Prospects for Okinawa
The population of Okinawa Prefecture is 1.3 million. Its gross domestic product is roughly 3.5 trillion yen (33 billion U.S. dollars at 105 yen to the dollar). The number of people visiting Okinawa for the G8 Summit Meeting, to include foreign leaders, government officials, news reporters, and security personnel from every prefecture in Japan, amounts to a conservative estimate of 16,000. And the total amount of money that all these visitors are expected to spend during the summit is estimated at 10 billion yen (95.2 million dollars), according to a study by a local organization.

Those connected with the summit expect it to deliver not only short-term profits but also long-term benefits to the islands. In the medium term, hosting the summit should raise Okinawa's profile both at home and abroad, attracting more tourists and new businesses. Thanks in part to the 1995 Summit in Halifax, Canada, that city's population has grown to 340,000 from the pre-summit level of 110,000. Okinawans are dazzled by this phenomenon and wonder if their prefecture will witness similar levels of development.

Anticipation and Preparation
Naturally, such prospects have motivated locals to prepare. A number of volunteers, for instance, are busy training to work as assistant interpreters for the many foreign guests expected in Okinawa. The Okinawa prefectural government and other host organizations are in fact extremely busy planning conferences and other events, none of which would run smoothly without the help of these interpreters. Besides the G8 Summit, events scheduled to take place in Okinawa during summer 2000 include a conference on the environment, a Japanese Elementary and Junior High School Student Summit, and even a haiku seminar for Japanese and German children.

More than 1,600 people initially responded to a prefectural recruiting campaign that called for 500 volunteer interpreters. Those that were selected are now training intensively in workshops taught by veteran interpreters, who say the most important thing is to greet guests with a warm smile.

English conversation lessons for hotel staff, airport employees, and cab drivers are yet another feature of the summit preparations. Locals want visitors to have a positive impression of Okinawa and feel that good English skills will help them come across favorably.

Nerves are on edge at the hotels where prominent heads of state will be staying. Hotel workers must be mindful of how they treat foreign dignitaries and must avoid making blunders. In January 2000, managers from several hotels in Okinawa were sent to a high-class hotel in Tokyo that is experienced in hosting state guests. There they learned such skills as how to roll out a red carpet and how to properly handle national flags. More recently, the hotels hosting summit participants have been conducting etiquette training seminars for their employees.

Preparations are also progressing steadily among local businesses that are counting on the summit for success. Some will sell special summit souvenirs, including summit neckties and summit candy. Manufacturers of awamori (millet brandy), a special product of Okinawa, are hoping to go global with their unique liquor. Producers have banded together to make a special label called Ryukyu Awamori, a rare blend of kusu, or aged awamori. They will be providing bottles to all foreign leaders and their attendants, as well as to all members of the press, both Japanese and foreign.

One local brewing company, Orion Beer Co., has produced a special "premier" canned beer to mark the G8 Summit, featuring the summit logo. Since early 2000, when the beer first appeared on the market, the company has been donating one yen to the Okinawa G8 Summit Support Council for each promotional can sold. It has already contributed more than 10 million yen (95,000 dollars), and is now aiming for the 20 million mark.

Vying for Dignitaries
The question on the minds of most Okinawans is which cities or towns will host which foreign leaders under a special program giving the leaders an opportunity to meet local residents. In Iemura, a village on the island of Iejima, to the west of the main island of Okinawa, a stone monument has been erected to commemorate Ernie Pyle, a famous American war correspondent who died there during World War II. Iejima locals hope to invite President Bill Clinton to the island and hold a special ceremony in commemoration of Pyle.

Amid continuing efforts by cities and towns across Okinawa to secure visits by heads of summit nations, the leaders' schedules are gradually being finalized. For instance, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is a judo enthusiast, will watch a judo tournament in the city of Gushikawa and present awards to the winners. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, meanwhile, will visit the Ueno German Culture village on the island of Miyako.

Other towns also hope to serve as hosts, and are busy searching for historical ties with the summit nations. They see a visit as a good opportunity to put themselves on the map, and each one is eager to succeed.

Copyright (c) 2000 Japan Information Network. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.