JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

Even though I help my husband by volunteering each week at the bar, as an American wife of a local national I am often considered by some of the locals as nothing more than a nuisance that barely exists. Rarely are any of my observations taken seriously. But there have been several changes that have taken affect recently that bring-up some very interesting questions. With the sudden onslaught of youth-oriented events being promoted on Gate 2 Street, by persons that do not own or run a business on the street, one might get the impression that someone somewhere is trying to reinvent the image of the area in preparation for the new “Music Town” project that is to begin shortly. One questions is – if these same people are so concerned with the image of the area, why aren’t they doing anything about all the alcoholic beggars that confront Gate 2 Street pedestrians practically 24/7? We were driving in the area this afternoon and sure enough one of the beggars rushed-up to two young women who were waiting for a crosswalk light to change. Every night there seems to be groups of these confrontational moochers all over the street. Not only are they an eyesore, with empty beverage and food containers strewn about them, they often get belligerent as a person tries to walk by them. When are these types of situations going to be taken care of? Or are the situations not important enough because there is no money in it?