Jon Mitchell Investigates一覧
Originally published in Japanese, these articles by Okinawa Times special correspondent, Jon Mitchell, are based on documents obtained under the US Freedom of Information Act, and interviews with whistleblowers and former service members. They uncover how the Department of Defense, Department of State, and Central Intelligence Agency operate in Okinawa Prefecture and elsewhere in Japan.
Today, Okinawan communities host 31 US military facilities which impact residents’ lives via environmental contamination, aircraft accidents, and crime; these problems also harm the tens of thousands of US service members, members of the civilian component, and dependents living on the island. Due to US-Japan bilateral agreements, however, there is little transparency and even less accountability. Given these obstacles, investigative journalism is one of the only ways to uncover what the authorities would prefer to remain hidden.
By making these articles available in English, it is hoped that more people will be able to understand the everyday dangers experienced by the communities which bear the burden of the US-Japan Alliance.
In 2023, the US Society of Environmental Journalists awarded Jon Mitchell Investigates its Third Place prize for Outstanding Beat Reporting (Large Newsroom).
Jon Mitchell can be contacted via this link.
Military emails reveal reckless PFAS handling throughout Okinawa, accidents so frequent they became “a trend”
String of problems preceded 2022 dump of jet’s fuel tank near Okinawa, report shows
Hawaiʻi’s Red Hill catastrophe and the lessons for Okinawa
Oʻahu Water Protectors demand environmental justice for Hawaiʻi
Survivors of Red Hill
In Hawaiʻi, water chief joins PFAS protests against military, urges Okinawans to speak out, too
Prior to EPA top’s visit to Japan, staff repeatedly discussed Okinawa base PFAS problems – but no mention made in Joint Statement
Contamination at Camp Kinser: 2019 report detailed high health risks for children, base workers – but military failed to inform
Following Pentagon complaint, description of Hiroshima bombing cut from Hollywood’s Godzilla reboot
Presence of VIPs contributed to heli window drop onto Okinawa school, suggests USMC report
Military emails: “High probability” Kadena Air Base is source of PFAS contamination, Marines order cover-up of drinking water data
At least 21 US veterans now receiving compensation for Agent Orange exposure on Okinawa – despite Pentagon claims defoliants never stored on island
“The Junk Heap of the Pacific” - 75 years of US military contamination on Okinawa
450,000 Okinawans' drinking water contaminated by Kadena Air Base training site, new evidence suggests
Kanagawa Prefecture: US Navy detects extremely high levels of PFAS at three bases; NAF Atsugi may be to blame for off-base contamination
Okinawa: At least 58 Marines booted out of military between 2018 and 2020; most cases involved sexual offenses against children or adults, or drug dealing
US military hid discovery of radioactive and PFAS contamination at scene of ’17 heli crash
Addiction and crime – How the “Okinawa System” harmed island’s residents
On the ground: Military police turn to crime to support their heroin habits on Okinawa
