was a Japanese politician. He served as the Chief Executive of the

Government of the Ryukyu Islands The was the self-government of native Okinawans during the American occupation of Okinawa. It was created by proclamation of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) on April 1, 1952, and was abolished on May 14, 197 ...

(1968–1972) and

Governor of Okinawa Prefecture The is the head of the local government in Okinawa Prefecture. The governor's official residence is in Okinawa Prefecture Government Building located in Naha, the capital city of the prefecture. List of Governors of Okinawa Prefecture (187 ...

(1972–1976). He graduated from Hiroshima Higher Normal School (now

Hiroshima University is a Japanese national university located in Higashihiroshima and Hiroshima, Japan. Established in 1929, it was chartered as a university in 1949 following the merge of a number of national educational institutions. History Under the Nationa ...

Biography

Yara was a

schoolteacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

by profession and was serving as president for the Okinawa Teachers' Association at the time of his election to the executive leadership of the American-occupied Ryukyuan government. Following his victory in the 1968 Ryukyuan legislative election, in which he campaigned for "immediate, unconditional reversion" of Okinawa, he met Prime Minister

Eisaku Satō was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1972. He is the third-longest serving Prime Minister, and ranks second in longest uninterrupted service as Prime Minister. Satō entered the National Diet in 1949 as a membe ...

in December 1968 to discuss the immediate reversion of Okinawa to Japan, which Yara supported. In addition, he welcomed not only reversion, but also urged further for a "thinning out of U.S. bases." Yara was critical of these bases in great part due to the economic and environmental stress they put on Okinawans. Nonetheless, Yara had relatively moderate inclinations and cooperated with the Japanese government's requests to use his influence in order to convince radical Okinawan activists to call off a proposed general strike, in return for mainland governmental concessions. As the Chief Executive, Yara butted heads with MITI after stating in 1970 that "In the introduction of foreign capital, we will give priority to the prefectural interests of Okinawa and will not be submissive to the homeland government."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yara, Chobyo 1902 births 1997 deaths People from Okinawa Prefecture Governors of Okinawa Prefecture Japanese educators Hiroshima University alumni Japanese politicians of Ryukyuan descent