 13,000 people share songs for peace at Japan Song Festival in Okinawa About13,000 people attended the 2004 Japan Song Festival held November 20-23 in Okinawa. This is the first Song Festival to be held in Okinawa, where thousands of residents were killed in a ground battle following the landing of U.S. forces and where many residents are calling for U.S. military bases to be removed. Songs expressing the wishes for peace, in particular the defense of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, along with songs on Okinawa, were well received by the audience. Opera "Okinawa" which was first staged in 1970 in Tokyo was presented again. The opera describes Iejima Island villagers' struggle against land expropriation by U.S. forces. (end) |