Japanese To Revise History (Again)

[tinybear]

Okinawans Protest Japan’s Plan to Revise Bitter Chapter of World War II


By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: October 7, 2007

GINOWAN, Japan, Sept. 30 — Already 78 years old and in failing health, the Rev. Shigeaki Kinjo no longer wanted to talk about that fateful day 62 years ago toward the end of World War II when he beat to death his mother, younger brother and sister.

Last month, thousands of protesters in Ginowan, Okinawa, demanded that Japan drop plans to remove references in textbooks to the coerced mass suicides on their island in 1945.

Brainwashed by Japanese Imperial Army soldiers into believing that victorious American troops would rape all the local women and run over the men with their tanks, Mr. Kinjo and others in his village here in Okinawa thought that suicide was their only choice. A week before American troops landed and initiated the Battle of Okinawa in March 1945, Japanese soldiers stationed in his village gave the men two hand grenades each, with instructions to hurl one at the Americans and then to kill themselves with the other.

Most of the grenades failed to explode. After watching a former district chief break off a tree branch and use it to kill his wife and children, Mr. Kinjo and his older brother followed suit.

“My older brother and I struck to death the mother who had given birth to us,” Mr. Kinjo said in an interview at the Naha Central Church, where he is the senior minister. “I was wailing of course. We also struck to death our younger brother and sister.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/wo...ld&oref=slogin

[phoenix_fire]

The Japanese right wing is pretty scary. In context, this isn't just revisionist history for the sake of vanity, but something more sinister. Downplaying the severity of past military atrocities and rewriting the Constitution are hints toward the assumption of a more aggressive stance. While the Constitution needs to be rewritten (how long are the fiercely nationalistic Japanese going to put up with a national creed engineered by gaijin invaders?) I worry about who will be doing the rewriting.

This all brings up some interesting questions. Assuming Japan wants to be a military power again...

[tinybear]

Do you know who is currently Japan's main supporter? Guess.

[phoenix_fire]

*smiles* *puts chin in hands*

Tell me.

[GHook93]

Quote by: tinybear Do you know who is currently Japan's main supporter? Guess.

What has Japan done since WW II? Nothing! Why not support them. The leftist would rather have us support the Islmofacist, with the misguided hope that they will leave us alone if we do!

[Technosoul]

History is somewhat unimportant. But some say that history will repeat it's self so if we write out all the bad stuff, like the wars, then in the furture we might not have any more wars because it would no longer be in the history books, and therefore not repeated.

[notworthabean]

You know why america supports Japan? For the same eason we support Israel. Without the US supporting them they would both be far more agresive without our aid.

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: GHook93 What has Japan done since WW II? Nothing! Why not support them. The leftist would rather have us support the Islmofacist, with the misguided hope that they will leave us alone if we do!

Well, it's a little more interesting than that. The U.S. did quite a bit to declaw Japan after WW II. They wrote a Constitution for them that does not allow Japan to have any kind of standing military. All they really have is a limited "Self Defense Forces". In return, the U.S. has taken up the burden of Japan's military defense. Which has been a pretty sweet deal for Japan so far because they essentially don't need a defense budget and can dedicate a whole lot more money to mobilizing their economy, which they have done in spades. So why would they want to screw all this up, you ask? There are a few potential reasons:

1.) They may find themselves becoming less ideologically aligned with the U.S. due to recent events and/or find the prospect of the U.S.'s continued support to be unreliable. After all, it is hard to reconcile the U.S.'s recent actions with the pacifistic mandate that they U.S. set down in the Japanese Constitution.

2.) Their strong sense of nationalism has caused them to become frustrated with the way that the U.S. manhandles their government. A strong standing military is always a point of national pride and a demonstration of a state's sovereignty.

3.) China may be making them nervous. China has certainly made Taiwan nervous.

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: Technosoul History is somewhat unimportant. But some say that history will repeat it's self so if we write out all the bad stuff, like the wars, then in the furture we might not have any more wars because it would no longer be in the history books, and therefore not repeated.

I believe the phrase is "if you don't learn from it, you're doomed to repeat it".

[rmnunez]

China is making them nervous.

[Thanatos]

Something is bugging me. One minute Japan is based on semi-religious emperor worship that's carried out with enough zeal to beat their wives and children to death with tree branches. The next minute they're a stable westernized democracy. How is this possible? It seems to me that if you're willing to kill your family and yourself to slow the invaders you really wouldn't be bothered by the threat of nuclear weapons.

[phoenix_fire]

For one thing, it's a different emperor now. The role of the emperor has changed. Nowadays, politics mostly happens around him, and he does a pretty good job mainly of deflecting criticism of the government. Even though governing is carried out by others, it is still theoretically with his approval. And no one's going to badmouth the emperor (because of the aforementioned semi-religious element). For another, right after the ritual suicides and the mass displacement and economic downfall caused by overstretching for the war and by the bombs, the Japanese got a heavy dose of disillusionment. There were people who were very unhappy with the idea of ritual suicide and just fled with their families instead, even then. As the OP suggests, the government may want one thing, but those who still remember those days feel strongly enough about them to object. Another point is that, while the U.S. has very strongly suggested democracy upon Japan, there is still that right wing which is very powerful and, as I said before, scary.

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: Thanatos Something is bugging me. One minute Japan is based on semi-religious emperor worship that's carried out with enough zeal to beat their wives and children to death with tree branches. The next minute they're a stable westernized democracy. How is this possible? It seems to me that if you're willing to kill your family and yourself to slow the invaders you really wouldn't be bothered by the threat of nuclear weapons.

I'd say although they tend to be closed off about their emotions, most japanese are as zealous as they were 60 years ago. I know a few japanese students around campus. They all would say suicide is acceptable in many circumstances, mostly relating to massive loss of social status.

The way it was put to me was, you can earn back money or work back into a lost job, but to lose your place is society is a stigmatism that marks you for life.

[tinybear]

Quote by: GHook93 What has Japan done since WW II? Nothing! Why not support them. The leftist would rather have us support the Islmofacist, with the misguided hope that they will leave us alone if we do!

About 60 years ago, Japan was ruled by military fanatics whose regime was on par with Nazi Germany in terms of aggression and barbarism. My, what a short memory you have.

Japan hasn't done much since WWII because its constitution prohibited her from doing so. Now there have been blatant attempts to hide her military past from future generations, to revise her constitution so that she can expand her military and to authorize an arms buildup and lift the current constitutional restrictions on sending arm forces overseas.

All of this has the support of our government. What do you think of that, folks?

[GHook93]

Quote by: tinybear About 60 years ago, Japan was ruled by military fanatics whose regime was on par with Nazi Germany in terms of aggression and barbarism. My, what a short memory you have.

True, but you can make the same argument about the Germans! Generations can change things. Think of Americans, I think my generation is much different than my parents, and my parent's generation is much much different than my grandparents!

Japan hasn't done much since WWII because its constitution prohibited her from doing so.

You think that is the only reason?

Now there have been blatant attempts to hide her military past from future generations, to revise her constitution so that she can expand her military and to authorize an arms buildup and lift the current constitutional restrictions on sending arm forces overseas.

I think it has to do more with a irrational NK and the largest population in the world still pissed at them!

All of this has the support of our government. What do you think of that, folks?

I am fine with it. I can see in the near or distant future the Empire of Japan returning. Japan is modern capialistic society, built on the backs of harding working Japanese men and women. Japan should be viewed with envy not fear!

It is funny how the left likes to be afraid of the American Government and out allies, but when it comes to Islamic Terrorist like Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeda, Revolutionary Guard etc. the left see them as misunderstood FREEDOM FIGHTERS that are not threats to the US!

[tinybear]

Germany has learnt from her mistakes and no attempt has been made to hide Germany's Nazi past. Japan is entirely different. That's the point I was trying to put across.

Consider this: Suppose the German Chancellor were to order a cathedral to be built in honor of Adolf Hitler, Rudolph Hess, Herman Goering, Joseph Goebbels...etc. and he/she and his/her cabinet would visit the said cathedral year after year to hold mass in honor of these people. Suppose the German Chancellor and his/her ministers were to order the revision of German textbooks to hide the country's Nazi past and deny the occurrence of the Holocaust...what do you think would happen?

[notworthabean]

Quote by: tinybear Germany has learnt from her mistakes and no attempt has been made to hide Germany's Nazi past. Japan is entirely different. That's the point I was trying to put across. Consider this: Suppose the German Chancellor were to order a cathedral to be built in honor of Adolf Hitler, Rudolph Hess, Herman Goering, Joseph Goebbels...etc. and he/she and his/her cabinet would visit the said cathedral year after year to hold mass in honor of these people. Suppose the German Chancellor and his/her ministers were to order the revision of German textbooks to hide the country's Nazi past and deny the occurrence of the Holocaust...what do you think would happen?

Except suppose that the cathedral had been built long before WWII and that there were many more people there then Adolf hitler?

Anyway I agree with the other posters, it's mostly the fact that China makes them uneasy and they don't want to rely on the USA. I would do the same in their postion, they have every right to increase their defenses. That said I don't think they should Hide their past.

[Praxius]

Quote by: GHook93 What has Japan done since WW II? Nothing! Why not support them. The leftist would rather have us support the Islmofacist, with the misguided hope that they will leave us alone if we do!

Ah yes.... the ol' lesser of two evils trick.

[GHook93]

Quote by: tinybear Germany has learnt from her mistakes and no attempt has been made to hide Germany's Nazi past. Japan is entirely different. That's the point I was trying to put across. Consider this: Suppose the German Chancellor were to order a cathedral to be built in honor of Adolf Hitler, Rudolph Hess, Herman Goering, Joseph Goebbels...etc. and he/she and his/her cabinet would visit the said cathedral year after year to hold mass in honor of these people. Suppose the German Chancellor and his/her ministers were to order the revision of German textbooks to hide the country's Nazi past and deny the occurrence of the Holocaust...what do you think would happen?

Good point, although many common German citizen do take up that stance!

[kalel29]

The Japanese have a bad habit of not wanting themselves to look like the bad guys, due to their history. From the slave trade of Korea, the Rape of Nanking, to the terrible way they treated the Okinawans. It's pretty sad indeed. However, there is a park in Okinawa called Peace Prayer Park that pays tribute to those who died on the Suicide Cliffs. Watching the videos of Okinawan women jumping off a cliff with her two young kids, simply because they were brainwashed is pretty heartwrenching.