Hear this

Abe went out of his way to taunt the mad dog; he should not be surprised when it bites back.

I'm left to think 'why do they even bother?', There's not a thing that would help rectifying the current situation especially involving Korean protesters.

What is he doing in Japan?!

What is he doing in Japan?!

He's not in Japan. Try reading the caption.

CGB Spender: "What is he doing in Japan?!"

Says a lot about your way of thinking. He's in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, my friend. Expect a whole lot more of this, deserved, to come.

Well, he reminds me of the Japanese right-wing nuts. Except for that his inferiority complex is far greater!

Well, he reminds me of the Japanese right-wing nuts. Except for that his inferiority complex is far greater!

You sure love using that 'inferiority complex' line, don't you? Clearly not interested in any meaningful debates..

You want a "meaningful debate"? Try to get it from the guy on the photo.

Not too easy to tell a Korean and a Japanese apart, at first I thought it was a racist right wing Japanese oyaji, but it is a racist Korean oyaji??

at first I thought it was a racist right wing Japanese oyaji, but it is a racist Korean oyaji?

Ajoshi is the Korean word for oyaji.

CGB Spender: "Except for that his inferiority complex is far greater!"

Actually, the need to try and constantly point that out while hiding behind a handle smacks more of inferiority complex than a guy who moves forward in protest, Spender. While I don't support right-wing nuts on either side of the issue (or any issue for that matter), it's pretty tough to call this guy 'inferior' when he needs to be stopped by police.

I think there should be Japanese protesters in front of the residence of the South Korean ambassador to Japan in Tokyo the next time the South Korean president dares to pay respects to the war dead in Korea.

Serrano: "I think there should be Japanese protesters in front of the residence of the South Korean ambassador to Japan in Tokyo the next time the South Korean president dares to pay respects to the war dead in Korea."

Why? because South Koreans colonized Japan, raped women and killed thousands upon thousands of innocents, and forced many more into slavery both here in Japan and in South Korea? I don't seem to recall that happening, Serrano. Should the citizens of the US protest in front of the Japanese embassy when a peace ceremony is held in Hiroshima or Nagasaki? Come on, Serrano!

I think he insists that Takeshima belongs to Korea.

Many protesters are happy with Abe, they now have something to do with their lives.

For some readon when I look at this picture I can't help but think of Steve Carrel in Anchorman. "LOUD NOISES!!!!"

Serrano: "I think there should be Japanese protesters in front of the residence of the South Korean ambassador to Japan in Tokyo the next time the South Korean president dares to pay respects to the war dead in Korea."

smithinjapan: "Why? because South Koreans colonized Japan, raped women and killed thousands upon thousands of innocents, and forced many more into slavery both here in Japan and in South Korea? I don't seem to recall that happening, Serrano. Should the citizens of the US protest in front of the Japanese embassy when a peace ceremony is held in Hiroshima or Nagasaki? Come on, Serrano!"

You missed the irony in my comment, smith, of course I don't think Japanese should protest in front of the Korean ambassador's residence if the Korean president pays his/her respects to their war dead, just as I don't think the Koreans should protest in front of the Japanese ambassador's residence if the Japanese prime minister pays his/her ( hey, you never know, Japan might elect a woman prime minister some day ) respects to their war dead. And Abe, by the way, paid his respects to foreign war dead as well as Japanese war dead.

And hasn't the Japanese government issued multiple apologies and expressed remorse for the suffering that the Japanese caused from 1910 to 1945?

And hasn't the Japanese government issued multiple apologies and expressed remorse for the suffering that the Japanese caused from 1910 to 1945?

Yes they have. However, the apologies were not "sincere".

Serrano: "You missed the irony in my comment, smith, of course I don't think Japanese should protest in front of the Korean ambassador's residence if the Korean president pays his/her respects to their war dead, just as I don't think the Koreans should protest in front of the Japanese ambassador's residence if the Japanese prime minister pays his/her ( hey, you never know, Japan might elect a woman prime minister some day ) respects to their war dead."

You need to check the definition of irony, if you think you were being ironic. You see, South Koreans have a REASON to protest in front of the Japanese embassy, given history. Japan would not have any justification for the kind of tit-for-tat 'irony' you talk about. You really can't see the difference? Let me make it simpler for you; let's say some Americans were angry about 9/11 attacks and protested Muslims praying for the souls of the terrorists (or all people, but including the terrorists), should Muslims therefore be angry about Americans praying for the souls of those who died that day? My guess is you would say, "no", and right you would be in doing so. Now, do you get the difference between South Korea protesting Japan honoring at a shrine which houses the souls of war criminals (more than a thousand at that!), and Japan protesting out of spite?

Umm... does anybody here read Korean and have an idea what the guy ACTUALLY was shouting slogans about? There seems to be a lot of assumptions that it was about the lack of apologies or war crimes but the caption says nothing about that. Anbinh thought it was about the islands in dispute between Japan and South Korea, but got three thumbs-down for daring to postulate that. Could it be that Anbinh read the sash the guy is wearing? Just wondering.

You see, South Koreans have a REASON to protest in front of the Japanese embassy, given history.

Doubled the population and life expectancy in 36 years and was a willing participant fighting alongside Japan. Nope. Can't think of the reason.

Any links to the Japanese governement 's statement about this incident ? I would also like to read about the protester's "protest(s)" as it is not detailed in this article.

The protester is holding a letter in his hand, I would really like to read it.

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=soc_30&k=2013122700624

Looks like the Chinese government did not give an approval to the demonstration at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.

So I ask again, why are these Koreans protesting?

Doubled the population and life expectancy in 36 years and was a willing participant fighting alongside Japan. Nope. Can't think of the reason.

@nigelboy - That is a revisionist view of history, shared by only a small minority of ultra-nationalists in Japan.

Korea was unlawfully annexed under threat of military takeover (a fact that Japanese government later acknowledged), Koreans were conscripted to labour in Japanese steel factories, Koreans calling for independence were mutilated and killed, Japanese language was taught in Korean schools, Korean women were forced into sexual slavery.

To argue that Koreans were happily occupied by Japan and joyously partook in prison labour and military service is a shameful revisionist view.

Korea was unlawfully annexed under threat of military takeover (a fact that Japanese government later acknowledged), Koreans were conscripted to labour in Japanese steel factories, Koreans calling for independence were mutilated and killed, Japanese language was taught in Korean schools, Korean women were forced into sexual slavery

We're all familiar with the "Korean" version and their distorted history which is the root cause of protest like these.

Conscription of labour when Koreans were illegally immigrated to Japan's mainland in masses. Korean independence overblown supported by the fact that Kempeitai system was completely abolished in Korean peninsula the same year. Japanese language taught because, guess what, they were part of Japan. Korean women were forced into military prostitution by no other than Korean people/brokers.

And let us not forget how backwards Korea was prior to the annexation. Many western journalists have recorded this but completely omitted by Korea's schoolbooks. Sad.

Sad.

Nice summary of your whitewashed version of history.

nigelboy: "Doubled the population and life expectancy in 36 years and was a willing participant fighting alongside Japan."

Ah, another of the "Japan did a GOOD thing" crowd. How about we say the atomic bombings were a good thing? I mean, they helped Japan stop fighting, right? Stopped the war of attrition. Made Japan modernize and become a hard working and democratic nation? So those few hundred thousand deaths were a GOOD thing on the whole, no?

Ah, but in that instance Japan was the victim so it could not possibly be good, right? But when Japan kills 10 million you figure they've increased life expectancy. When a gun is pointed at someone's head and they are told, join us or die you consider them happy and willing volunteers.

People who think what Japan did was good are outright disgusting, and it's absolutely no wonder people protest -- just a wonder why Japanese nationalists get the deer in headlights look about it and say they can't understand why.

zichi: "I suppose anyone who thinks that the Japanese Imperialist occupation of Korea was good, because it improved the life of the Koreans who according to the same thinker, were primitive people, certainly don't have a good grasp of the history which actually happened and instead is straight out of a history revisionist volume. There again, anyone who thinks any country, in this case, Japan, has never done anything wrong does not have a firm grip on reality."

Exactly! But point this out to such thinkers, or like the man in this picture protest, and they'll just sink further and deeper into their own denial. THAT is one of the big differences between nations like Germany and Japan when it comes to atoning for wrong doing and making sincere apologies and efforts to improve ties. Now you have even the US admonishing Abe for the visit, and the funny thing is he acted surprised!

There again, anyone who thinks any country, in this case, Japan, has never done anything wrong does not have a firm grip on reality.

THAT is one of the big differences between nations like Germany and Japan when it comes to atoning for wrong doing and making sincere apologies and efforts to improve ties.

...here we go again ...George Bush Jr. "You're either with us, or against us" logic. There's no in-between. ...forget the details, you either agree with ALL the "facts" we claim and apologize for ALL of them, or your apologies are insincere. If you disagree with ANY of our stated facts, you are a denier who believes "Japan has NEVER done ANYTHING wrong."

How about this-- stop making stuff up and exaggerating truths-- that WILL improve ties. It's hard to come to an agreement when the truth is, as Koreans put it, "distorted". Let's start with not calling the occupation the "Asian Holocaust". There were no concentration camps in Korea. That IS one big difference between Germany and Japan.

...having said all that ...I personally don't think Abe should have visited Yasukuni ...not while he's Prime Minister. ...nothing to do with right or wrong. ...just don't, man. The dead won't notice either way.

Ah, another of the "Japan did a GOOD thing" crowd. How about we say the atomic bombings were a good thing? I mean, they helped Japan stop fighting, right? Stopped the war of attrition. Made Japan modernize and become a hard working and democratic nation? So those few hundred thousand deaths were a GOOD thing on the whole, no?

Smith. Another irrelevant comparison.