(June 10, 1907 – October 5, 2001) was a politician, journalist, also Mayor of Naha city. Senaga was an outspoken critic of American oppression on Okinawa and was imprisoned by American military authorities for sheltering Communists. He was a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...

and a prominent political figure during the American occupation of Okinawa. However, he was removed when military authorities arbitrarily changed Okinawan election ordinances. Senaga was a strong advocate for the reversion of Okinawa, which was initially opposed by the American military. Later, he served as a representative of the

Japanese Communist Party The is a left-wing to far-left political party in Japan. With approximately 270,000 members belonging to 18,000 branches, it is one of the largest non-governing communist parties in the world. The party advocates the establishment of a democr ...

in the

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

, in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

, before retiring from politics in 1990.

References

* Cary, James (1963). ''Japan Today: Reluctant ally''. New York: Praeger. * http://two--plus--two.blogspot.com/2007/10/anti-us-okinawa-activist-senagas-prison.html (accessed 2 Dec. 2007) * U.S. News & World Report (1957). ''Red mayor on key U.S. Base'' 1907 births 2001 deaths Japanese Communist Party politicians Japanese prisoners and detainees Mayors of places in Okinawa Prefecture Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) People from Okinawa Prefecture {{Japan-mayor-stub Prisoners and detainees of the United States military