Maher's Nest

The U.S. government has sacked Kevin Maher as head of the Japan affairs office of the State Department following his remarks that reportedly disparaged the people of Okinawa.

In off-the-record lecture in Washington in December before 14 students who were about to visit Tokyo and Okinawa, Kevin Maher allegedly said "Okinawans are masters of 'manipulation' and 'extortion' " when they deal with the Tokyo government and that "although Okinawans grow goya, other prefectures grow more than Okinawa. Okinawans are too lazy to grow goya."



Goya is a kind of bitter gourd and is used in Okinawan cuisine as a significant ingredient.


But that alleged gaffe tastes much more bitter than goya for people living in Okinawa.