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Ukraine apologizes for juxtaposing photo of late emperor to Hitler in video

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I am a strong advocate of modern Japan.

But the fact is, Japan - along with Italy and Nazi Germany - were members of the axis of fascism 80 years ago.

Modern Germans, Italians and Japanese support the brave Ukrainians against fascist Russia, and will not dwell on this.

35 ( +48 / -13 )

I mean... Ukraine wasn't wrong... but probably not a smart move to say while they need support and aid from Japan.

Also... LOL at the reason Japan wanted it removed:

"It is inappropriate and extremely regrettable,"

What exactly was extremely regrettable? That the truth was out that Japan was part of the Axis and allies with the Nazis?

23 ( +55 / -32 )

video lacked an understanding of history.

Right, they forgot that Hirohito was able to walk away scot-free thanks to Truman and MacArthur. And now we are supposed to pretend that Japan wasn't a fascist dictatorship before and during WW2.

18 ( +59 / -41 )

antifunToday  05:10 pm JST

video lacked an understanding of history.

Right, they forgot that Hirohito was able to walk away scot-free thanks to Truman and MacArthur. And now we are supposed to pretend that Japan wasn't a fascist dictatorship before and during WW2.

Not at all. Japan most certainy was a milirtary controlled facist government 1931-1945 but Emperor Hirohito, like nearly all his ancestors, was a rubber stamp for those actually in power. General Hideki Tojo was the Prime Minister at the end of WWII and he was tried, convicted and hanged as a Class-A War Criminal.

18 ( +36 / -18 )

I am guessing the Video didn't include images of Roman Shukhevych, Stepan Bandera, Vasyl Kuk, Dmytro Klyachkivsky all members of the Facist OUN/UPA now declared heroes by Ukraine.

If Ukraine is going to point a finger it needs to remember when you point a finger at someone you have 3 pointing back at you.

17 ( +36 / -19 )

Perhaps General Tojo would have been a more appropriate person than Hirohito. And some might suggest that Stepan Bandera's picture would be appropriate too. I'm not sure using faces from that ugly period is useful propaganda.

14 ( +29 / -15 )

"It is inappropriate and extremely regrettable,"

Ouch. An extremely regrettable from a Japanese is akin to a severe tut from a Brit.

14 ( +26 / -12 )

In 1945 the United States rejected Hirohito's offer to take full and complete responsibility for the war. By keeping the Emperor on the throne, albeit as a symbolic ruler, any civil war within post-war Japan that would have given the USSR a chance to get "into the game" was thwarted. The major WWII Allied Power that wanted Hirohito charged as a War Criminal and removed from the throne was the USSR.

Seems to me the Ukranians should have done a little more research first. Especially when 2 top Dept Secretaries are in Ukraine representing the U.S. that has given them USD 2 Billion so far.

14 ( +24 / -10 )

@kuruki

You know history. Yes, Japan was allied with Nazis and Italian fascists. And the US and Britain were allied with the Soviet Union, Stalin’s communist dictatorship. Extremely regrettable.

11 ( +17 / -6 )

AntiquesavingToday  05:37 pm JST

*I am guessing the Video didn't include images of Roman Shukhevych, Stepan Bandera, Vasyl Kuk, Dmytro Klyachkivsky all members of the Facist OUN/UPA now declared heroes by Ukraine.*

If Ukraine is going to point a finger it needs to remember when you point a finger at someone you have 3 pointing back at you.

Yep all very inconvenient facts that no one wants to confront lol

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Japan was part of the Axis

8 ( +13 / -5 )

..."and thnx again for money, Japan"

7 ( +10 / -3 )

n 1945 the United States rejected Hirohito's offer to take full and complete responsibility for the war. By keeping the Emperor on the throne, albeit as a symbolic ruler, any civil war within post-war Japan that would have given the USSR a chance to get "into the game" was thwarted. The major WWII Allied Power that wanted Hirohito charged as a War Criminal and removed from the throne was the USSR.

I think less than 5 posters here know that

6 ( +15 / -9 )

Paul

Today 06:58 pm JST

Ukrainians are right and true to history

Really?

So tell us who are Roman Shukhevych, Stepan Bandera, Vasyl Kuk, Dmytro Klyachkivsky?

According to Poland, Lithuania, and all other countries including Israel, they are Ukrainian Fascist and collaborators during WW2 but in Ukraine since 2015 they are national heroes and it is a crime to say otherwise.

While since 2018 in retaliation in Poland it is a crime to deny these people are war criminals.

Doesn't seem that Ukraine is very true to it's own past.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

That's $300million we will never see back. Donation and aid i understand, but the lenders should know that it's impossible to ever be repaid. The Ukraine president just ask for 6billion every month to continue the battle.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

The usage of the words fascist or fascism is quite inflationary and of no real use as it is no political category or system. And it hasn’t fit then and doesn’t fit now. Fasci is from Italian language and means something like small union or alliance and was used initially for smaller groups of opposing military fighters or teams of combatants. No ideology, no manifesto, no fascism or racism or nationalism in all your phantasy interpretation, nothing of that all, just only meaning a small union of some armed forces. So in that direct sense the whole world or at least every country with armed forces , armed police or similar is ‘fascist’ in a literal sense, although not in the sense it is used everywhere. The whole rest and also all the modern or contemporary interpretations are very widespread, still disputed topic of history research and not clearly defined either.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Ove could suggest pointless and unnecessary, what politically was there to gain?

The creator of the video lacked an understanding of history.

Who signed the this off for media publication?  

Astronomically, monumentally regrettable, verging on the earthshakingly.

Ukraine is hanging on by its finger nails, turn a blind eye.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

B. JayToday  07:04 pm JST

No need for the apology. Indeed, Fascism and Nazism were defeated in 1945 The people shown in the video, Hitler, Mussolini and emperor Hirohito were the faces of Fasci and Nazism. They were the Axis powers who promoted and defended Nazism and Fascism. They were defeated in 1945. Even iftoday Japan is not a Fascist country, history can t be rewritten. It once was led by Fadcist leader called emperor Hirohito who led the world into a brutal war called WW2. So it is with both Germany and Italy, no longer a Nazist and Fascist country respectively. The past can't be wiped off. You have to acknowledge your past however unleasant andove on. All 3 countries are no longer Nazist and Fascist countries. So why Ukraine didn't apologize t Germany and Italy as well? Japan has tried so hard to rehabilitate emperor Hirohito's public image, but history cannot be rewritten.

Too much blahblah-ism. Pal. Allied was not gathering of democracy-ism not humanism/

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

The enemies of my enemy were Allied Powers. That was it.

Look who are the current destabilizers of the world, all from ex-allied powers, especially UN sec permanent members.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

I meant *Italy and Germany in my previous post.

The enemies of my enemy were Allied Powers. That was it.

Look who are the current destabilizers of the world, all from ex-allied powers, especially UN sec permanent members.

Nobody here is claiming that Stalin's Soviet Union were the good guys or what the US have been up to is justifiable. However, none of that is relevant to Japan's right's sensitivity to someone even mentioning its wartime past.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Right, so the Italians should also get offended and ask for the removal of their wartime leader and the Germans should do that too, yeah? Who do the Japanese think they're fooling? Only themselves. The rest of the world is laughing.

-3 ( +13 / -16 )

Actually Japan hasn't changed much:

Same families on power.

Same visits to Yasukuni Jinja.

Same apprehension against other races.

etc...

-3 ( +17 / -20 )

Why apologize and remove? Should they also apologize to Germany and remove hitler?

-3 ( +13 / -16 )

No need for the apology. Indeed, Fascism and Nazism were defeated in 1945 The people shown in the video, Hitler, Mussolini and emperor Hirohito were the faces of Fasci and Nazism. They were the Axis powers who promoted and defended Nazism and Fascism. They were defeated in 1945. Even iftoday Japan is not a Fascist country, history can t be rewritten. It once was led by Fadcist leader called emperor Hirohito who led the world into a brutal war called WW2. So it is with both Germany and Italy, no longer a Nazist and Fascist country respectively. The past can't be wiped off. You have to acknowledge your past however unleasant andove on. All 3 countries are no longer Nazist and Fascist countries. So why Ukraine didn't apologize t Germany and Italy as well? Japan has tried so hard to rehabilitate emperor Hirohito's public image, but history cannot be rewritten.

-4 ( +13 / -17 )

Isozaki added the removal request has been met and Japan's support for the Ukrainian people following the Russian invasion remains unchanged.

Everyone including the Ukranians know that LDP has no option but to support the Ukraine position as it is the US position, so drawing parallels between Hitler and the Showa Emperor can be made with impunity and gotten away with an apology.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

No need to apologise, the truth is what it is.

-4 ( +13 / -17 )

@OssanJapan

General Hideki Tojo was the Prime Minister at the end of WWII and he was tried, convicted and hanged as a Class-A War Criminal.

And honored at Yasukuni Shrine where hundreds of Japanese diet members and Abe san visit to bow before his nameplate for his "sacrifices" in service of Japan. Heck Tojo is not even a criminal under the Japanese law.

-4 ( +14 / -18 )

Hirohito certainly belonged in the company of the fascist trio, but from their weak position the Ukrainians have to be diplomatic and deferential to the more powerful players whose help they depend on, just as Zelenskiy had no choice but to cover for 45 for that "perfect phone-call".

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

This apology is wrong and Ukraine must unapologize.

Hirohito was the face of fascism called "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" that killed tens of millions in Asia and 3 million Japanese died while shouting "Tenno Heika Banzai!"

Denying one fascism to obtain help in fighting another fascism is absolutely wrong.

-5 ( +12 / -17 )

"We had no intention to offend the friendly people of Japan," the Ukraine account said in a Twitter post

The Japanese government said Monday it has formally requested through a diplomatic channel the removal of the picture of the wartime emperor, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, from the video.

"It is inappropriate and extremely regrettable," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said about the use of the emperor's photo.

You should better choose your friends.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

What's the problem? The Führer was buddies with Hirohito, wasn't he? No apology needed from Ukraine.

-7 ( +8 / -15 )

The statement is what it is! This is what happens when stupidity can't cross out stupidity all in the context of asking the world for sorrow. In other words Ukraine posted what Ukraine always believe in out of total stupidity, and once the send button was hit, Ukraine realized the thought about the position Ukraine is in NOW and how it looks and wants forgiveness. The mindset never changed, IF the mindset did change the thought to post, would have never come about. Now Ukraine wants stupidity to replace sorrow. I have to think about that one.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Are they apologizing for swaying the WW2 Japanese regime was fascist? I don't get it. What are they apologizing for?

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

Ukrainians are right and true to history. What IS regrettable, is that Japanese government ignoring Japan's history and part it played in the WWII, specifically Japan being part of the Axis at the time. Japan whitewashing history again!!!

-8 ( +13 / -21 )

Ukraine has zero to apologise for.

-9 ( +11 / -20 )

I mean... Ukraine wasn't wrong... but probably not a smart move to say while they need support and aid from Japan.

They need support from Japan and Germany too. But afaik, no apology was needed for them as they try not to pretend history didn't happen.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

They are playing Japan for a fool - on social media of all places...

-16 ( +8 / -24 )

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