No! to McDonald's?

Prince Charles suggested Tuesday on a visit to the United Arab Emirates that banning McDonald's fast food was crucial for improving people's diets, a British news agency reported.
Newsvine.com

Ahhh,... I love a big Mac.

Japan is back, says Kenneth Pyle

This is very interesting review of "Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power and Purpose by Kenneth B. Pyle.

Pyle's rich history offers an important corrective for those who believe that the future of Asian security can be assured through a bipolar U.S.-Chinese concert of power. Although increasingly aligned with the United States because of growing uncertainty about its external environment, Japan is an independent variable, and the Japanese elite will come to its own conclusions about how to safeguard Japan's interests. A positive U.S.-Chinese relationship is in Japan's national interest, but excessive U.S. accommodation of Chinese power at Japan's expense will lead to increased hedging by Tokyo and a less predictable Asian security environment. To give Japan the confidence to combine its already close economic ties with China with a similarly stable strategic relationship, Washington should base its engagement with Beijing on a close alliance with Tokyo. Pyle makes this point in a more understated way, noting that "successful coordination of engagement policies with Japan will require great sensitivity to the dynamics of Sino-Japanese relations."

Pyle's analysis also provides an indirect but powerful counterpoint to the belief that Japan's development of nuclear weapons is inevitable in the wake of North Korea's nuclear test last October. It is true that some senior Japanese politicians now muse openly about developing nuclear weapons, but the same politicians and their predecessors also privately -- and sometimes not so privately -- ruminated about possessing a nuclear deterrent during the Cold War. Japan's leaders are looking at North Korea's nuclear test within the context of Japan's overall national power. Japan's power assets include a strong alliance with the United States, the extended U.S. nuclear deterrent, domestic political cohesion, and regional economic relationships -- all of which would be put at risk by a unilateral nuclear weapons program. The Japanese are not about to slide toward nuclear armament -- so long as Washington remains attentive to the credibility of its own nuclear umbrella and to its strategic commitment to Tokyo.

To the point.

Iwojima

'Letters from Iwo Jima' fails to win best picture at Academy Awardkyodo

Maybe if the film were sent to Iraqi, would it win the prize?

Korean history for nationalism

The Education Ministry announced yesterday it will revise high school history textbooks shifting the Bronze Age on the Korean Peninsula one millennium ahead.

The government's decision was made amid China's apparent attempts to downplay Korea's ancient period as the communist country has claimed Korean ancient kingdoms as Chinese history.

The revised textbooks will be distributed nationwide in March, accepting Korean historians' claims that the current history books carry misinformation on the dawn of the milestone period in civilization's development.

The new textbooks will illustrate the Bronze Age on the peninsula as from B.C. 2,000 to B.C. 1,500, which is one millennium earlier than the years in current history textbooks.Korea Herald2007.02.24

via Marmot

Landownership in Korea Under Japanese Rule

Oh my !Foreign dispatches did it again; he debunked another Korean myth. Must read.

Landownership Under Colonial Rule: Korea's Japanese Experience, 1900-1935/Pacific Affairs, Winter 1996/1997 by Vipan Chandra


LANDOWNERSHIP UNDER COLONIAL RULE: Korea's Japanese Experience, 1900-1935. By Edwin H. Gragert. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 1994. ix, 207pp. (Figures.) US$44.00, cloth. ISBN 8248-1497-5.

A Plague Upon Kawashima by Daniel Barenblatt

UPDATE
Daniel Barenblatt is quoted as saying that he can tell Ms Watkins was telling a lie by her face.
A blogger quoted the comment from an anonymous person that he can tell Daniel Barenblatt was telling a lie by his face. I hope the blogger was not misquoting.

UPDATE2
There are some insightful comments on Occidentalism.
1) Why is it that " Mr. Barenblatt is more angry at this website than the Korean media, which misquoted him, and he would not have known it without this website".?
(He called the site that translated Korean articles into English "trash", "foolish". Unfortunately the other posts, however one evaluates them, has nothing to do with the issue, and attacking irrelevant things was exactly the way Korean media and Daniel Barenblatt attacked Kawashima.)

2)Was Mr. Barenblatt's father a communist who committed the genocide ? because "his father was involved with communist groups even *after* the truth of communist genocide had been exposed."
“As to whether” communist groups ” suspicions are true, I don’t know at this point. There are some odd omissions and apparent contradictions that have come up as to” his ” father’s identity and they do warrant some further research if only to clear the air.”
It might be good point to make him realise what he has done to Kawashima Watkins.
UPDATE3
Another insight into the incident at occidentalism
"On one hand, he is very angry at the damage that has been done to his reputation. But on the other hand, he cannot demand an apology or say nasty things to the parties responsible because the parties responsible are from the very side which he is trying to support!"







We know how Korean ultra-nationalists are like; they keep on talking about Nanjing massacre, the unit 731, which have little to do with the Korean colonization, and comfort women etc to express their hatred.(If you are not familiar with them, just google)
Kawashima's book "So Far from the Bamboo Grove" has become a prey to them.
(The book used to be evaluated positively by some Koreans.)
Korean ultra nationalists is trying to degrade her book by alleging that his father was a leading member of the Unit 731 without basis. This is an cruel project. Kawashima, and her book have nothing to do with the unit 731.
Now, surprisingly Daniel Barenblatt, the author of A Plague Upon humanity, joined this insane project.
Daniel Barenblatt was asked to evaluate the book, and he asked a question about her father at the press conference and he evaluated her book negatively for a textbook to be used at school.
He said on his own blog, "There are some odd omissions and apparent contradictions that have come up as to her father’s identity"Dan's blog/February 22, 2007

Daniel Barenblatt complains he was misquoted by Korean media. Korean media was talking as if there was a good possibility that the allegation was correct, but Daniel Barenblatt said on his blog,

I don't think that one can say definitively at this time, based on what has been publicly presented.

And he also said,

I am calling for an immediate retraction and correction from whoever is responsible, whether it be Yonhap or the www.occidentalism.org website

But.....this is important...but Daniel Barenblatt is doing nothing against the media in question, leaving Ms Watkins " plagued " with Korean ultra nationalists, leaving the comment on occidentalism and on his own blog. that

There are some odd omissions and apparent contradictions that have come up as to her father's identity, and they do warrant some further research if only to clear the airlink

Asked if he was paid for what he said on this matter.

“Are you being paid for your efforts to find out if Ms. Wat-kin's father was a part of Unit 731?”
—Gerry-Bevers, did you change that? Anonymous “Ponta” originally phrased this as: “Did you receive money in relation to this from Korean people?” So you dropped the KOREAN PEOPLE part. Now why did you do that, the alert reader may wonder …occidentalism

Well the alert reader wonders why he evaded the question.

I am not sure how much he was involved in this cruel project.
But I hope he will respond sincerely and until then, it seem the debaters on military crimes had better not quote from his book; you will be bashed for citing from the unreliable book----You might be claimed that the author you are citing might have been paid for what he wrote and he is the one who degrades an innocent old lady by an irrelevant topic and never express the apology for what he had done but just evade the issue etc.----Of course, his book has nothing to do with this incident, but Alas, that's how the world goes around and Daniel Barenblatt seems to be quite happy with that.

Japanese war crimes record

While surfing on the net, I have picked up the interesting link Press Release
January 12, 2007
100,000 Pages Declassified in Search for Japanese War Crimes Records
In particular, Select Documents on Japanese War Crimes and Japanese Biological Warfare souds interesting.

The debate on whaling

An interesting discussion is going on on Japan Probe about whaling.



Here are some useful links.
http://www.ridingsun.com/posts/1137386947.shtml
Whaling in Korea
http://www.whaling.jp/english/isana/no27_03.html

http://japanese.joins.com/article/article.php?aid=64691&servcode=700

Japanese rightist(Uyoku) is talking about fake Uyoku

You might want to readit if you are interested the rightist in Japan..

Don't miss it!

Foreign dispatches is an intellectually stimulating blog.
In particular, his insight on Korea is superb.
Korean Holocaust Envy
Offspring of Empire Indeed
I am looking forward to the next post on Carter J. Eckert.

Comfort women in Korea now.

If the Koreans are so outraged by “comfort women” why is it that not a month goes by that we aren’t hearing about some Korean prostitution ring being busted in some corner of the world far removed from Korea. If Koreans don’t give a damn about “comfort women” today, why should anyone believe that Koreans cared about “comfort women”, during the Second World War. Here’s a recent raid on a Korean prostitution ring.

RCMP raided the heavily fortified Williams Road home - the windows were barred and the doors were reinforced with steel - Feb. 8 and arrested 14 people: Five patrons, two male employees and seven Korean prostitutes.

See Police raid pair of bordellos

Barred windows and doors reinforced with steel? High crime neighborhood? I doubt it. Let’s face it. Korea has always had a sizeable number of men and women who wouldn’t hesitate to exploit their fellow Koreans for a shot at the good life.

Lest you think this sort of behavior is limited to South Koreans, think again. Koreans in China are just as likely to sell their fellow Koreans for easy money.

An entire industry of trafficking women from North Korea into China, where they are sold to “husbands” who hold them with physical and sexual assaults as well as demands they perform backbreaking labor, has been documented by Radio Free Asia.

The traffickers mostly are ethnic Korean Chinese who act as scouts, distributors, brokers or transporters of the “merchandise.” They identify victims and lure them into crossing into China, where the victims are matched with potential buyers, the report said.

So what is it like being a slave to a Chinese man?

“He hits me every day, for any trivial reason. It’s not that I want to live here, but I have nowhere else to go,” trafficking victim Hoh Kyung-Soon told RFA. “I’ve tried escaping twice. I was caught and beaten to a pulp.”

See Report: North Koreans enslaved in China

Sex slaves, prostitutes, comfort women, whatever you want to call these women who get exploited, the Koreans are just as eager now to exploit their women as they ever have. You don’t need King Sae Jong to figure that out.
Posted on 18-Feb-07 at 4:56 pm | Permalinkbad_moon_rising at occidentalism

Statistics of prostitution
The Ministry of Justice, US Year 2005
Korea: 23.5%, Thai: 11.7%, Peru: 10%, Mexico: 9.6%

The article mentions that prostitutes of Korean Chinese existed, either. They must be counted as Chinese because of their Nationality.
It means total percentage of “Korean” must be bigger than 23.5%.jion 999

SEPTEMBER 25, 2006 donga.com english


When I heard the rumor by chance that young Korean women are held in custody in Albuquerque, what I thought of at first was 밯here is Albuquerque?�However, the curiosity why Korean women are locked up in a small city unknown to us in New Mexico was soon satisfied.


밢peration Cold Comport,�which was supposed to crack down on Korean sex trade shops, were launched on August 15 by 1,000 armed policemen in eastern cities including Washington D.C. and New York. It is said that during the operation, arrested women were sent into custody. Among 70 Korean women arrested, 15 out of 19 women who failed to be released on bail are in custody.


Albuquerque is a city of 500,000, which is built in the middle of a vast wilderness in New Mexico. The Detention and Correction Center that I visited on September 18 was in the middle of its downtown area unlike my imagination. However, security and guard were heavy, just like other correctional facilities. On the fourth floor of the building, seemingly the tallest one in the city, were Korean women in custody.


밯ith my hands tied and shackled, I was taken here by flight for 23 hours. They didn뭪 care even when I said I had a hygienic emergency.�


Korean women who came out to a hall after every 3-4 were locked up in a room, poured out complaints and pleas. There were so many complaints that Kwon Tae-myun, consulate general in Washington D.C. couldn뭪 even answer.


밢ut of the blue, policemen with guns raided us and we were dragged out without wearing proper clothes. We were locked up in some kind of a hotel for a week and were sent here. We couldn뭪 bring anything. They took our money.�


They had similar stories about how they came here. Then why did they come to this faraway country and end up in the sex trade business?


밒t is hard to make money when you are older than 30 in Korea. But, I heard that Asian women뭩 age is hard to recognize in the U.S. and that one can earn 20,000-30,000 dollars easily.�


Mrs. A, 35, took a flight to Mexico eight months ago after listening to one of her acquaintances. She was guided to Tijuana, Mexico which borders San Diego in California and after staying at a tourist home for a couple of days, she crossed the border hidden in a car with a back seat removed. It cost her $10,000 to cross the border. There were a lot of ethnic Korean women who came from Yongbyon, China at the tourist home.

。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
[뉴아메리칸 드림의 명암]‘성매매 한국여성’ 15명 인터뷰


“앨버커키에 한국인 젊은 여자들이 집단 수감돼 있다”는 소문을 우연히 들었을 때 기자의 머리에 가장 먼저 떠오른 것은 ‘앨버커키가 어디지?’라는 의문이었다. 그러나 이름조차 낯선 미국 남부 뉴멕시코 주의 한 작은 도시에 왜 한국 여성들이 갇혀 있을까라는 궁금증은 곧 풀렸다.

미국 연방수사국(FBI)과 이민세관국(ICE)이 8월 15일 중무장한 경찰 1000명을 동원해 워싱턴 뉴욕 등지에서 펼친 한국인 성매매 업소 단속 작전(Operation Cold Comport) 때 체포된 여성들이 수용돼 있다는 것이었다. 당시 적발된 70여 명의 한국인 여성 가운데 대부분은 보석 등으로 풀려났지만, 풀려나지 못한 19명 중 15명은 집단 압송돼 갇혀 있다.



앨버커키는 뉴멕시코 주의 황량한 벌판 가운데 세워진 인구 50여만 명의 도시. 앨버커키 수용소는 국토안보부가 운영하는 미국 내 대표적인 불법체류자 집단 수용시설로 80여 개국 600여 명이 수용돼 있다.

18일(현지 시간) 찾아간 앨버커키 수용소는 예상과 달리 도심 한가운데에 있었다. 하지만 보안이나 경비는 여느 교도소와 다를 바 없이 삼엄했다. 아마도 도시 전체에서 가장 높은 건물일 듯싶은 이 건물 4층에 한국인 여성들이 단체로 구금돼 있었다.

“손발이 묶인 채 비행기를 타고 23시간이나 걸려 왔어요. 생리대를 갈아야 한다고 해도 막무가내였어요.”

한 방에 3, 4명씩 수용돼 있다 홀(Hall)로 나온 한국 여인들은 불평과 하소연을 쏟아냈다. 함께 간 권태면 워싱턴 총영사가 제대로 답변도 하지 못할 정도로 많았다.

“갑자기 총을 든 경찰들이 들이닥쳐서 운동복 바람으로 끌려왔어요. 어떤 호텔 같은 곳에서 1주일 수용돼 있다 이곳으로 압송됐어요. 소지품도 하나도 못 챙겼어요. 가지고 있던 돈은 다 압수당했고요.”

이곳까지 오게 된 경위는 다들 비슷했다. 이들은 왜 이 먼 나라까지 와서 성매매 업소에서 일하게 된 걸까.

“한국에선 20대 초중반이 넘으면 (유흥업소에서) 돈 벌기 힘들어요. 하지만 미국에선 동양여자 나이를 잘 구분하지 못한다고 하더라고요. 한 달에 2만, 3만 달러는 쉽게 번다고 하기에….”

A(35) 씨는 우연히 알게 된 브로커의 말을 듣고 1년여 전 멕시코행 비행기를 탔다. 캘리포니아 주 샌디에이고와 맞닿아 있는 멕시코의 국경도시 티후아나로 안내됐고 그곳 민박집에서 며칠 머물다 뒷좌석 밑을 파낸 차에 숨어서 국경을 넘었다. 국경을 넘는 데 1만 달러를 줬다. 민박집에는 중국 동포 여자들도 많았다고 한다.






▼“큰돈 번다” 春夢… 깨어보니 철창 惡夢

성매매 혐의로 적발된 한국 여성이 수감돼 있는 미국 뉴멕시코 주 앨버커키 수용소 입구. 미 국토안보부 소속의 교정시설(correctional center)이다. 앨버커키=이기홍 특파원



“여기서 수입은 자기가 하기 나름이고 천차만별이에요. 착취나 감금은 없었지만 밀입국했다는 사실 때문에 항상 불안했어요.”


자녀를 조기 유학시키기 위해 성매매 업소에서 일하게 된 중년 여인도 있었다. B(40) 씨는 중학교 1학년인 딸을 미국에서 공부시키려고 올 5월 먼저 관광비자로 미국에 왔다. 유학센터를 알아보고 유학 수속을 밟았는데 1년에 3000만 원 이상의 비용이 든다는 얘기를 듣고 한숨이 나왔다. “아이가 올 때까지 비용을 조금이나마 마련해 보려고….” B 씨는 후회의 한숨을 내쉬었다.


15명 중 한 명은 이미 이 세상 사람이 아니었다. 김모(58) 씨는 마사지 업소에서 아가씨들 빨래나 밥을 해주다가 잡혀 왔다. 성매매를 한 것은 아니지만 불법 체류자 신분이 탄로 났기 때문. 수용소로 압송된 직후 재판장에 갔다 오던 김 씨는 “갑자기 다리가 붓는다”며 주저앉았다. 배가 부르고 얼굴이 노래졌다. 급히 인근 병원으로 옮겨진 김 씨는 말기암 판정을 받았고 1주일 후 가족들의 얼굴도 못 본 채 외로이 숨을 거뒀다.


폴 하버라잉 수용소 부소장은 중환자를 방치한 것 아니냐는 질문에 “고통을 호소한 직후 병원으로 옮겼고 최선을 다해 치료했다”며 “김 씨가 가족들에게 알리기를 거부해 결국 직원들이 김 씨의 사물을 뒤져 가족들에게 연락했지만 이미 숨지고 난 뒤였다”고 밝혔다.


역시 성매매 업소에서 밥과 빨래 같은 허드렛일을 해주다 잡혀 온 C(62) 씨는 김 씨 이야기를 전해 주며 한없이 눈시울을 적셨다. 오래전 이혼한 C 씨는 미국 대학에서 음악을 전공하는 아들을 뒷바라지하기 위해 5년 전 관광비자로 미국에 와서 불법체류를 해왔다. 방 한 칸을 얻어 아들과 살았지만 그나마도 마사지 업소에서 먹고 자는 생활이어서 한 달에 한두 번밖에 집에 가지 못하는 ‘죄수 같은 나날’이었다고 한숨을 내쉬었다.


수감자 가운데 미국에 오기 전에도 성매매 관련 일을 한 경우는 3명이 확인됐다. 다른 여성들은 대부분 “미국 와서 합법적인 직업을 갖기가 어렵다 보니 이 생활로 빠져들었다”고 주장했다. 하지만 자신은 그런 경우가 아니라고 전제한 뒤 한국에서 성매매특별법이 시행된 이후 미국으로 건너온 여성들을 주변에서 많이 보았다고 했다. 23일로 시행 2년째를 맞은 성매매특별법의 ‘풍선 효과’를 시사하는 대목이다.


미국에 온 뒤 업주에게 여권을 빼앗겼다는 여성은 1명이었고, 감금 및 폭행 등을 당했다고 하소연하는 경우는 없었다. 한 달 수입은 천차만별이지만 월 2000만 원 수입을 올린 적이 있다는 여성도 있었다. 한국의 가족들에게 상당액을 송금해 왔다는 사람도 있었다.


“우리가 나라 망신시킨다고 욕하는 거 알아요. 하지만 나라가 가난 구제를 못해줬잖아요? 한국 경제 엉망일 때 여기 있는 여자들이 한 달에 1만∼2만 달러씩 송금했어요.”(D 씨·35세)


한국에서 장사를 하다 문제가 생겨 혼자 미국에 왔으나 올 추석엔 꼭 돌아가고 싶어 비행기 표 값이라도 마련하려고 성매매 업소에 발을 디뎠다는 E(38) 씨는 “이번 추석 때 시부모 제사는 내 손으로 올리겠다고 남편과 아이들에게 약속했는데…”라며 울먹였다.


F(40) 씨는 그동안 번 돈 가운데 3만 달러를 주변에 빌려주고 계를 부었는데 강제 출국당하면 찾을 길이 막막해진다며 발을 동동 굴렀다.


“불법 체류하며 이런 업종에 몸담은 게 이렇게 혹독한 대가를 치러야 하는 일인지 몰랐어요.”


‘고(高)소득’에의 헛된 꿈이 깨진 채 한국으로 추방되거나 출국할 날만 기다리고 있는 여인들의 한숨이 수용소 안을 가득 메우는 듯했다.
donga A com

Nuclear Umbrella and Japan

Here is an interesting analysis why a nation went nuclear despite the suggestion from the US and
Soviet Union that she would be safe under nuclear umbrella, citing Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle,Baroness Margaret Hilda Thatcher and Chinese government.

1 The nuclear umbrella is unreliable.
If the Soviet Union attacked France/England, the US would not retaliate with a nuclear weapon.


2 A nuclear weapon helps to keep peace.
It prevented the US and Russia from going to a war.

3 A nation without a nuclear weapon has little say in the international community.

4 Nuclear weapon is economical.

photo via 保守思想

Gaijin Chaser

In my humble opinion, when it comes to Gaijin and Japanese girls, there are three different types of girls.

Type 1 - Would not date a Gaijin for a variety of reasons. Language barrier of course, the somewhat true reality that most Gaijin do not end up living in Japan for the rest of their lives, and she may not particularly want to leave. Also, parents may not consent. She will marry Japanese and become a housewife.

Type 2 - Doesn't particularly think to date Gaijin, but is not opposed to the idea. May be reluctant to date Gaijin for many of the same reasons that Type 1 is opposed, but will be willing to give it a shot at least, perhaps if her English ability is okay/the Gaijin can speak some Japanese.

Type 3 - Prefers/actively seeks out Gaijin. Sometimes, a girl who has been abroad and seen how the world outside of Japan works, may not be able to easily return to Japan's rigid and old-fashioned system. So, this particular girl may be more suited to date Gaijin. However, that's sort of a minority within the Type 3. A lot of Type 3's just want to date Gaijin for the "cool" image. Therefore, as long as he's foreign, any guy will do. Many are looking for free English lessons. Others are looking for free plane trips overseas.

I'd say the majority of girls in Japan are Type 1/2. Type 3 is definitely the minority, but to us Gaijin they can be easily found because they often seek us out. These girls are also the most dangerous if you're looking to seriously date, and many a Gaijin male have had their hearts broken by Type 3's. ...Myself included.

The girls who do the Gaijin Test Drive (take the BMW out for a spin, but with no intention to buy - they've got a Toyota at home) are predominantly Type 3, but occasionally you get some Type 2 mixed in, and even sometimes Type 1Gaijin Smash

I am not familiar with women who chase foreigners exclusively, but I guess it might be accurate.

Well you might be another charismaman.

India and Australia, Welcome!!!

THE deal struck in Beijing this week, which is supposed to end up in the denuclearisation of North Korea, is no cause for celebration. To the contrary, it is likely to detract from Australia's security.
That's because this deal is likely to erode Japan's willingness to rely on the US for its nuclear security, and thus strengthen the hand of those in Tokyo who say that Japan needs its own nuclear deterrent

Robyn Lim: Japan caught in US-Korea nuclear net

"It is not desirable for ties between Japan and the United States to be adversely affected" by demanding that Japan do what it has already done, Kato told a news conference.Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

U.S. resolution on sex slave apology bad for ties: Kato

Hmmm the US-Japan relation will be worsen unless handled carefully.

India, Japan can rule Asia, post-CEPA
Hmmm, after all , I have had all the respects for the rich Indian culture and Indian residents in Japan are polite and open. Come to think of it, the India has a technology of nuclear weapon. Maybe we can learn each other.

Does this come down to the conclusion thatIndia and Japan and Australia have the interest in common?

update
It seems many Japanese has begun to share the similiar concern.See
The Japanese rightist

Takeshima/Dokdo

The map of Matushima durind edo period米子市立山陰歴史館が所蔵する「松島絵図」の複写（上）と、韓国・国立海洋調査院が刊行した現代の竹島の海図（下）。入り江や岩礁などの位置がほぼ一致する
山陰07/02/16

Australian woman seeks apology from Japan

IN 1944, a truck full of high-ranking Japanese officers arrived at a prison camp in Java. The young female prisoners were forced to line up. Among them was Jan O'Herne. She was 21.

......

For 50 years Mrs O'Herne, who now lives in Adelaide, kept the story — and the horrors — to herself. Now she is going to Washington, where she will tell the US Congress of what she endured.

............

more than half a century after her dignity was stripped from her, Mrs O'Herne is still waiting for an apology from Japan.Penelope Debelle, Adelaide
February 14, 2007

The Year of 2001

Dear Madam,

On the occasion that the Asian Women's Fund, in cooperation with the Government and the people of Japan, offers atonement from the Japanese people to the former wartime comfort women, I wish to express my feelings as well.

The issue of comfort women, with an involvement of the Japanese military authorities at that time, was a grave affront to the honor and dignity of large numbers of women.

As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women.

We must not evade the weight of the past, nor should we evade our responsibilities for the future.

I believe that our country, painfully aware of its moral responsibilities, with feelings of apology and remorse, should face up squarely to its past history and accurately convey it to future generations.

Furthermore, Japan also should take an active part in dealing with violence and other forms of injustice to the honor and dignity of women.

Finally, I pray from the bottom of my heart that each of you will find peace for the rest of your lives.

Respectfully yours,

Junichiro Koizumi
Prime Minister of Japanmofa

A gathering looks back with sorrow and prayer

By Tony Stephens
April 25 2003



On Anzac eve, the Japanese went to St Mary's Cathedral to apologise. Shigenobu Watanabe, a Buddhist priest, offered a prayer. Film director Shigeki Chiba brought a letter from Cardinal Peter Shirayanagi in Tokyo.

They received apologies, too. Christine Dudley, a lecturer in Macquarie University's Japanese Studies department, apologised for the racism in the old White Australia policy.

At the centre of this service of reconciliation stood Jan Ruff-O'Herne. Now 80 and living in Adelaide, she was a Dutch national interned in Indonesia by the Japanese invaders in World War II. At 21, she was dumped in a brothel for the benefit of Japanese officers. The Japanese called such young women "comfort women".

Mrs Ruff-O'Herne said yesterday: "It's a hideous euphemism. We were sex slaves for the military." She has been much honoured for her work on behalf of the sex slaves, having been recognised by the Australian and Dutch governments and awarded the RSL's Anzac Peace Prize last year.

The Pope recently made her a Dame Commander in the Order of St Sylvester.

Mrs Ruff-O'Herne said of Cardinal Shirayanagi's apology, sent even though the Japanese Government still refuses to accept any responsibility: "This is a healing of wounds, a bridge of peace."

Two former soldiers who had fought the Japanese, Brother Colin Campbell and Father Frank Callanan, preached reconciliation. So did Tom Uren, the former MP and a survivor of the infamous railway. Choirs from Japan, China, Fiji and the Women's Federation for World Peace sang.

Father Claude Mostowick, chaplain to Pax Christi, read submissions from United States scientists who had worked on the atomic bomb project, arguing against using the bomb on people.

If it must be used, they said, it could be dropped on an uninhabited island as a clear demonstration of its power. Their plea failed.

A Japanese cruiser had escorted the Anzacs to Gallipoli. At the end of World War I, the Japanese argued for a racial equality clause in the peace treaty with Germany. Australia's Prime Minister Billy Hughes attacked the proposal, which was lost.

Last night, however, Kayo Yoshida handed a painting by her artist sister, Mizuyo Kawabata, to Mrs Ruff-O'Herne. "It will hang in a place of honour in my home," she said.Smh com

See also how Korean Americans pushed Honda, an American Congressman, into passing the resolution.

The man executed as the war criminal for the charge was Yoshiharu Okada. (Maybe Keiji Okada, I’m not sure how to read the kanji.) He was found guilty for kidnapping, forcing prostitution, and rape of Dutch women at Semarang and exectued by the Dutch.

Okada seemed to have been ordered by his superior to set up a officers’ club, and so he asked Governor Miyano of Sumerang to have some Indonesians working under him to recruit some women. The day before the club opened, he visits the women for the first time to see how everything is, and reports to a visiting general staff that, “They are so cheerful and young that I’m worried some of our men might fall in love and commit suicide together.” The facility was closed down after the General Staff Yamamoto hears that the women were taken by force. (There is also testimony that the faciltiy was simply shut down because business was not good and it had to be restarted using non-white women.) Of the 35 women at the officer’s club, 25 were found to have been forced into prostitution, but the tribunal could not make clear who had been responsible for the actual forcing since the local Indonesian officials were never called in as witness, and find Okada guilty on the basis that Okada should have known no (or only a few) women would willingly become prostitutes, so his orders for recruitment was equivalent to ordering a kidnapping. Okada writes in his diary, “I have treated them so well, and yet they are now accusing me with blatant lies. Alas, I imagine they must do so now that the tides have turned and they cannot claim to have cooperated with us. I see I have been made the mastermind. I have nothing more to say. My hands have been bitten by the dogs I have fed.” (I believe the dogs refer to the Japanese owners of the clubs and not the women.)

The man who ordered Okada, Asao Okubo, comminted suicide in Japan after receiving the notification of detainment, and was never tried. Another man, Shozo Ikeda was sentenced to 15 years in prison, although he was on an official trip to Tokyo at the time of the crime. Nine others were sentenced to 2 to 20 years in prison, including the owners of the club

two cents at occidentalism

Banned Japanese words to be aired.

I don't understand why some of the words below are banned and there are some words I just don't know.
放送禁止用語一覧
What do you think?


Roughly I think there are neutral words which if put in some context would mean insulting, offensive, etc. And there are words that could promote prejudice from a specific point of view. And there are words that are inherently insulting in almost all the contexts; Those words can rarely if ever used in a value-free way.
(But I am not sure yet this is correct classification.)

baka/stupid is not a banned word;though, it is always insulting. On the other hand, Kijirusi/crazy is a banned word.

Tokoya(Barber) and sakanaya(Fishmonger) are banned. I have no idea why, though I would put -san after the word.


"Kokujin/ Black people"is banned word while "hakujin"/white people and Ousyokujin/yellow people are not banned. Why? Isn't it discrimination to ban just the word "kokujin"? To be fair, it says the word should not be used unnecessarily. for instance, instead of a Black soldier, it should be, say, an American soldier.

Some people maintain "gaijin" is insulting whereas "gaikokujin" is not. As a native Japanese I find it hard to tell the difference. If somebody explained it to me, I would be glad.

I am ashamed!!!

English school condemned for limiting teachers to blond, blue eyes

.....

According to people related to the school, several kindergartens in Kofu have asked it to send English instructors so their children can get accustomed to "foreigners," attaching such conditions as "blond hair" and "blue eyes."

The school "was aware that it was an old discriminatory idea, but couldn't resist customers' needs,"


one related person said, noting that the school now regrets it.Kyodou February 11

I am ashamed, and I doubt if there was really customer's need. Wasn't it just a preference of the school staff?
Why not employ a brilliant English teacher like Az?

Let's remember Kouf as an uneducated hick county.

Arudou, associate professor at Hokkaido Information University, who is working on human rights for foreign residents in Japan, also filed written requests with the school, kindergartens and the Kofu Regional Legal Affairs to promote human rights.

By the way, I don't like Debito's style, but this time, I must admit he has done a good job.

Honda's multiple hypocrisy

Honda, an congressman in the US, passed through the US House of Representatives to pressure the Japanese government to apologize for the forced prostitution of Korean women during World War II
ROK Drop has a story about it.

I can not care less about what resolution the US congress would pass.
But this is hypocritical in many levels.
As RokDrop, points out, Honda turns a blind eye on Chinese prostitutes, but he condemns Japan out of the pressure from
Korean constituents.
Japanese Comfort system during WWⅡ　was the same system that Korea 　and Japan and the US adopted for GIs. German had a worse system for prostitutes during WWⅡ. Why not condemn them?
Among these nations, Japan is the only nation that PM apologized and set up funds for them.

Korean comic book denounced.

Update2
It seems Famima expressed the formal apology and the policy not to let this kind of book on the shelf. Good! I am expecting other stores to follow the suit.
I guess this kind of democratic protest will help Japanese society for the better.
Sudden and furious demonstrations, or the sudden pressure from abroad might draw attentions effectively but it will also accompany the repulsions from people who otherwise would support the project.


Update
Eichi Shuppan, which published Gaijin ura hanzai file , says that they are no longer selling the magazine, and would be recalling it from stores. (http://www.debito.org/index.php/?p=215#comment-1147)
Well it was good. Family Mart was really stupid. At least it could have declared to the public that it will make effort to help to stop spreading such racist copies in the fututer. That would have given the Famima a good name, but since it didn't it has only gotten infamous worldwide as the corporation that sold the racist magazine. Well, it seems some Japanese have to learn it hard way.
..................................................................................
Marmot has an story about the comic book by a Korean professor being denounced by Wiesenthal Center.

I have covered the story of the racist magazine at Family Mart in Japan.
There are a lot of differences between the two cases, but the fundamental stance should be the same. Marmot put it nicely ,"It should not be banned, but it should be condemned."

I am glad Japanese commented on the blog negatively on the racist magazine and most supported for the project.
To be sure, as I argued, Japanese needs to pay much more attention to this kind of issue.
Some comments from expats are ironically racist against Japanese;I don't care--- that was predictable and understandable, since the expats are having a lot of frustration living in a different culture and they want to let off some steam.
Others are showing understanding toward Japanese society.
And there are some comments that are thought provoking.

So what is the point in compiling figures for crimes committed by non-Japanese at all? I just find the very idea of it, if not repugnant, then at least sinister. The idea’s just culturally ‘foreign’ to me.Of all the countries I’ve lived in, Japan likes to draw a distinction between natives and non-natives more than any other.,,,,Overoften

I’m tired of being treated like some kind of sub-human day in, day out. It’s terrible for one’s soul. I can no longer handle being a total outsider. Ponta (thanks very much for your efforts on this BTW Ponta) mentioned that Japanese people are also outsiders in many situations and that it is all relative. True. However as a gaijin here I am ALWAYS an outsider in EVERY situation. That is a big difference........It’s not all bad though. I’ve learnt a lot from my time here. Even the unpleasant situation of being an outsider and targeted by racism has it’s benefits. As a white 30 year old Australian male, I am very much of the majority in my home country. Living as a minority has really allowed me to empathise with immigrants in Australia. This has motivated me to do as much as possible to help fight against racism and bigotry in Australia and assist minorities when I return.

I’m outta here!Heading Out

Probably for both persons living as a member of minority was the first experience. For the minority all over the world, their existence, idea, subtle prejudice about them, discriminations etc are never a foreign idea to them . Reading AA's complaints on Internet, justified or not, will confirms that the issue is not foreign idea. It is just that the majority has a strong tendency to be indifferent, does not bother to pay attention to it, or just ignore it as a small matters.

I don't think I was treated kind of sub-human while I lived in the US long time ago, but I might have felt that way at the time. I decided to go back to my country because I thought I was totally different from "them". I just couldn't feel being myself speaking English, I felt I was another person speaking "alien" language, using "alien" bodily expression,etc.. But looking back, maybe I was wrong. there
are a lot of Japanese out there assimilating well in the society, living as they are. I could have developed an unified self harmonizing different cultures.

Anyway, probably the experience living as a minority made it easier for me to identify the issue. The problem is how to draw attention from the majority who has never played the role of the minority. people might say,"Oh I would ignore such a racist book, so what's the big issue?" "Oh I don't discriminate them, such racists are minority, why do I have to bother?" People might not pay attention until there are incidents like Mississippi burning or assassination of the minority leaders. Before such tragedy happen, there should be
a good way to let the minority's voice heard among the majority.

Mailing complaints to the media, and demonstration on the street might be good ways.Education also helps, but is that all? Do you have any good idea?







.

Korean sarcastic manga about itself..

link

Dr, Japan. the story of plagiarizing Japanese products


It is shame but we have to point out Koreans plagiarize Japanese products.
.......
Let's have a meeting,
When Korean company develops new product, it is said it starts with buying all the related products in Japan.
Hmm, Which one will we plagiarize?
...........
When the target is decided, there is no hesitation to plariarize at random.

"Isn't is a bran new package?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

We live surrounded by Japanese products from clothings to foods, from architectural products to culture.

"Get out of here pro-Japanese Koreans!!!

This is a plagiarism
This one is also ......

It is somehow pathetic to see people burning Japanese flag.
(note I didn't write it-;it is a translation for 可愛そう　--it zero)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Is Korea changing?
On one outspoken Korean music producer who criticized Korean media for fanning nationalism,Asian pages wrote,
Let’s just watch and see if he still has a career in Korea now…

Should i be worried about the author of this manga?

The owner was found.

28,000,000 yen was found from the wastpaper depot on Jan 9th at Takasaki, Gunma prefecture.
Later, an woman, 80 years old reported to the pollice that she lost the cash but the police comfirmed that it was hers. She said she was happy to find that the cash was returened.
.................................................................................

群馬・高崎市で回収された古紙の中から見つかった現金2,800万円の持ち主見つかる

群馬・高崎市で1月に回収された古紙の中から見つかった現金2,800万円の持ち主が見つかった。持ち主は、市内の80歳の女性だった。
この2,800万円は1月29日、高崎市の古紙集積場で、作業員が回収した古紙の中から見つかったもの。
その後、市内の80歳の女性から「現金をなくした」と警察に相談があり、女性のものとわかった。
女性は「大切なお金が戻ってきて本当によかった」と話しているという。FNN

Takeshima 1923/24 map (J)

1924
1924
The map that proves Takeshima belongs to Japan was discovered again.
The map was made during Taisyo period(1912-1926) The above map shows Takeshima was under jurisdiction of Shimane Police and another map shows it was under the jurisdiction of Shimane prefecture .山陰中央日報'07/02/09

Make a big fuss!!!

Japan probe is getting atention from foreign media on the trash magazine, but not from Japanese media.
It is a big chance for Japanese to think about it.
Make a big fuss so that Japanese media will pay attention to it.

Korean selective outrage

Again Foreign dispatches presented an very interesting analysis about Korean Selective Outrage.
His theory reinforces usin Korea's comment on Korea. In a comment section, they also have insightful discussions with deep understanding on Japanese history.

PM Abe and Hitler

Japanese popular blogger said if you looked at the film,"Der Untergang ", you would find the striking similarity between the way Abe thinks and Hitler.
Comparing someone with Hitler is just easiest way to say you don't like him/her.

But anyway it is good to know that "Der Untergang " is available to view for free on GYAO until March 1 st.
I am gonna watch it when I have time.

Korea did it again to China.

I posted before ,"Is Korea still vassal state of China", well probably out of jealousy, out of curiosity about why Korea take different attitude toward China and Japan.
Korea did it again.
Marmort has a heart breaking story about how Korea apologized to China.
And Foreign dispatches also has posted about it.

update
I might have been wrong. It seems the nationalist war began between China and Korea.
Let the Sino-Korean netizen war begin!

A trash magazine.

Update
Japan probe has started the movement towards boycotting family Mart, which is selling this magazine. I think this is a good move. People need to know that many people are offended by this kind of magazine and racism is utterly groundless.
And this is the right way because it is not the government but people who voice against it. Good luck!!
.............. ................... .................


Debito picked up the magazine called "the crime of foreigners in Japan, don't let the foreigners invade Japan".
Now, this is obviously a trash. And I am not sure I have something to talk about the trash except that Japanese society need to grow mature enough to frown on the shops that sell this kind of books and ridicule this kind of book.
I don't claim that we should legally ban this kind of book because I don't want some privileged people to judge what a trash is, but we need to put the trash in trash can.
There will be some idiots forever, but I don't care if they look into the trash can as long as the society are ordered so that trash is put in the trash can.