War fears

China and Korea peace loving countries and Japan not? Strange logic.

Am I the only one that finds ignorant comparisons with Hitler to be highly offensive. Sure Abe is a reactionary buffoon with the intelligence of road kill, however, his actions to date in no way compare to the little Austrian corporal whose delusions of grandeur set the world ablaze and led to the deaths of countless millions. Indeed, such ludicrous associations only highlight the total ignorance of the demonstrators with regard to the Götterdämmerung that was World War 2.

The more Japan is unable to push back, the better iit is for China while it conducts land-grabs. It makes sense that China's going to protest anything Abe does which goes against China's land acquisition plans.

I think that they should be protesting against Mainland China and their suppression of freedoms that are in Hong Kong compared to the rest of China than being concerned about the Japanese PM, and Japan's ability to project power off their shores.

Who are these protestors? From the uniformity of the placards, they look like they could be from one organization, even Chinese central government plants.

Not merely defaced, but someone has added a little moustache under Herr Abe's nose.

Shinzo Abe doesn't even come close to a war monger like Hitler. He's not even a great speaker, and the circumstances surrounding his leadership don't touch a nose hair close to 1920's and 30's Germany. Aggressive? Yes, maybe he's a bit too eager to send non-existent military forces to distant lands. But he's not drafting anyone, there's not a high population of young people, and the economy sucks.

And, as far as recruitment is concerned... It's not unknown to target high school aged students. That's common in the States, too. Heck, it might help the economy to give jobs to these younger people who don't know what they want to do. It's better than being unemployed and committing crimes.

Funny, I bash Abe and posts get deleted, JT bashes Abe and it gets front page headlines. I suppose they should be receiving a telephone call pretty soon.....oh wait, this is for foreigners, my bad, if it was directed towards Japanese people.....ring....ring, ring.

Moderator: Please refrain from posting rubbish like this and lift the level of your posts which is among the lowest on the discussion board.

I love this picture. Unfortunately, the man is NOT Hitler. Not even close. I do understand though that it requires a sledgehammer to get some attention so it's understandable that this protester went to this extreme.

I do have an important piece of information that supports why this guy is standing here. I have noticed that Japanese Military recruiters are at the stations in the morning and afternoon. I stood around and watched for a few minutes. They are going after high school students. Abe is building up Japan's military.

War is such a sad thing.......

Actually, this same group of demonstrators has been floating around for quite a while. I saw the same group in Chiba city over a year ago.

Why would they travel to the Japanese embassy in Hong Kong? That makes no sense.

I suspect you saw a different group.

Are the true purposes of the security bills to share the costs of wars started by the USA with Japan ?

The USA under pres. Bush was reported to have spent more than US$ 2 000 billion (US$ 2 trillion) on the Iraq War, Afghan War, etc, according to US pres. Obama. A lot of that money is borrowed from foreign countries.

Funny JT censors posts from folks who bash Abe then post a picture like this......tells a lot about their "policies".

Moderator: Once again, another post from you that adds nothing to the discussion.

I stood around and watched for a few minutes. They are going after high school students. Abe is building up Japan's military.

I somewhat disagree. While Japan is doing it at train stations, some countries have mandatory military service, some up to two years. While others (USA, don't know about the rest) go directly into high schools and give multiple choice tests used to determine qualification for enlistment. Then they send you towels and other promo directly to your home address.

Definitely not Hitler. These people should read some history books and learn the things he did. I don't like Abe but there's no way we can compare him with someone like Adolf Hitler.

No one really factually equates Abe with Adolf.

Just a means to make a statement. Quite common in fact.

Like the expression - "You're a food Nazi", hardly implies you follow Hitler, but it does create an impactful nuance.

No Hong Kong students, these. "Hong Kong Federation of Trade".

Actually, if they were really afraid of war, they should be protesting against the Chinese government's actions building up the armed forces and ratcheting up the tensions throughout the western Pacific.

Alphaape I think that they should be protesting against Mainland China and their suppression of freedoms that are in Hong Kong compared to the rest of China than being concerned about the Japanese PM, and Japan's ability to project power off their shores.

Yes it was a time when Japan had ability to project power off their shores....

Chinese people have a pretty good memory ...

Abe seems dressed rather casually in this picture? You would think that if he was staging a protest, he might wear something other than battered blue jeans...

@megumi

this pic was taken in HK.

@hongo it maybe an exaggeration but i would hardly consider it offensive. the pic was meant to garner attention, and that it did. i don't think you need to read too much into it.

I've met lots of Japanese people who admire Hitler.

Pray tell, how would that ever even come up in conversation?

Can't say anyone has ever said that to me in 20 years.

what I want to know from Japan Today reporters and the Diet is if the US military is downsizing troops why are so many Military Labor Contractors who get paid with my Yen taxes and receive the same benefits as a Government employees, not downsized and put to work in a shrinking commercial workforce. I have visited many bases of which this story plays into about war fears and yet there are 10 employees for one soldier to support. If the Diet is going to expand the military this will certainly bring war fears among many but in the meantime my taxes keep going up and the MLC employed is going up.

Actually, this same group of demonstrators has been floating around for quite a while. I saw the same group in Chiba city over a year ago.

Have you noticed that, demonstrators in other countries are mostly young people and in Japan they are mostly older people? Why do you think that is? Is it becaus the younger generation really don't care or is it becaus they couldn't be bothered?

Have you noticed that, demonstrators in other countries are mostly young people and in Japan they are mostly older people? Why do you think that is? Is it becaus the younger generation really don't care or is it becaus they couldn't be bothered?

Apathy is always a factor, but isn't Japanese society's intent to create risk-adverse, keep your nail/head down conformists? Rote memorization of questionable history, as opposed to genuine debate and, well, accuracy in far too many cases, not to mention the horrid mainstream media that simply echoes the talking pts. of those in power, alienating anyone looking to become informed. IOW, create sheeple and don't complain when they conduct themselves as such.

How can mighty China with it's huge army, vast navy and obscenely large army possibly have anything to fear from Japan? The logic defeats me. These people need to take a step back, walk through the door marked 'Common Sense' and enter the 21st century with new eyes. Constantly banging on about a war that ended 70 years ago this year is, quite frankly, immature and pathetic. Yes, commemorate the victims of the war, and the armed forces personnel who fought, but for pity's sake stop acting as if it's an open wound - then again, if you keep picking away at the scabs it'll never get better.

Get over yourself China... go invent a new power source or something for the good of mankind... just stop acting like a bloody brat!

The picture suggests that Abe is Adolf Hitler.

I agree with FernGully. Abe as a public speaker is about as interesting as Bill Gates. He has the charisma of a school textbook and the economic common sense of a water sprinkler.

Rather than Adolf, I think he more closely resembles Mussolini.

Another fascist.

Good morning from the USA :)! It as been said that, "those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it..." The Japanese are not only poor students of history, but have self-imposed amnesia when it comes to their documented atrocities during and before WWII. If they want to poke the dragon with a sick, the dragon(China) will burst through it's cage like a Japanese rice paper wall and savagely end what we started on August 6, 1945. The Japanese need to check themselves and apologize to China! The land of the rising sun needs to realize that there is one country who still has not signed the peace treaty in San Francisco to end WWII. In case they have forgotten, that country is huge, powerful and rich, wait for it...China. Japan, stop this fascination with death and truly embrace honor and humility and have the courage to live and live in peace with all your neighbors. Therein lies true honor.

Combination Abe and Adolf is clever but a bit misguided. Agree with many that this ongoing harping on Japanese aggression and the war is tedious. anyone really believe that Japan is going to invade a neighbour anytime soon?

Our national hero J.P. Rizal says: Cowardice starts with selfishness and ends with shame.

Sometimes war is necessary. I support him and it.

So they are anti-Japanese too?

Deface is despised.

I've met lots of Japanese people who admire Hitler.

I admire the spirit of the demonstration

@ Kuribo1 Really?

"Geez these people need to get over themselves and move into the 21 first century."

Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.

The protest demonstration looked well educated. It is good for Japan to enforce things which the Chinese government opposes.

It is an unpalatable picture of a man of peace.

Comparing Abe with Hitler is a sign of blatant myopia. In the near future Japan will need not one but several men like Abe.

Geez these people need to get over themselves and move into the 21 first century.

Not very tasteful, but not all that far off, either. They'd be better off likening him to their own government than Hitler.

@Papi2013

So they are anti-Japanese too?

The correlation of Japan with Nazi Germany, along with the likes of "Good Germany - Evil Japan" are just two of the meme being used by the CPC propaganda strategy. The personification of the dispute or argument on Abe is another.

Watch out for them now, you'll find them all over the English language social media.

The problem is, it does not really work in most of the world as they do not have the same personality fixation as, say, the Americans do on their president and the Chinese on theirs.

It also does not translate at all into Japanese, but Japan is not their target.

It's the English speaking world, or more specifically middle America's political and military support for Japan that the CPC wants to weaken.

A well-timed demonstration