (Japan) Register at: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Flyer describing upcoming webinar. In March of this year, a man stationed at Kadena Airbase in Okinawa was indicted for the kidnapping and sexual assault in December 2023 of a girl under 16, only the lastest in a seemingly endless series of sexual assaults by U.S. forces in Okinawa. Only when it was reported in the local media on June 25 did the Japanese government in Tokyo inform the Okinawa Prefectural Government of the indictment. There have been multiple cases of such delays in reporting discovered since then, and it is widely viewed in Okinawa as a Japanese government cover-up. Yet the topic is talked about so little in the United States and mainland Japan.

We, the Okinawa Interest Group (OIG), invite you to join our webinar on the 4th of October (the 5th in Japan) focussing on this issue, with two featured guest speakers, Suzuyo Takazato and Alexis Dudden, and an OIG member Steve Rabson as a commentator.

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