James Benjamin Lampert (as the High Commissioner of the U.S. Administration of the Ryukyu Islands) himself (as the Chief Executive of the Ryukyu Islands)
Yara was a schoolteacher 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.[1]
Following his victory in the 1968 Ryukyuan legislative election, in which he campaigned for "immediate, unconditional reversion" of Okinawa,[2] he met Prime Minister Eisaku Satō in December 1968 to discuss the immediate reversion of Okinawa to Japan, which Yara supported.[1] In addition, he welcomed not only reversion, but also urged further for a "thinning out of U.S. bases."[3] Yara was critical of these bases in great part due to the economic and environmental stress they put on Okinawans.[4] 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.[1]
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."[5]
