NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, if you and your friends are dividing up the world and you want Okinawa, what would you give up?

My friend has laid claim to both China and Japan, and Okinawa (a small island toward the southern edge of the Japanese island chain) is included in the claim. However, I really do want Okinawa and haven't been able to get him to give it up.

I offered him Spain and Portugal, which would give him a great Atlantic port and access to the Mediterranean, but he declined. I offered Portugal and France, keeping said Atlantic port and giving him access to the heart of Europe, but he declined. I offered various portions of Russia, Canada, and South America, in assorted combinations, and he declined. I finally descended to offering both Canada and Germany, one of the largest nations in the world and some land smack dab in the middle of ancient world, and he even shot that down.

His terms: Both Great Britain and Germany.

While I do place extreme importance upon Okinawa, I am not willing to let go of both GB and Germany. So, what do you think I should do?

Is this for a game or is it just for fun?

It's actually a rather complicated situation (part game, part goofing off, part plans for world domination)

double post

While I do place extreme importance upon Okinawa, I am not willing to let go of both GB and Germany. So, what do you think I should do?

You've already indicated your willingness to sacrafice Germany. Do you hold any other Pacific ports/Asian territory, especially in the SE? See if you can trade one of those (with Germany) for that tiny little island.

I hold much of the African continent and the Americas, but for Asia I'm pretty much restricted to Russia and Korea (and he doesn't want Korea)

Give him Germany and the other English speaking nations but Britain? Don't give up Russia, though, they have those really cool hats. Why do you want Okinawa, though? If I were you, I'd go for Etorofu (an island off the top of Hokkadio).

Well I dont think your going to get okinowa its far to beutiful of a place to just trade chances are is that your gonna have to fight him for it...and maby even me send me a teligram im really interested in this "world domination" plan :twisted:

Okay give him a sexy Italian woman.

Dragoneia, this isn't on NationStates. I don't think we'll be having any wars over it (Besides, I'm future tech in the RP catagories). But I'll let you know if we ever do bring it over to NS (he has a nation, just never uses it)

Isilmie, I specifically want Okinawa for its history with Karate and its interactions Japan. I am a Karate student and an amateur historian on the subject (10 years going). But which other English speaking nations would I give? I sure as hell don't plan on giving up the U.S., and most other nations aren't on the level he'd wants (He knows I want Okinawa, and he's milking it for all he can get)

Cuneo Island, I'm not sure he'd like sexy Italian woman, if you catch my drift :wink:

Well, I was gonna say the US or Australia, but I guess that's not an option. Hmm...give him Germany, Brazil, Kenya, and...Argentina. Or would those not work with him either?

Or you could ask him to just be nice and let you have the island?

Hmmmmm, I never thought of Kenya or Argentina. Good Indian and Atlantic ports with those countries.

Let me try Austrailia first (which I had also not thought of) then I'll move on to K&A.

Just out of curiosity, why are you considering Okinawa separate from Japan?

Because I really don't give a rats patootey about the rest of Japan, and historically it isn't part of Japan. While now under its rule, that is due to military victory.

In fact, Karate was invented as a defence against the invading Japanese, who mainly had armed warriors and forbade the beaten Okinawans to carry weapons. Thus, they developed unarmed combat styles so they could still reists the Japanese.

Whoa, I wish I were playing, I'd make that deal in an eyeblink.


Unless I had no other toehold in the Pacific. Is that what's his problem?

Nah, it's just that he wants to piss me off, and he knows I really want Okinawa. Now, if you know somebody really wants something, wouldn't you hold out for all you could get?

Cuneo Island, I'm not sure he'd like sexy Italian woman, if you catch my drift :wink:

Give him a sexy Italian man?

While your interest in Okinawa are to be taken into consideration, the defense of the area must also be looked at. Say you make a trade for it and he gets Great Brittian and Germany in return. Then, due to this being, in part, a plan for world domination, he attacks Okinawa with both Japan and China. Easy victory for him. He now has Okinawa, Great Brittian, and Germany. You lose. I don't think it is in your best interest in this to go for Okinawa at all.

Edit for spelling or lack thereof.

Psah! If you were any sort of real World Leader, you would simply wait until he is sleeping and put him under your knife. Brother or not, he may do the same to you if he gets too greedy for a bigger share of the world, non? The other side of the coin is, naturally, what would he do to Keep Okinawa? Personally, I would just be happy with Canada, I think. It is as Uncle Joe (Stalin) once said. "No person, No problem." And it sounds, Tovarich, like you may have a problem, oui?

Giving off Continental Europe nations for a little island in the middle of the Pacific doesn't sound very sensible to me. The defence aspect was already taken up, but what about supply lines? An island that small can't support itself, especially not under siege. Then what?

Your Virginity.

Because I really don't give a rats patootey about the rest of Japan, and historically it isn't part of Japan. While now under its rule, that is due to military victory.

In fact, Karate was invented as a defence against the invading Japanese, who mainly had armed warriors and forbade the beaten Okinawans to carry weapons. Thus, they developed unarmed combat styles so they could still reists the Japanese.

Cool.
Of course you can play your game however you wish.
However, since you seem to have an interest, I would strongly recommend good reading of the reading of the history, as the independence issue is not so clear.

(To play a bit of a devils advocate for a moment)
The first recorded tributary payments from the Ryukyus (noted at the time as the "southern islands") to the Heian court were in 608. There are also records of tribute to the Ming court in the 14th century. Yes, for serveral centuries before the Edo period the islands were independent to some degree. But even then, the various Ryukyu kingdoms were generally tributary states to China or Japan for much of the time.
The Satsuma invasion of the early 1600s set the stage for most of the rest of the Okinawan/Mainland relationship. And Okinawa was formal annexed in 1879. (I would note that many European nations were not united until roughly around this time - Germany and Italy for example...)

One would also note the very close and ancient linguistic and cultural ties.
The Okinawan dialect goes back as far as the Kojiki and the Manyoushu, and there is quite some debate over the issue of it being a separate language or a dialect. Even if you consider them different, they are very close linguistically.
In short, Okinawa has a deep, and binding relationship with the mainland.

All that being said, there are certainly strong arguments on either side for Okinawan independence or inclusion in Japan.

Of further note is a small Uchnanchu independence movement.

In case you may have gotten the wrong idea from the above, I will note I love Okinawan Minyo and Okinawan food. Osaka (where I make my home) has a great Little Okinawa in the Taisho area. I have yet to visit the Ryukyus, but they are certainly on the path... 8)