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Most Japanese want Abe to heed fallout over Yasukuni: poll

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Abe desperately wanted Nakaima to okay the plan to build a new superbase for the US military in Henoko.

Nakaima didn't want to agree because Okinawans are against it.

Something happened when Nakaima was in hospital in Tokyo and he caved.

Abe went to Yasukuni to give thanks to his ancestral Gods for their help in solving this problem for him.

That's the person who's running this country!

Gawdelpus!

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Abe himself has argued that he did not mean to offend foreign nations with the visit,

but knew he would...

Leaders that are as NOT-STRAIGHT-FORWARD as Abe mean a threat to world peace.

2 ( +11 / -9 )

The Chinese need to take a dose of their own rhetoric and stop meddling in the internal affairs of Japan. Can you imagine how they would react if Japan demanded that they stop glorifying the mass murderer Mao? This is really a non-event and only click bait for the soft folks who make a habit in acting outraged and media sources who fuel their profits by promoting controversy.

-17 ( +16 / -33 )

The Chinese would love to mind their business if the war criminals didn't kill millions of Chinese during WW2. I am all for Japan to have a normal military but I am totally against what the Japanese far-right trying to rewrite history. "We didn't invade China, didn't kill and rape." "We didn't have sex slaves." How many Japanese school children know the truth? What Japan did not only to China but Korea and South-east Asia? What Japan did to American, British and other POWs? None....pathetic.

16 ( +24 / -8 )

Something that is said time and time again by supporters of Japanese politicians' visit to Yasukuni is that only China and Korea object to the visit.

However, Singapore have also expressed their objection to the visit, something that hasn't been reported here on JT.

http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/singapore-regrets-pm-abes-visit-yasukuni-shrine-mfa

14 ( +19 / -5 )

Can you imagine how they would react if Japan demanded that they stop glorifying the mass murderer Mao?

when did mao invade japan?

15 ( +20 / -6 )

Someone had to be the first one to visit and HELP JAPAN MOVE ON IN THE 21ST CENTURY. Opinions are like . - - -, everyone has one, but it is important to the rest of the world. Forget it China, SK, and NK. Good job, Mr. Abe. You are a leader.

-13 ( +8 / -21 )

The Abe administration will absolutely try to palliate on the final decision on the visit to Yasukuni shrine. Regardless of ideological differences Japan and China should promote friendly relations with each other.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I feel that Japan is doing good.

My point of view is that chinese rethoric is not right. But because China is so tied with the main economies of the world and everyone is so dependent on them, everyone is obligated to be sightless to chinese abuse.

The USA has the power to manipulate people's opinion in Asia. Both Japan and China must take care with it.

Analising the japanese side, my opinion is that Japan was manipulated by the US in the last decades, or maybe in the whole last century. But this manipulation was good because the US was helping Japan to modernize. In exchange, the americans used Japan to stablish the US presence in Asia. All the benefits would go to Japan.

But from now on, the US has interests in China too and the US will have to spread benefits to both countries. In a situation like this, there are times the benefit will stay with Japan, while other times will stay with China. Also, this kind of relationship may eventually bring losses to Japan or China, because there are matters that are good to Japan but not to China and vice versa.

The way I see it is that the japanese will have to work to be less dependent on the US. Mr. Abe knows that and things like the boost on military spending is part of this plan. Thats why I think Japan is just going to the right direction, and that Abe is the best japanese prime minister I saw after Junichiro Koizumi.

-12 ( +9 / -21 )

This news source differs from the information that I know. Many Japanese approve Abe prime ministers visiting Yasukuni shrine. To begin with, Abe prime minister has made nobody trouble by this behavior. On the other hand, Chinese actions are very troublesome for Japan. For example, a collision vessel, a rock-on attacking, the violation of Japanese territorial sky and water many times, ADIZ problem so on. Abe PMs behavior is natural but Chinese attacking actions are illegal. I do not know why PM Yasukuni visiting affects bad influence to the world?

-9 ( +8 / -17 )

"However, the premier’s conservative supporters hailed the visit as a major victory.."

A "major victory"? Really?

5 ( +9 / -4 )

"Can you imagine how they would react if Japan demanded that they stop glorifying the mass murderer Mao?"

"when did mao invade japan?"

He did'nt, he was too busy murdering his own people I think was the jist of the comment.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

FernandoUchiyama,

Your country is on the verge of bankruptcy. Your government's total debt is 2000 + times its yearly revenue. Dont you think you should object to Abe's increase in military spending and posture at least based on your government's fiscal position. What will happen when the Japanese government runs out of money and cant pay back their bond debt obligations? When you retire, do you think the Japanese government will have your money with which to pay you back what you likely lent to them in your current years?

Japan's population is old and declining. In the next 20 years, many Japanese will be retiring and be selling JGB's. When these older folks sell their JGB's and the government can no longer sell their bonds internally (to Japanese residents), they will have to ask foreigners to buy the bonds. When foreigners buy, they will demand more than an 1% average on the yields. Given Japan's massive debt position, when the foreigners demand a higher yield, Japan wont be able to make the interest payments on the bonds and a financial crisis will start.

It amazes me that Japanese or even Chinese people support their own respective governments in regards to the islands. The islands are about energy resources. But whomever gets those resouces wont share any of their wealth with the average Japanese or Chinese citizen on the street.

To use an example, I will tell you, as a Canadian, about Canada's recent energy boom. Canadian companies have discovered and develop massive oil reserves in the past 20 years, but the average Canadian doesnt benefit much at all. Our gas prices are higher than China, even though we have enough oil for ourselves and more to sell to China. Our taxes havent gone down, our debt hasnt gone down, etc. Nothing has changed. Only that the people who are involved in the oil game and the government that regulates the oil industry, have gotten rich. But, the avearge person hasnt benefited. In fact, despite all these energy resoucres and development, our national healthcare system has gotten more backlogged, waiting lists have gotten longer, and more people are without doctors. So, please, believe me when I say that you wont benefit at all even if Japan defeats China in regards to the islands and extracts all the resoucres from the area.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

So if your parents are has some crime convicted you dont want and wont pay them visit? What a logic, China and S.Korea need to get over it, eapecially China, historical wise your parents is no less cruel compare to the Japanese, and for Korean has their own comfort women system what is there to blame?

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Your country is on the verge of bankruptcy. Your government's total debt is 2000 + times its yearly revenue.

@ex-japan-visitor: A correction. Japan's public debt is about twice its GDP, not 2,000-fold.. hope that was a typo.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Abe is a man of courage and principles. He will not govern in some weak-kneed Bill Clinton follow the polls sort of manner. He will stand up for his country, honour the war dead and if China et al make too much noise, I expect him to ask them to return the BILLIONS of dollars in ODA that Japan has sent their way since the war. But we know they won't do that. Japan has apologized; the matter is settled. Japan provided financial compensation under the 1965 treaty that China and South Korea both agreed to; the matter is settled.

It is Japan's neighbours who need to learn how to get along.

-19 ( +5 / -24 )

Wow, so there exist Japanese individuals that are mindful of NOT offending other nations? Shocking.

Anyways, thumbs down me all you want, but contrary to the anti Japan crowd on here and around the world, the Japanese government including past prime ministers have, in fact, apologized for its wartime past and given reparations.

Time and time again you see the anti Japan crowd spout off nonsense about how all Japanese deny their past, how they "never" apologized, etc. etc.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and this Yasukuni issue is irrelevant to that. Truly ironic that the anti Japan crowd engages in the very behavior they accuse all Japanese of, whitewashing history.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

You can look to his picture. He looks tired. I am sure he didn't wanted to visit the temple. Some extraordinary forces acting behind!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

"He looks tired."

Indeed he does. No rest for the wicked....

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Abe knows the fickle public will forget about this once the next little AKB idol gets in trouble for dating someone, or whatever other manufactured news hits the press Monday evening.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

And then you have people like Oliver Stone in August of this year lecturing Japanese about how they should outright apologize to China for wartime past, as if Japan had "never" apologized before.

Don't forget things like the 1965 normalization treaty with South Korea, in which the Japanese government directly offered to compensate individual victims of its past colonial aggression. The SK government refused, and in fact used the grant money to fund its own public works projects, building the infrastructure which led to its economic might today. The Japanese government also participated in a comfort women fund, which directly apologized to and compensated individual Korean victims of this horrible legacy. Some accepted, while others did not, being convinced by the South Korean nationalists that somehow this was 'insincere.'

And so the white washing from the anti Japan crowd will continue.

Japan has "never" apologized. Japan has "never" compensated anyone. So on and so forth.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

And so the white washing from the anti Japan crowd will continue.

Japan has "never" apologized. Japan has "never" compensated anyone. So on and so forth.

@old man - Nobody can say Japan has never apologised, because it is simply false, as evidence by the link you posted. People who say this are in the same vein as people who say Japan never committed any atrocities against China and Korea. Don't waste your time on them.

The problem, from the perspective of China/SK, is that Japan has made numerous backtracking and revisionist statements through its high ranking Japanese politicians attempting to "view Japan's past in a more positive light", including Abe himself, and this is seen as Japan's attempt to whitewash history.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

Abe desperately wanted Nakaima to okay the plan to build a new superbase for the US military in Henoko.

There is no such thing as a "Super base." Don't know how this story relates to that anyways.

I think he should think about his actions, especially if he wants to build relations with countries who detest that shrine.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Recognize that it is not only China and Korea that are against the visit. Even our scary-cat PM Lee has spoken against the visit. How I wish Singapore will stop kow-towing to the Japanese. Maybe one day when we do not need the Japanese economically, we can say what we really feel!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Abe shouldn't have gone, he knew what would happen and went anyway. I understand that the Chinese and Koreans like to always make this out to be more than it is but Abe made the decision. It's just bad diplomacy and undoes a lot of good will.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Japan has "never" apologized. Japan has "never" compensated anyone. So on and so forth.

No one is saying that. Giving heartfelt apologies and lip service are two different things. I believe the first apology by a PM of Japan was heartfelt. However, it has been tarnished by those who have come after him and decided they don't agree with it. Abe has done this, numerous government officials have done this. When you have mayors of large cities in Japan denying atrocities and not being punished, apologies mean nothing. Blood money also means nothing.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Good for Abe. The Koreans and Chinese need to mind their own business. What a Japanese politician chooses to do inside his own country is an internal matter. Besides, they have enough skeletons in their own closets to deal with without pointing fingers at anyone else.

As an aside, I noticed that the word "conservative" is often used with Abe and his party. Was the word "liberal" used as liberally when the left wing coalition was in power? Or is this just the bias of the media showing...

-13 ( +3 / -16 )

Though Japan has apologized in the past, to make an analogy, if your family was killed by your neighbor, the neighbor then made an apology, but then that neighbor years later started to revise little details about the murder such as his motive, the number of family killed, and began taking steps to arm himself again despite also saying he won't commit murder again on your new family, how would you feel? Japan basically got off with probation after ww2 unlike Germany who has seriously atoned via its education and very public displays of acceptance of their atrocities, but Japan is now going back to their old ways. The fault is because they hide shame.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Your country is on the verge of bankruptcy. Your government's total debt is 2000 + times its yearly revenue.

I'd love to quote your whole paragraph but it pretty much restates what most of the readers on this website already know of and have heard countless times. Also, that statistic you pulled out of your ass of the debt being 2000+ times its yearly revenue was a shocker as well LOL. I guess i couldn't expect less, given your profile name.......anyways, got any concrete advice for Mr. Uchiyama on how to improve Japan's situation apart from how unimportant the islands are for both China and Japan. I don't believe this article was talking about the Senkaku Islands but whatever floats your boat i guess......

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

An apology means nothing when you do absolutely nothing else to show you mean it. Empty words. And the apology means even less when the actions that follow show that the apology was not sincere. Any Japanese person who whines about Japan having already apologized, without recognizing why these apologies are empty, is doomed to watch this situation play itself out over and over again. A true apology also requries repentant actions to back it up.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

As usual the anti Japan crowd conveniently brush aside the fact that Japan DID in fact apologize and DID compensate nations of its past aggression.

Now these apologies are somehow "hollow" because it's not 'sincere.'

This is what Shinzo said in October of this year:

"Japan inflicted tremendous damage and suffering on people in many countries, especially in Asia. The Abe Cabinet will take the same stance as that of past Cabinets.”

Notice that the anti Japan crowd doesn't say anything about the way Chinese citizens went on a rampage last year, destroying Japanese businesses and assaulting Japanese citizens throughout China. And for what? The Chinese government had no right to claim the islands from either a historical or legal standpoint.

The reason I mention this, is because it is precisely due to these sorts of anti Japanese actions and rhetoric that Abe himself has had enough (as well as the Japanese people).

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

@Strangerland If you don't want to accept apologies why keep receiving a large amount of money? Return it then ask another apology.

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

Mitch, what exactly are these revisionist statements?

I know there was the controversy over the comfort women issue earlier this year when a politician equated it to prostitution.

But the Abe cabinet and Abe himself have not deviated from previous statements expressing their accountability for past wartime aggression

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

@banz your country was China's vassal state about 2,000 years until Japan won China. After that, you are under Russia's risk. That's when you chose Japan. It is Korean who don't know history.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Unfortunately, even if the Yasukini visits would be stopped, China would certainly continue its anti-japanese propaganda on its citizens. Have a look at the kind of propaganda they have to deal with : http://www.chinasmack.com/2013/videos/chinese-heroine-gang-raped-by-japanese-soldiers-uses-super-move.html I highly doubt such a TV serie could be possible in Japan or in any other civilized country.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Mitch, what exactly are these revisionist statements?

Here are some that I'm aware of:

(1) Shinzo Abe denies the 'comfort women' were coerced, implying they were voluntary prostitutes. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1544471/Japanese-PM-denies-wartime-comfort-women-were-forced.html

(2) Nagoya mayor Kawamura denies the Nanjing Massacre every took place http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201202280033

(3) Tokyo governor Ishihara supports Kawamura's Nanjing denial http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/ishihara-agrees-with-nagoya-mayors-nanjing-massacre-denial

(4) Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto denies there is evidence of coercion of the 'comfort women' http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/08/22/2012082200973.html

(5) Japan's Defense Cheif denies Japan's wartime aggression, and is rightly dimissed from his position http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/03/japan.war.role/

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Japan can't expect their apology to be accepted if they honor mass murderers and war criminals at yasukuni. That along with whitewashed history books and a public who don't know about the atrocities Japan committed makes the apology more hollow. What would show sincerity is a Germany like show of education of the atrocities, and for either the war criminals to be removed from yasukuni or a statement if a pm does go that states they worship the fallen EXCEPT the war criminals. Will Japan take any of these steps to truly show their sincerity or will they keep making excuses?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

It is interesting that Germany, where Nazis conducted horrific acts exceeding the Japanese, have managed to gain peace and understanding from pretty much all neighbors and even become the de facto leader of Europe.

It gets so tiresome to read about what a wonderful job the Germans have done. I suspect most of those comments are made by people who have never been to Germany, and know little if anything about European history. If the moderators are going to constantly allow the comparisons with Germany then I hope they will have the courtesy to let at least one rebuttal post stand.

In today's issue of The Daily Mail (what passes for a right wing newspaper in the UK these days) we can read that tensions smoulder between the European powers over centennial commemorations for WW1. The Germans would like to just forget the entire business but the French and the British seem determined to have a big spectacle.

German historian Gerd Krumeich, who is advising the French government on the centenary, said the German government was ‘fundamentally uninterested’. The French were irritated with the ‘we want nothing to do with it’ attitude of the Germans, he said. He added: ‘It is a different experience for each country. There is no such thing as a common European mindset or sensitivity.'

Norman Walter, press attaché at the German embassy in London, said in August ‘it would be easier’ for Britain to adopt a ‘less declamatory tone’ if it wants Germany to take part. ‘Our feeling is that issues about who was guilty and all that should be left more or less to historians and shouldn’t feature dominantly in politicians’ speeches. ‘The biggest single contribution to the start of the First World War was Germany, but others played a part. Whether it was a win or not, it wasn’t worth it.’ Germany would prefer the commemorations to focus on the dead, rather than the battles.

That comment suggests that the Germans (as aggressors and losers in two world wars so far) to some extent feel that their efforts to date have been sufficient, and they'd rather not have all their neighbors dredging up stuff that went on a hundred years ago - especially if they are going to affix labels of blame. Sounds remarkable similar to the stance Japan is taking.

Historian Max Hastings has called for the British government not to bury Britain’s role in the war or to shy away from attributing blame to the Germans. ‘We are witnessing a depressingly familiar spectacle. Political correctness has taken hold. Those planning the commemoration feel almost embarrassed that we won the war, and are determined to say and do nothing that might upset Germany, our modern EU partner. I can think of no greater betrayal than for the British Government next year to pretend that they perished for nothing, because ignorant or frightened ministers flinch from upsetting today’s Germans, who have readily understandable reasons for wishing to ignore yet another of their nation’s least fortunate anniversaries.’

And here, in the comments of a British academic adviser to the WW1 events, we can see the equivalent (except for the part about winning, of course) of the attitude held by the PRC and ROK regarding Japan. It is interesting to note that the suggestion is made that "today"s Germans" will be upset by commemorations. I think the point is also made that the governments and citizens of Germany's neighbors, due to their slavish observance of political correctness, bend over backwards to avoid offending Germany with reminders of her brutal history. This of course would be the opposite attitude to that adopted by the crybaby nations of PRC and ROK who gleefully bring up "war atrocities" at every opportunity.

If the quote above from the spokesperson for the German Embassy ("Our feeling is that issues about who was guilty and all that should be left more or less to historians and shouldn’t feature dominantly in politicians’ speeches") had been made by the Japanese Embassy to wherever, we'd probably be at war as I speak. The Japanese never say that kind of thing officially. So lets stop pretending that the Europeans have all their problems sorted, and that everybody loves Germany and its all water under the bridge. Fortunately for Germany their neighbors have a bit of class. Sadly for Japan, theirs do not.

-12 ( +4 / -16 )

@tina, nope it's you who doesn't know history. But that's what nationalists like you and Abe wish to do, gloss over, deny and even erase Japan's dark past. So twist it all you like, it's to no avail. In the era of colonization, China, Russia and the West may have also had their claws out to a degree. But as far as Japan was concerned, Korea was there for the taking. So with its sinister ulterior motives, Japan took it, plundered it, raped and tortured it. There's nothing more pathetic than hearing apologists for Imperial Japan (including a few misguided gaijins here) imply that Japan weren't conquerors, they were actually liberators. Oh yeah, I'm not Korean by the way.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

The people who are "surprised " by the comments denouncing Japan really need a better education. Comparison to Nazis is misdirected. Nazis decreed attrosities put in place a system, specialist units. Japan had a different way all units were expected to be as brutal as possible. Petrol / starvation/ vivisection was cheaper than bullets, if you retreat lace the wells with Cholora, non Japanese were less than human. It's a mind set beyond what Nazis achieved. A mind set evolved fron years of isolation and fear of foreigners . It persists today in various forms . That is the problem, sorry is a common word in Nippon. Accepted due to social conditioning. Not so in other countries. Proof is in the pudding...what neighbor stands by Japan?, answer those that fought Japan. Not those who were occupied and were subject to Japan's vile actions. If the whole street hates you...it might be you who is the problem?

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Please tone down your rhetoric.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It gets so tiresome to read about what a wonderful job the Germans have done. I suspect most of those comments are made by people who have never been to Germany, and know little if anything about European history.

@hidingout - I think a key difference between Germany and Japan is that while both countries were defeated, Japan's defeat was highlighted by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ensuring Japanese and foreigners alike would forever express their condolences over the hundreds of thousands of lives lost. It even allows many Japanese to view themselves as the real victims. Germany simply lost without the same spectacle.

Everyone knows how horrific the Nazi regime was, but many people are completely unaware of the Japanese atrocities. This is partly due to Hollywood studios pumping out WW2 movies for 70 years most dealing with the Nazis but hardly ever touching on Japan.

Comparing the effort made by each country on atoning for their past, it is hard not to compare Germany and Japan. On one hand you have a country whose head of state actually knelt down at a memorial to the victims, has set up large memorials commemorating the victims and reminding the newer generations of their horrific past, has made denial of war atrocities illegal.

On the other hand you have a country that, while having offered numerous apologies, still largely fails to educate the new generations about their past, does not have any significant memorials to victims to speak of, whose politicians frequently come out to deny or downplay the past as well as accuse the victims of lying, and whose prime minister recently visited a shrine that commemorates over a thousand war criminals 14 of whom were Class A.

Comparison of Germany and Japan is completely warrantied in my opinion.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

we all know about Japanese economic problems but there is another time bomb out there. Because the ultrahigh cost of living in Japan the population is shrinking. people don't get married, married no children , married only one child. in fact, even now it is causing tremendous problem of a greying society. A child to support not only his/her parents but also grandparents. japan being a nation averse to immigration , I don't know what the solution is. so we all can argue till pigs can fly but japan definitely facing a whole lot of problems. maybe that is why AKB48 so popular, make them forget their problems...

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

to make an analogy, if your family was killed by your neighbor, the neighbor then made an apology,

.. let me add to your analogy that the ringleader of the murders was executed and others were incarcerated until their death. An agreement between lawyers saw the victims and descendants of the victims receive all the financial compensation they asked for, as well as free scholarships to further their education and find work.

but then that neighbor years later started to revise little details about the murder such as his motive, the number of family killed

.... and let me add that this behavior came about in part as a result of the victim's grandchildren erecting large signs on their properties calling out the (now long dead) murderers by name and identifying and blaming their grandchildren as culpable. Harassment of the murderer's grandchildren included trying to steal their property, exaggerating the scope and circumstances of the crime in half page (couldn't afford the full page) ads taken out in local papers, insisting that no one had ever been properly punished for the crimes, refusing to abide by the court mandated settlement, and denying that they had ever received (and already spent) all the "sorry money" to which they were entitled.

and began taking steps to arm himself again despite also saying he won't commit murder again on your new family, how would you feel?

I'd feel that given the constant harassment the grandchildren of the murderers had been living under, and the unstable nature of the situation that they were doing the prudent thing in arming themselves to the teeth.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

Readers, no more analogies please. They are irrelevant.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

People often say Japan has apologised many times but China and Korea keep refusing to accept them.

I recommend this article, which goes into some depth about the post-war politics of apologies and why the Germans have been more successful in atoning for the past compared to Japan. It is a well balanced opinion piece and worth a read:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2013/06/09/books/unlike-germany-japans-right-still-wrong-on-wartime-history/#.UsERvtIW1c0

I quote:

Berger refers to Japan as the model impenitent. To the extent that Japan has apologized or adopted a more contrite official reckoning, such remorse is, “often undermined by the steady revisionist drumbeat emanating from the right.” Reconciliation remains elusive because, “Japan’s apologies have been limited in scope, challenged domestically, and singularly unsuccessful in improving Japan’s relations with its Asian neighbors.”

So why has Japan been relatively unremorseful about its misdeeds? Berger explains that rightists have a point, since Germany killed more, singled out entire groups of people for extermination and that documentary evidence on Japan’s atrocities is much poorer. In addition, Japan can somewhat plausibly argue that it was trying to free Asia from the yoke of Western imperialism, whereas Germany has no such ennobling fig-leaf.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

@banz

In the age of colonisation , every coloniser inflicted horrors on people they believed were inferior. Japan was no liberator, but neither were the British in India or the Belgians in the Congo. Horrendous all round, but Japan was no worse than the others.

I do agree, however, that the attitude of certain politicians, usually right-wing and shouty, towards the truth of what happened, leaves a lot to be desired.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Wow, cricks, get that all out of your system did ya? Happy holidays to you too.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@banz I didn't say whether Korea was willing or unwilling, I just said "annexed by treaty". And Japan knows Yasukuni represents dark past, but still part of history. We can not ignore it.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Mitch Cohen

About your "revisionist's" statements. (1)and(4) are dealing with the same issue. I don't know how much you know about comfort women but what I know and think about comfort women is that there was such a system of comfort women and I believe most right wingers or conservatives and even Abe or Ishihara won't deny about that because that is obvious from historical documents that such a thing existed. and I believe Japanese gov played a role in establishing brothels. But there is NO documents found that shows Japanese gov ordered to recruit comfort women by physical force. Please tell me if I am wrong. If you know these facts, this is what Hashimoto or Abe is talking about. I believe there were soldiers who forcibly took women from villages or raped women on foreign land and that is a war crime by individuals, and I don't think Hashimoto or Abe is denying these cases. If they are, then I agree with you, Hashimoto is whitewashing warcrimes. I also know some Korean women were deceived to work as comfort women by (not Japanese military but by the ) contractors in Korea. That should be called something like deception and the word coercion is inappropriate because it gives false impression to the fact.

About (2)and(4). Kawamura made a justification of statements later and said, he meant number of casutalties such as 400,000 is too much and that such number of death did not exist is what he meant. I don't know what kawamura really meant at heart but Ishihara supported him by saying the same thing. Even those who are considered rightist do not say no civilians were killed in Nanjing most of them disagree on number of casualties. If you are going to call these people revisionist then there should be concrete evidence that 400,000 people were killed but I think proving that is almost impossible today.

About (5). On this part I agree with you that Tamogami might be a revisionist on some part. Because he seems to emphasize and look at only good parts of imperial Japan and sometimes take minority view to justify Japan. At least he should have mentioned the bad side of Imperial Japan. If Japanese are to really honor war dead, we should sincerely learn what was wrong with Japan at that time, or else sacrifice of their lives become meaningless. But this does not mean, we should take the same historical views with Koreans or Chinese. Because if Koreans or Chinese views are incorrect and if we believe their views blindly, we cannot face what really happened and thus cannot learn from the history.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

For all those PRC posters here, please pay attention, Abe and his party hold between a 56-60% approval ratings, now that means that the LDP-NKP coalition will continue to hold onto power for a long bloody time.

I understand that you guys just don't get it, but in a nation where folks actually vote for who represents them rather than pay to be a representative numbers actually do count.

Your DPJ lap-dogs won't see the light of day for a bloody long time.

So, the Communist best stop pocking Japan in the eye and start acting civilized, because you never know, the next step will be an even bigger Japanese military.

So China and it's tributary Korean states best take notice and start thinking how to play nice, because if you keep pushing and pocking the next boot to drop will be Article 9.

I for one hope you Communist keep pocking Japan in the eye, because if you do it can only get better for freedoms.

Now, if Xi could only get the corruption in the his military under control he could start really training the rank and file. But he can't and he knows it.

Corruption destroys a nation from the inside out and the PRC's problem festers blacker and blacker.

The plan isn't working boys, time to play nice or face more bad times.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

**This is what Shinzo said in October of this year:

"Japan inflicted tremendous damage and suffering on people in many countries, especially in Asia. The Abe Cabinet will take the same stance as that of past Cabinets.”**

Where is the apology? He's stated facts but I don't see a "Japan is sorry for the tremendous damage and suffering it caused". Do you??

4 ( +7 / -3 )

@lucabrasi, I think it's a stretch to say Japan were no worse than others but granted they weren't the only ones.

@tinawatanabe, absolutely agree, Japan cannot ignore the dark past. But that's precisely what the kind of nationalism endorsed by Abe and Yasukuni does, whitewash the shame while at the same time glorify the Imperial era.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Horrendous all round, but Japan was no worse than the others.

@lucabrasi - I'm not naive enough to suggest things are black and white, but out of all the belligerents in WW2, Imperial Japan was particularly infamous for several reasons (along with the Nazis).

I'm sure you're aware of Unit 731, the human experiment unit that dissected people alive with no anaesthetic, amputated and re-attached limbs between people, administered various types of toxins to study the effects. Add to that the Nanjing Massacre, Japan's treatment of Koreans calling for independence (torture and mutilation), and the Bataan Death March. Can you still say Japan was 'no worse than the others'? They were worse than most, in my mind.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Where did this writer of this article come to the conclusion that "most" Japanese are against Abe's decision?

Looking at the numbers, it was very close in numbers of 47.1% versus 42.9% the respondents who answered 69.8% was Abe should have payed more attention to neighbor nations feelings in Japanese not, should pay attention to the implications of his recent surprise visit which brings a negative spin to the whole translation and the answer was not related to the 47.1%.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@Mitch

I was talking about the comparative records of colonial powers, rather than just what happened in the war. I don't want to get off-topic, but I wonder how much Colonial history people know when comparing Japan with other countries.

Britain massacred over 10 million Indians in retaliation for the deaths of two thousand colonialists in that country's Mutinity. And deliberately starved 7 million in the Bengal Famine. Pretty spectaculars

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@banz what part do you think japan whatwashed or glorified? Be specific with evidence. The shrine visit is not that kind. You just have to believe that. Probably in your country you don't pray for souls? I don't know what.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Don't worry Abe, you're doing a great job making Japan better again and rewarding the hard workers and innovators.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Why is it that when people are discussing Japan and it's past other people insist on talking about other countries? We aren't discussing other countries, we are talking about Japan. Pretty sure everyone on here is well aware that no country has a perfect past but let's address the topic here - Japan. Not England, not China, not Korea. If there was a thread about them I'd be more than happy to discuss them but bringing them up and what they did does not make Japan any less guilty of what it did.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

tmarieDec. 30, 2013 - 04:50PM JST This is what Shinzo said in October of this year: "Japan inflicted tremendous damage and suffering on people in many countries, especially in Asia. The Abe Cabinet will take the same stance as that of past Cabinets.”

tmarie Japan and it's governments have apologized over 50 times since the war ended. Yes, over 50 times.....Wait before you yell and scream let me say again, Japan has apologized over, yes over 50 times for what it's nation did over 68 years ago.

Even Abe has acknowledged what his nation did......

Has Xi acknowledged what Mao did? Has Xi acknowledged what or who ordered that massacre in 1989? Of course not, and do you care?Of course you do not, hell you are more concerned with what Japan did 68 plus years ago than what China or Korea did less than 40 years ago......

Before you jump to the defense of these nations ask someone from Vietnam or Tibet what pains they have suffered.

But, of course it is easier to poke someone in the eye than to see that finger in yours......

Hypocrisy is a mother.........

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

@tina, really? Where do I start? The Nanking massacre? Unit 731? Comfort women? POW torture? Slave labour? Or how about Japanese Imperialism in general and the numerous war crimes committed in the name of the emperor? There is plenty of evidence but maybe you should just start at Abe's doctrine of textbook revisionism, no bigger example of a nationalistic attempt to gloss over Japan's atrocities there.

I don't have any problem at all with the notion of praying for souls that were sacrificed in wars. Many countries, including my own, have memorials for war dead. The problem is Yasukuni is not exclusively such a place, especially since it was hijacked by nationalists. What right wingers like you see as a place for Japanese patriotism, the rest of us see it as a place that symbolises Japanese Imperialism and militarism. Whenever a Japanese politician, particularly the PM, visits Yasukuni it reinforces the belief that Japan is not truly contrite for its past, despite expressions of regret.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

They really need to

a, move the war criminals remains to another facility so yasukuni can be used as a memorial for the regular soldier, which people do need to mourn for their dead

or

b. make another memorial for the common soldiers only to be mourned, apart from the war criminals, and pms and other gov ministers ONLY go to that one.

They need to stop praying to and for war criminals if they want to seem at all open to normal relations with their neighbors, this is just irresponsible.

Can you imagine if Germany had a memorial, worse, a church, where all their regular soldiers AND Hitler and his top team were interred and heads of state went there every year to pray for their ghosts and for the health of the nation??? Can you imagine how France and Israel might react? Never mind the rest of the world?

RIDICULOUS!!

JoeBigs and others, please think in light of that and can you say Yasukuni is OK? It really makes all those apologies undermined and untrustworthy. I can easily understand how ppl would be offended by that.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

i think Abe government is now using yasukuni as one way to retaliate against china for the newly established ADIZ,,when they cannot think of other ways to deal with senkaku and the new ADIZ,,,they turn to yasukuni to inflict pain not only to china but to asia and the pacific and to his own abenomics..rather than trying to create more opportunities from what he already been praised for,,he went the other way around, trying to create hates to all things japanese around this region, and perhaps the world..

1 ( +1 / -0 )

banz10

One of the view held by people visiting Yasukuni, and was interesting was that, ordinary Japanese people are to some extent responsible for starting the war. Most of the people are to be held responsible for the war.. Therefore we should treat all of them equally.

Also there is Chinreisya in Yasukuni. Not widely known. It is a small shrine that honors all the war dead around the world. Not just Japanese, but also Americans Germany Koreans, Chinese etc. Medias do not tell much but Abe also prayed at Chinreisya when he visited Yasukuni. I think if people are visiting Yasukuni, they should also visit Chinreisya, and Yasukuni Shrine should take good care of that small shrine.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

@banz Be more specific. What part of textbook is glossed over? What page of what book? There are many history textbooks schools can choose from in Japan, you know that? And why are you so much concern about textbooks when all imformation is available in bookstores or internet in Japan.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Also there is Chinreisya in Yasukuni. Not widely known. It is a small shrine that honors all the war dead around the world. Not just Japanese, but also Americans Germany Koreans, Chinese etc. Medias do not tell much but Abe also prayed at Chinreisya when he visited Yasukuni.

thanks?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

UR22335, that's interesting, particularly Chinreisya. I guess the main thing many of us non Japanese don't get is when the souls of the dead are enshrined there they somehow instantly become absolved of all their wrongdoings. I realise that the war criminals represent only a small fraction of the spirits there but there's no denying their prominence and inclusion when people pray for these spirits. If I were Japanese and had relatives enshrined at Yasukuni, citizen or military, I'd be livid that the very people that were responsible for taking Japan to war and therefore responsible for their deaths would be enshrined alongside them.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

banz10 Thank you for your reply.

Yes infact, there are those who think class A war criminals should be removed from Yasukuni, even among those who visit yasukuni. One famous example I know is Ishihara( former Tokyo mayor). He says, when he goes to Yasukuni, he intentionally omits those class A war criminals and pray for others. Because class A war criminals inflicted tremendous damages to Japan. So even among yasukuni visitors, there are different views.

The view that I have explained before, claims because all the Japanese people are responsible to some extent for the war, it is "hypocrisy" to place all responsibility to war criminals. Funny thing is I kind of understand both views, they both has some point, but they seem to contradict with each other.

I agree Chinreisya is interesting. Yasukuni does not give details of who exactly is enshrined in Chinreisya, but if they are enshrining people like Hitler, and at the same time Jewish people killed in Holocaust then Chinreisya have interesting idea based on total equality. Treating all the dead equally no matter what.. That is interesting idea. But I don't know if this is true.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@tina, textbook revisionism is a well known and well debated controversy. Are you not aware of it? Here, I did some quick research for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_history_textbook_controversies

Abe and his nationalist cronies have unapologetically called for certain types of text books only to be available for selection by local boards of education. These books in effect will whitewash negative aspects of Japan's wartime history in order to promote "patriotism" among Japan's youth. The truth is though, the vast majority of Japanese youth these days have limited knowledge or interest anyway of Japanese contemporary history, despite such information being readily available as you said. Do I really need to answer your question? I'm concerned about textbook revisionism because it means Japanese youth will be denied the full truth about history (at school, where it's most important) and that they will be force fed a glossy, watered-down version of Japan's past, where Japan is the victim, in order to restore national pride. The irony would be that history would be repeating itself. It's called brainwashing, something nationalists have been well known for.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Just going to correct your link there banz:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_history_textbook_controversies

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ugh. the underscores between the words aren't coming out.

Japanese _ history etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@banz your link isn't working. You have to see textbooks yourself. Come to Japan. Whatever you are worried about don't exist or are not important.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

@Tohka, thanks

@tina, I've lived in Japan many years and am professionally well aware of the said textbooks. My concerns are shared by many, they certainly do exist and they are important. My continued debate with you seems rather pointless so have a good night.

@UR22335, Ishihara said that? OK, now I'm officially confused. How does one omit certain souls when praying at Yasukuni anyway? Many conservative politicians often take a dismissive view towards the war criminals' guilt because of what they perceive to be victor's justice. Let's not forget Abe's grandfather Kishi, a post war former PM, was a suspected criminal as well (he was a key advisor to Tojo) and was imprisoned by the Allies for three years. It's reasonable to assume that Abe may harbor bitter resentment over that. Anyway, thanks again for your info.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This also should make for good reading on the topic: http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/134

I hope that this is repeated:

"Under the Japanese system, local school authorities determine whether the new textbook is to be used in district classrooms. On August 15—the deadline for school districts to make their selections—Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi reported in The Japan Times that the new textbook had been shunned, that nearly all of Japan's school districts had rejected it. She quoted a spokesman for the civic group Children and Textbooks Japan Network 21 as saying, "We have gained nationwide support to say 'no' to the textbook. . . . it's the conscience of the Japanese public."(12) According to a Kyodo News Service survey released August 16, not a single municipal government run or state run junior high school in the country adopted The New History Textbook.(13) "

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"47.1% said it was “not good” that Abe visited the shrine."

So over half think it was good or at least OK that Abe visited the shrine.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

jinkoenigDec. 30, 2013 - 09:21AM JST This news source differs from the information that I know. Many Japanese approve Abe prime ministers visiting Yasukuni shrine.

It seems this article is written arbitrarily. The percentage of Japanese people who approve PM Abe's visiting Yasukuni Shrine is over 77% today on the internet questionnaire. It was nearly 70% at TBS. http://polls.dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/domestic/10611/result

PM Abe went to the Yasukuni Shrine, prayed for the war deads, renewed a pledge for a peace. Nothing more. Japanese know that peace is critical for the development and prosperity of the country, maybe more than the people of any other country. One of the reasons may be because we lost the war. And the history in Japan after the WWII has proven that.

Japanese Prime Ministers refrained from visiting Yasukuni Shrine these years, but nothing changed, even worsened the relationship between Japan/China, or Japan/Korea. China placed new ADIZ, threatening with fighter planes. S. Korean President clearly stated that they would not forgive Japan for another 1,000 years. Their claims have been all given on the premise of Japanese concession. But it would not go as before. Japanese people would not allow unilateral concession to China or Korea any more. They have put the last straw on the camel's back.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

banz10 Yes Ishihara said it. I have read it in an article in Japanese and I was surprised. I think even most of the Japanese don't know about this. Probably it is a matter of faith, I don't know.

Not only leftists but rightists and conservatives usually admits that Japanese leaders at that time did make mistakes, but they probably disagree on which part they made a mistake.

I don't know if there is anybody who claims class A war criminals do not have any responsibility at all and Japan is a just a victim and did nothing wrong. But if there is such a person, my opinion is he/she is a revisionist.

Yes Abe's grandfather was a A class war criminal, but he was not executed and realesed later and was able to become a prime minister probably you know. so If I were Abe I won't hate GHQ for that. But I do not know what Abe is really thinking because I am not Abe, but criticizing him as militarist for just visiting yasukuni seems too excessive to me. what is important, in my opinion, is what he really wants to do with Japan or what he really is thinking, I cannot know much about his thinking by just his vists to Yasukuni. Koizumi and Nakasone visited Yasukuni before but I don't think they were really trying to whitewash wrong doings or trying to make japan militaristic.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Mitch Cohen

This blogger checked related comments of Thailand, Philippines, India and Vietnam. He/she could not find the comments of Indonesia or Malaysia although there are articles (maybe they are not so interested?)

http://kaigainohannoublog.blog55.fc2.com/blog-entry-1041.html

The majority approved PM Abe's visiting Yasukuni Shrine, and denounced the claims of China and Korea as an interference in domestic affairs. It seems that Japan is not so isolated in Asia as China and Korea are concerned.

One thing must be cleared related to the comments. PM Abe went to the shrine to pray, not to praise the war leaders.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Mitch Cohen,

I meant to type 2000 %, not 2000 times. Japanese government yearly revenue is approximately 50 trillion Yen and their debt is 20 times that amount, or 1 quadrillion Yen. That equates to a debt-to-revenue, not debt-to-GDP, of 2000%. Debt-to-GDP isnt the actual number that should be used, although I have used it in the past. Not all income can be taxed and one should look at income (revenue) compared to money owed (debt).

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

kyk88DEC. 30, 2013 - 08:19AM JST The Chinese would love to mind their business if the war criminals didn't kill millions of Chinese during WW2. I am all for Japan to have a normal military but I am totally against what the Japanese far-right trying to rewrite history. "We didn't invade China, didn't kill and rape." "We didn't have sex slaves." How many Japanese school children know the truth? What Japan did not only to China but Korea and South-east Asia? What Japan did to American, British and other POWs? None....pathetic.

Going by that logic, we should refer to all Germans as Nazis?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

ur22335-

sure, Chinreisha is an interesting idea, but only to someone who is a Shinto believer. The fact is, when other religions make claims about your own dead or your own spirituality, especially if it is a religion in a country that humiliated your country, you are not necessarily going to be happy about it. You might even in fact be deeply deeply insulted. Never mind putting Hitler and the Jews together might make the Jews angry, but just putting Koreans in at all could make Koreans angry.

I personally don't reject different spiritual persuasions, and if you want to say all dead are equal, and we should pray for them all together, that is fine I think. But you can't expect I will join. And to put that in a Nationalistic shrine that supports a country and political organization that conquered other countries, and for modern heads of state to go there, is a bad idea.

It will be seen as rude and insulting.

I have heard of a certain church that gets birth lists from all over the world, all towns and villages, and baptizes the names on the list. Making everyone in the world a member of that church. This is very 勝手な behavior.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Mr Abe is a two bit shyster to speak of peace and unity in ther region during the visit to Yasukuni which only appealed his defiance against peaceful resolution with China and Korea regarding territorial disputes and other conflicting issues. Abe's current popularity is based on his stimulus program which will fail to repair the core problem of Japan's dwindling economy. Only way to keep Japan peaceful and prosperous is to cooperate and become good partners with China and Korea whether the conservative nationalists like it or not.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Every Japanese person that I know have approved of his visit and none have condemned it. What they do condemn is the hypocrisy of both China and the Koreas.

China and Korea will look for any excuse to point the finger at Japan, but they are unwilling and unable to see that when you point one finger at someone there are three pointing back at you.

Folks it's all about money, China and Korea try and extort Japan for what it did 68 years ago and still don't acknowledge to their own people that Japan has already paid trillions of yen to both nations. BTW at the end of the war the PRC wasn't even a nation.

LowlyDec. 30, 2013 - 07:01PM JST They really need to a, move the war criminals remains to another facility so yasukuni can be used as a memorial for the regular soldier, which people do need to mourn for their dead

Let me help you out, there are no remains of any war criminals at the shrine. The only, yes, the only thing that there is are 14 NAMES, yes, one more time NAMES and NO REMAINS.

Look it up, then you can start to see the hypocrisy of the argument from the PRC and Koreans.

LowlyDec. 30, 2013 - 07:01PM JST RIDICULOUS!! JoeBigs and others, please think in light of that and can you say Yasukuni is OK? It really makes all those apologies undermined and untrustworthy. I can easily understand how ppl would be offended by that.

Now that you understand a bit more of this argument I will ask you, what is RIDICULOUS?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Joe, go and read my post. We aren't talking about Chine and Korea, we're talking about Japan.

I can say I'm sorry 50 times and clearly not mean it. Words are just words if there is no truth to them.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Phone polls don't mean squat. Abe is well liked by a majority of the people. If he isn't his party (the LDP) wouldn't be in power and Makiko Tanaka and her communist party would.

Here is a real simple question, how many people were in the survey?

tmarieDec. 31, 2013 - 11:02AM JST Joe, go and read my post. We aren't talking about Chine and Korea, we're talking about Japan. I can say I'm sorry 50 times and clearly not mean it. Words are just words if there is no truth to them.

Turning a blind eye to someone's present actions while complaining about someone else's past actions is a clear problem.

Yes, over 68 years ago Japan committed war crimes and there were war crimes tribunals held and many were executed and imprisoned.

But, what about the war crimes that went unpunished, what of them?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Joe,

Sorry, you got me, I didn't know the details about what is in the shrines. that makes sense, as shrines usually do not have graves/ remains in them on the grounds unless they are one of those half shrine half-buddhist temple places.

However, "names only" may make it seem ridiculous to you/ other atheists, but it does not change my position. The fact is it is a religious place, and whether the actual remains are there or not, whether this prayer or that prayer is done or not, is not that relevant. It is a place of worship, it is a place memorializing those who died in combat.

I personally think they should not memorialize the leaders who were guilty at all. However, at the least, they need a separate memorial for the common soldier ONLY that heads of state can go to for occasional official functions. Going to a place that memorializes those guys is obviously going to create friction with those abused in the past.

Ya, I know the C and K govs use it for their own personal propaganda. Everyone knows that. Sure money is a part of that. But real ppl were also hurt, what went on was really icky, and affected lots and lots of ppl. That needs to be respected. Even if you want to say "it's all about extorting money", then, why give them excuses to extort them?

As far as my example of Germany, I still think it would be RIDICULOUS for German heads of state to go where the NAMES of Hitler and his cohorts were memorialized. It would be political suicide, and France, Israel and others would complain loudly. Don't you think so?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Lowly

I am not sure if Yasukuni is putting Hitler and Jewish in Chinreisya, I just thought if that is the case that is interesting. I was always curious but what if any christian or new agers says God, detests the deeds of Hitler, but loves Hitler just like he loves Jewish people, is that insulting to Jewish? How about the traditional idea of shinto(not state shinto), that everybody who dies become gods no matter what. According to this belief, class A war criminals, and victims in Asia all become gods. Or what about some of the Christians or Muslims who say you have to believe in Jesus of Allah to be saved, according to this idea, most of the people who died in Hiroshima were not saved, is this insulting people in Hiroshima? Or maybe it matters only when the leaders of former aggressor nations claims he believe in such an religion?

I don't know whether these ideas are insulting to victims of the war but I agree with you that if any religious ideas are used to justify or whitewash wrong doings, then that is clearly insulting people. I believe there are revisionists in Japan, and some of them are probably going to yasukuni. If Abe is one of those I think he is wrong. I am not a shintoist, and I don't want to go to Yasukuni just like you. If Japanese people start saying "if you are Japanese you should visit Yasukuni," I will hate that idea, but I also don't care if people voluntarily go to Yasukuni just to mourn for the deads.

Putting all the people's name on the church's list may be selfish, but I won't care much as long as they stay away from me, and all the people's names are listed and not just my name.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I personally wouldn't find it insulting if some sect somewhere said all dead spirits are the same, including Hitler or anyone else. (I believe many sects may do so, actually). And I think a lot of ppl don't find that insulting, or really care.

There are also groups that are not so benign, such as neo nazis in Germany or White Supremacists in the USA, which many ppl do not like, but it does not really affect their image of the country as a whole, cuz it is just one small part.

The issue is if it is a big national symbol, which Yasukuni is, and if heads of state and other bigwigs go there, which they do. This is just simply going to give you problems, even if you take a purely Machiavellian view, and don't care about "right" and "wrong". I think a regular war memorial is needed for the common Jpns soldier. War criminals spirits (or names) shouldn't be kept there. Things like the Chinreisha should be just for real believers of that, and preferably big leaders should avoid that sort of thing, and the war criminals too, and just celebrate regular jpns dead. imho

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Everybody just leaves Abe alone.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

LowlyDec. 31, 2013 - 02:07PM JST

As I said before, people visiting Yasukuni are patriotic but does not mean that person is militarist or whitewashing war crimes. I would rather say that it is rude to compare all the visitors of Yasukuni with Neo Nazis or white supremacist. Some might be revisionist but many of them are pretty different from Neo-nazi. If you are to bring up group similar to Neo-Nazi in Japan, most similar one would be Zaitokukai. If Abe starts supporting Zaitokukai, that might be similar to US president supporting white supremacist. But visiting Yasukuni does not mean loving wars or militarism or warcrimes, but it means loving gods or dead soldiers enshrined there( but as I said some of them omits class A war criminals).

I also think Chinreisha is a good part of Yasukuni, If leaders are going to visit Yasukuni, they should go there, in my opinion. That's much better than just visiting the main shrine. If you are saying visit to Yasukuni is not good because it causes conflicts with kr and CN, it is true to some extent. But if Abe thinks he can explain well and gain understanding from other nations in a long run, visiting shrine might be one of his options. But it is in some part, political decision so, it might be more complicated than this.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Abe is smart.

Now even Russia officially joined the chorus of condemnation of his shrine visit. Japan is on the other side of the table against most of its important international relationships. With this one single act, Abe painted Japan into a corner. Just image Japan’s position in international gatherings, e.g. the Six-sided Korean Peace Talk… five against one isolated Japan. US will have more problems in helping Japan to do its bids. Japan can kiss goodbye on entering the UN Security Council as a permanent member. Japan is moving down the path of right-wing extreme nationalists… it is moving closer to become the pariah of the world.

If the Japan economic recovery hiccups, Abe’s cabinet will be down the toilet… maybe dragging Japan with them.

Abe is smart… and his supports too.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Shameful.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I live in Tokyo, MY Sons are married to Japanese and my Grandchildren are part Japanese. It is a great country and MOST folk are decent, honest, hard working and friendly people. But for some strange reason the diet and government seems to be under the perpetual control of those who would turn Japan backwards to the old days and the old ways ! It is internationally accepted that the BEST brains went into business.....Japan already has long standing disputes and resentment from it's neighbors and FEW friends except America who protects this country but whose leaders in DC are upset and frustrated with Abe's and other extremists endless provocative rhetorics which appear to be against the wishes of MOST Japanese!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

**Turning a blind eye to someone's present actions while complaining about someone else's past actions is a clear problem.

Yes, over 68 years ago Japan committed war crimes and there were war crimes tribunals held and many were executed and imprisoned.

But, what about the war crimes that went unpunished, what of them?**

No one is suggesting there isn't a problem. However, we are discussing Japan's problem, not other nations problems.

What of them? No one is discussing them at all. We're discussing the fact that the Japanese PM clearly knows he's stirring the point and does so with glee. That's what we're discussing.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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