Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe take a moment to reflect after laying a wreath at the Go For Broke Memorial which is dedicated to Japanese-Americans who formed the 442nd Regiment, the highest decorated infantry group in WWII, in Los Angeles on Friday.
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Abe honors Japanese-American World War II veterans
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Christopher Glen
Yes, while he's there he should reflect on this simple fact: These Japanese Americans were so ashamed of the actions of their ancestors - people who Mr Abe glorifies - that they took up arms to defend their adopted country. Ponder that for a moment, Mr Abe.
Tamarama
Jeez, that old fella in the blue jacket leaning on the cane looks like he almost wants to get over there and give him a piece of it too....
GW
Yeah this has got to be awkward as hell for abe, he looks tense as hell, gee I wonder why!?!
gokai_wo_maneku
It seems to me that all this activity, visiting Arlington, adressing congress, and now this, is meant to send a message to China.
CannondaleCommuter
@Christopher Glenn- You should really keep your comments in the realm of your knowledge. I have never once heard any American of Japanese decent say they joined the 442 out of shame of the birthplace of their parents (isei), but rather they joined out of patriotism for their home, America. Every single one who enlisted were US citizens, born and raised in the USA. Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice, while their parents and loved ones were locked up in concentration camps on US soil. Ponder that.
Hotmail
Yes, the US issued an official apology, and compensated the Japanese Americans interned during the WWII. And in their history books, the internment is touted as one of the shameful acts done by the US during WWII.
Something that Japanese could, and should, learn from.
smithinjapan
Notice how Abe is keeping his distance from the vets, who look like they want to play whack-a-mole with him as the rodent. Can't blame them -- he's supposedly there to honor them but in reality American vets have voiced their angst over how Abe is leading Japan down the wrong path by not acknowledging history, not apologizing, glorifying war criminals, and by changing the constitution to permit for war again.
Cannondale: "but rather they joined out of patriotism for their home, America. Every single one who enlisted were US citizens, born and raised in the USA. "
You are both right. They joined out of patriotism, but also to prove they are NOT their ancestors, something they felt pressure to do and shame about since some of them had been put in the camps as well (and enlisting was a way out) after Pearl Harbor.
Christopher Glen
That is pretty much what I wanted to say. So I find it ironic that Mr Abe of all people (due to what he represents) is paying his respects there
taiga_123
i think japan needs new politicians, plans, view of future and get new geopolitics on the line and not china focused journey
CannondaleCommuter
Smith: I'd like to clarify a few points you made. First (and again), it had nothing to do with proving they are not their ancestors or shame of their ancestors, but out of patriotism for their home, America. The only pressure they felt was a duty to prove that they were American, especially because of their circumstances. Second, when you say "some of them had been put into camps" I hope you mean over 94% of all people of Japanese ancestry in the US (120,000 of which two-thirds were US citizens) were forcibly moved to 10 different concentration camps located on US soil and had to give up everything they owned except for what they could carry. Lastly for many of the 442 and 100th battalion , that "way out" you speak of was in a casket.