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Eiichi Shibusawa will be on the new 10,000-yen banknote. Image: Finance Ministry
politics

S Korean media criticize use of industrialist's image on new Japanese banknote

41 Comments

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41 Comments
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Seems fair enough to point out his involvement in the brutal colonial regime.

-11 ( +27 / -38 )

I protest the image because of the bored expression on Eiichi's face. Reminds me of Futurama; "Ya Gotta Do What'cha Gotta Do". Can't we get a thumbs up emoji instead?

Left-Wing South Koreans are always protesting everything Japan does anyways so why should Japan listen this time?

20 ( +33 / -13 )

Korea criticizing Japan.

And in other news - water is wet

27 ( +39 / -12 )

The guy looks bored, and boring, but I guess someone felt the need to place his face on Japan's top note. It's not going to move the world.

Korea getting upset again? So easy, but oh, dear. Nothing better or more constructive to do? I thought Korea was ignoring Japan anyway.

22 ( +30 / -8 )

Can't they choose modern figures that don't have ties to atrocities of some kind or other?

-11 ( +23 / -34 )

As of right now, he seem's like a "righteous dude" according to Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibusawa_Eiichi

"He introduced many economic reforms including use of double-entry accounting, joint-stock corporations and modern note-issuing banks"

"Shibusawa was an advocate throughout his life of the idea that good ethics and business should be in harmony."

Will be interesting to see what edits pop up at Wikipedia, with the break of this "story". The only mention of Korea there now is of his support for "the Gyeongbu Railway in Korea".

27 ( +29 / -2 )

how is 19th century "modern"?

-13 ( +9 / -22 )

 imperial Japan, which plundered its neighbor's assets.

kind of what Koreans would say, but there were no assets in Korea at that time.  Japan had to build everything from scratch.  Lots of evidence.

18 ( +32 / -14 )

how is 19th century "modern"?

Compared to Shotoku Taishi of previous 10,000 yen note, from 7 century.

21 ( +26 / -5 )

Even if they put Doraemon on the banknotes Korea would complain of cultural imperialism.

24 ( +33 / -9 )

South Korea media criticize.....

Stopped reading from this point on. They criticize EVERYTHING Japan does. Turn them off!

25 ( +32 / -7 )

Enough for criticism from S.K.

I would love to see the RISING SUN (Confederate Flag of Japan) be incorporated to the 10,000 notes... as symbol of Japan power from Meiji to 1945.

15 ( +29 / -14 )

LOL. Nope. Just nope South Korea

16 ( +22 / -6 )

Does anyone actually care what Korean media "feels"? I think not.

21 ( +29 / -8 )

Why is this news? Korea is always complaining about everything Japan does. It's akin to saying the sky is blue. 無視!

15 ( +24 / -9 )

Most young Japanese have such a vague clue about the sins of their fathers' during Japanese Colonial times. What gets me is the number of down votes I'll get for stating a fact. This above statement is true! It is not an opinion. These down votes tell me Japan still hasn't found a way to process and deal with the past. What I read and hear is we paid them money, now let's forget about it. It would be nice if young people actually knew what they should be forgetting about.

-3 ( +20 / -23 )

Worry about your own money SK.

9 ( +19 / -10 )

The only person that these Koreans would be satisfied with is probably pika-chu!

7 ( +13 / -6 )

Isn't it just a matter of time before S.K would start printing their new bank notes with not-so pretty golden girl statue image? Or they might want to change their national flag with her face right in the middle. Anything Japan does can be their reasoning "Apologies were not sincere"

10 ( +15 / -5 )

Reading this article:

https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b07202/shibusawa-eiichi-japan’s-moral-capitalist.html

It looks like a good choice. Is there more data about this that isn't presented in the article?

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Hey South Korea, shut up. We will pay you again...just like we always do.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

Well, that didn't take long.

Okay then, how about putting the face of Japanese-Korean baseball star Isao Harimoto on the bill? Or comedienne Akiko Wada? Or former Korean president Park Chung-hee in his Japanese military cadet uniform?

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Well cry me a river then SK, and let that river run between us.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

NCIS reruns:

President dictator Park in japanese uniform would be brilliant. Korea then proposes comfort women on 10000 won bill. Hmm, time to up the ante...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Old Shibusawa-kun seems like a good old boy to me. Of course, the Koreans just cannae stop criticizing Japan for anything it does.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

If they like it less does that mean they'll quit asking for it?

9 ( +11 / -2 )

It is Japan and only Japan who have the right to decide who is on her banknotes.

Time to again start talking about cutting back on granting tourist visas for South Koreans, and imposing high tariffs on their goods. It may just silence them .

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Another day, another whine fest from South Korea. Next up, burning of these notes as well as hinomaru flags in marches.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Ganbare Japan... Yep cut back on those tourist visas for South Koreans....just in time for the 2020 Olympic celebration of international sports. International... You want to hurt the hotels and shops and restaurants these people patronize? Are you Communist?

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

S Korean media criticize use of industrialist's image on new Japanese banknote

Of course they do. Ho hum! Move along along! Nothing to see here.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Mongolia has mass murderer Ghengis Khan on their banknotes!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Monsters come in many forms...

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

I would love to see the RISING SUN (Confederate Flag of Japan) be incorporated to the 10,000 notes... as symbol of Japan power from Meiji to 1945.

By your logic, Germany should put the swastika on their money. Maybe Russia should put the hammer and sickle on theirs, too.

FYI - The white flag of surrender is the only appropriate flag to be displayed as a symbol of both the Confederate States of America and Imperial Japan.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Japan should settle those South Korean lawsuits by paying entirely with 10,000 yen bills.

It's sad, Korea has become the punchline to a bad joke. I spent two years there in the mid '90s and really enjoyed it, but it seems that times have changed.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Koreans obsessed about everything Japan does, what's new?

Same group that industrialized with Japanese money, technology, their culture is a mirror image of Japan, if we have Kobe beef, wagu beef, Koreans will try to copy and call it Korean wagu.

They want to be better than Japan, but you will always be less Korea. Keep trying.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

cry baby again, why they love to tell other country what to do? like japan need their approval.

silly.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Time to again start talking about cutting back on granting tourist visas for South Koreans, and imposing high tariffs on their goods. It may just silence them .

Right, how ingenious, shoot yourself in the head to make a stupid point!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Time to again start talking about cutting back on granting tourist visas for South Koreans, and imposing high tariffs on their goods. It may just silence them .

One other thing, over 5 MILLION tourists from SK come to Japan every year. It's unthinkable that anyone would even suggest that a country would put a stop to that much money coming into the country, based upon such a petty and childish argument coming from a small section of SK.

Particularly when INCREASING tourism is a major goal of the current government.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I invite people to read Shibusawa Eiichi’s autobiography. He did much more good than harm in this world which is more than the vast majority of people can say.

While he he was a pacifist he did not start out that way. He and his cousin (my great great grandfather) were alarmed by the foreign influence on Japan and didn’t want the Emperor to lose influence. They started collecting weapons in order to kill the foreigners and anyone who supported their influence. Luckily they were discovered and given a choice to give up theirs ways “or else”.

Eiichi Shibusawa didn’t change his ideals until he was put in charge of the prince’s trip to Europe. It was during this trip that he came to know the ideals of western economics and government (and others would advocate for a western type of military).

-Olaf Hisanobu Shibusawa

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sorry, I meant to say that he was out in charge of managing the prince’s finances during his trip to Europe.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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