Japan's explanation of Korean wartime forced labor insufficient: UNESCO

It is the same for the peace parks and museums in Japan that memorize the victims of atomic bombs excluding Korean victims.

Withholding ANY further UNESCO accreditation of Japanese sites (too numerous to list) could be useful in getting Japan to truly acknowledge their role in the devastating events across the world 70+ years ago.

Japan’s current leaders need to understand: The many things ‘they’ desire can come “At ANY Cost!”

For many of those who most likely did no further research than the article above, this link gives more details about what is at issue (keep in mind the author is Japanese):

https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/remembering-japans-colonial-abuses-against-koreans-on-hashima-island/

The information center at this particular coal mine only features testimony from one second generation Korean-Japanese who was on the island (and whose father was a supervisor) This individual claimed that ethnic Koreans faced no discrimination, but that claim is countered by the fact that Koreans who had a Japanese family registry like himself received the same treatment as Japanese. Everyone else suffered horribly. Thus, there is no memorial or information whatsoever of those Koreans and other non-Japanese who were forced to work under horrible conditions as POW's.

There is no excuse for this one. Japan had in fact received approval from South Korea for this heritage site on the condition they would acknowledge the truth of what happened there. Obviously it did not. I highly doubt they will change it.

And SCAP did its part in not insisting that Japan come clean once the US lost China to Mao and had to have Japan do its bidding in East Asia.

Japan is so needy of world recognition of this type, they should understand they need to follow the rules set. As they haven't done so, they should be given a warning, a few months to comply with the accreditation conditions, and if they don't submit the documents and jump through the bureaucratic hoops in time, their World Heritage accreditation should be withdrawn. Japan's revisionists should learn they can't have their cake and eat it.

This happens to other places - Liverpool allowed developers to mess up their historic waterfront skyline and deservedly lost their status.

Another UN body ridiculing Japan's pathetic attempt to whitewash history.

Other UN bodies already ridiculed Japan for lying about the 1965 Korea Japan bilateral agreement, and the 2015 Comfort Women agreement.

https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID:2218404

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17209&LangID=E

Truth hurts Japan, but that's what happens when the Jgov revolves around fake propaganda.

@oldman

There is no excuse for this one. Japan had in fact received approval from South Korea for this heritage site on the condition they would acknowledge the truth of what happened there. Obviously it did not. I highly doubt they will change it.

I recalled you whined about the pesky Koreans complaining about this. Why the about face?

More info and testimony from the Korean side:

https://youtu.be/cCH6VdyuxGU

https://youtu.be/GLdr4imdXwI

I recalled you whined about the pesky Koreans complaining about this. Why the about face?

And you recalled incorrectly.

I never 'whined' about "pesky Koreans complaining about this." I never once mentioned anything about Korea, Japan, and UNESCO heritage sites on this website.

What I did 'whine' about consistently in the past was Korean nationalists and their anti-Japan fan base such as yourself deliberately misrepresenting what Japan did and didn't do in regards to its past. In addition, I 'whined' about these people engaging in stupidity like boycott Japan over something any government would have done to protect is trade secrets against an enemy government (North Korea).

And unlike yourself and others of your kind who NEVER have anything remotely good to say about Japan, I have always been consistent here in criticizing Japan/Japanese for wrong doings, and defending them when I see the attacks are baseless. I have criticized hate speech against Koreans in Japan here, and I have also criticized when I felt the Japanese government was being ignorant and stupid like in this case. So I'm hardly doing an 'about face,' I'm the same person that I ever was on my many years on JT.

And down voting is not a proper response my friend.

Readers' comments in Yahoo! Japan are amazingly homogeneous and chauvinistic on the same article. They seem to have been well indoctrinated by the revisionists and Japanese government: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6399454

I think the Japanese government has better withdraw the UNESCO site rather than go against those massive and patriotic Japanese. The current S. Korean government seldom defies the people.

Now compare contemporary Germany and Japan and how they dealt with events that happened 70+ years ago. Either someone low in the government will say it's already been explained and divert the speech to another topic, or another mascot will be created, promoting something like "safe wartime labour" or so.

Japan white washing its history since 1945!!!!

......and counting!

Germany regrets they kick started WW2! Japan regrets they lost WW2! Even in the UNESCO there was something that doesn't not deserve to fight is still fighting !

Like UNHCR, like UNESCO, totally useless just parroting one-sided Korean narrative without absolutely no fact-checking, backing-up 3rd party evidence.

If seeking for fairness, don't just listen to self-proclaimed Korean victims but listen to the voice of residents

on the islands during those days.

https://www.gunkanjima-truth.com/l/ja-JP/

Remove their listings until the come clean.

Yeah, Korean narratives are so persuading only to be covered with burning shame for using Japanese models both for the wartime labor statue and 5min motion picture put up at Times Square New York

Japan's revisionist approach on history is a serious concern not just for Koreans and other victims of Japan's war crimes, but also for Japanese people.

People who are unaware of their own history will never be able to address past issues, and discuss about these matters at a deep level. This approach also hinders Japan's ability to develop deeper relationship with Korea and other victimised nations, which I personally think is such a huge missed opportunity for Japan.

That’s bs. Show me any World Cultural heritage site that isn’t based on a certain kind of forced labor. Did a team of magicians put all those castles, palaces, industrial sites etc. into the landscape? No, they were all designed, planned, constructed and processed under forced labor of thousands of nameless hard working dependent and forced to labor staff.

@oldman_13Today 07:28 am JST

Yuji Hosaka ... I remember him. He works for the Koreans!

Yuji Hosaka teaches political science at Sejong University in Seoul. As a naturalized Korean of Japanese descent, he is also director of the Dokdo Research Institute.

Yeah, I thought so. He's essentially Korean.

In April 1945, the Japanese government decided to grant non-Japanese in Japanese colonies the right to vote in a colony’s national elections, but this measure was never implemented.

Always focusing on the negative, these Koreans. It means that only about 35 years after annexation, Koreans got the right to vote. BTW, after they were supposedly liberated, they will spend many, many years under either the Communist Party (in the North) or a military junta.

The crux of Japan’s discrimination policy lies in demanding that non-Japanese residents of its colonial territories like Korea and Taiwan fulfill their duty as Japanese without granting them the same rights as nationals.

If that were true, Koreans would have been conscripted much earlier.

Statistics say approximately 70 percent of Koreans forced to work at the mines ran away because of the tough labor. When they ran away, companies took all of their forced savings.

Wow. They didn't fulfill their part of the bargain and the company recovered by taking their savings. I'm supposed to feel really offended?

Unlike Japanese workers who could keep their bank account ledgers and personal stamps with them, Korean laborers had to entrust them to their supervisors.

If you unfortunately belong to a demographic who's percentage of cheating is "70 percent", it's not exigible to demand other parties to pretend this difference does not exist.

Those caught trying to escape were forced to perform labor under extreme conditions.

Because they are supposed to not react to the fact you tried to escape... the rationalizations of a Korean are never ending!

@KurukiToday 11:55 am JST

Japan's revisionist approach on history is a serious concern not just for Koreans and other victims of Japan's war crimes, but also for Japanese people.

Where's the revisionism on this issue. All the crap about forced labor and comfort women only surfaced in the 80s onwards. Which is to that the version of history with them is the Revised version.

Show me any World Cultural heritage site that isn’t based on a certain kind of forced labor. 

The Sydney Opera House.

Btw, it's so Japanese to label anyone who criticizes anything to do with Japan as anti-Japan, even at the expense of disowning your own citizens. Eg. Abe's gaffe about Japanese not supporting the Olympics. I criticize my government, but no one calls me anti american. Maybe if you accept that there are issues with your country, then Japan can start to reverse its process of extinction.

Japanese labors also suffered always from hunger. There's no such difference in treatments between them regardless of where his family registry is. Payment could be less but not because they are Koreans but because of proficiency of each labor regardless of family registry.

They use photos of Japanese labor(s) without any permission from Japanese photographers to describe in such way they want to brainwash the world and UNESCO at national museum, statue, overseas events.

Btw, it's so Japanese to label anyone who criticizes anything to do with Japan as anti-Japan, even at the expense of disowning your own citizens. Eg. Abe's gaffe about Japanese not supporting the Olympics. I criticize my government, but no one calls me anti american. Maybe if you accept that there are issues with your country, then Japan can start to reverse its process of extinction.

Criticizing your own government and criticizing anything to do with your home country and the people is totally different and you obviously always jump in and start criticizing anything to do with Japan and the people like saying it is in the process of extinction as an example.

Withholding ANY further UNESCO accreditation of Japanese sites (too numerous to list) could be useful in getting Japan to truly acknowledge their role in the devastating events across the world 70+ years ago.

A very good suggestion, all UNESCO sites should be revoked and Japan from ever registering heritage sites again. Also sanctions against Japan and all Japanese people in the world is required to protect South Koreans. No dissent from foreigners who "love" Japan should be allowed

Firstly there is no comparison, (Germany, Japan) where acceptance of past atrocities are concerned. Germany has a strong right wing party in the Bundestag, would gladly tear down all the monuments and statues considered to be negative reminders of the past.

The Government of Japan, must in many respects fully embrace change.

Certainly where the education system concerned. This can be achieved without throwing the entire nation to the floor in humiliating indemnification, capitulation.

Open, transparency.

Great Britain invented slavery. And yes their are many reminders, statues that could, and should present the whole shocking truth. This is the point.

@ Kazuaki Shimazaki @kennyG

All the crap about forced labor and comfort women only surfaced in the 80s onwards.

I am wondering whether you can explain why Japanese Mitsbish apologized to the US, but not to Korea as mentioned in the following news footage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLdr4imdXwI&t=529s

itsonlyrocknrollToday  03:40 pm JST

Great Britain invented slavery. And yes their are many reminders, statues that could, and should present the whole shocking truth. This is the point.

Think you'll find slavery has its roots way back in ancient times, long before the British became involved.

China was doing it in BC times, before it became united and then there were the Mongols, Egyptians; I could go on.

Russia also has a long history of slavery, even to this day the Global slavery index estimates nearly 800,000 live comparative slave-like lives in Russia.

Here in the US we are currently in an era where any reminders of the CSA (Confederate States of America) are at risk. Statues of CSA leaders are being taken down due to their support of slavery. However, it seems certain leaders of our nation who had slaves are immune from this process (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson(gladly stabbed Native Americans in the back as well despite their help in winning some battles in the War of 1812), Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant (he of Civil War fame) just to name the Presidents. The closest Jackson has come to being punished is a call to replace him on the $20 bill and to put Harriet Tubman there in his place. NO call to replace Grant on the $50 bill or Washington on the $1 bill plus various coins or Jefferson on the $2 bill.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States_who_owned_slaves

0rei0, yes a valid point, the past throws up all manner of how throughout history humanity feeds off each other.

The preceded strong will feed of the weak, to the present day.

They should show what happened to the Koreans at the place.

How brutal the Koreans were treated.

They should also include something about how the Korea government has not paid out the money sent for the same victims.

They have suffered twice.

The Korean were victims of the war and then victims of not receiving the payments sent to Korea for them.

Have they not suffered enough ?

Most of the Japanese and Koreans from then are dead now.

The memory of what happened should never be forgotten, nor the victims.

South Korea has what 12 UNESCO sites while Japan has 23?

SK is like a kid in a race who, instead of concentrating on running faster spends his time and effort trying to keep his opponent from inching ahead of him.

@SJ

@ Kazuaki Shimazaki @kennyG

All the crap about forced labor and comfort women only surfaced in the 80s onwards.

I am wondering whether you can explain why Japanese Mitsbish apologized to the US, but not to Korea as mentioned in the following news footage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLdr4imdXwI&t=529s

I am wondering why you ask what Mitsubishi Material already answered about in public long before. If you don't know, I am afraid you maybe one or more laps behind,  which I hope you wouldn't take offensive.

I sometimes think Japan and Korea are brothers potentially very strong when together, but the very only problem is Korea thinks they are elder which is not. Dump all brainwashed text books and face it, Far East would be back to redress the balance even against CCP's China, even without Western intervention. Stop fabrications and suck them up.

Never been to Japan, but I get the impression that the Japanese psyche does not adequately understand the role of Japan in World War II, and the events leading up to that war.

From what I have learned, the unification of Japan was extremely violent, and the glorification of cruelty and of violence carried over into the 19th and 20th centuries. Japan is not alone in their violence; from the Romans, to the Vikings, to the Mongols, and to the Nazis and the Communists, human nature very easily slides into extreme violence.

Damage claims by Koreans regarding Gunkanjima are 200% false.

The structure of the buildings in the living quarters is a complete apartment complex with balconies and windows, and is not designed to house prisoners. The number of people who can live there in that condition is about 3,000. There are also no structures like underground camps on the island.

And all of the residents who actually lived on Gunkanjima have testified that they do not know the names of the Koreans who are claiming damage. The residents possess a list of residents and a list of school alumni.

The islanders who were on the island at the time of the Nagasaki bombing are still alive and protesting the lies of UNESCO and Korea.

UNESCO needs to show us what they based their decision on and show us something that will convince the Japanese people.

1glennToday  09:33 am JST

Never been to Japan, but I get the impression that the Japanese psyche does not adequately understand the role of Japan in World War II, and the events leading up to that war.

Don't see how someone who has never even been to Japan can comment on the "Japanese psyche". But even assuming you had a point, South Korea is much worse - not recognizing the Korean role in the 1910 Annexation, the role of Koreans in the Imperial Japanese armed forces right up to the end of WWII, the role of Koreans in the IJA as regards the mistreatment of Allied POWS during WWII, the role of Korean middlemen in recruiting Comfort Women and in running some of the Comfort Stations, et al. All handled by historical revisionism taught in South Korean schools and a society that both persecutes and prosecutes South Korean scholars who speak the truth. Korea was not invaded by Japan as other Asian countries were. Korean soldiers in the IJA invaded those other Asian countries. Anyone can look up all these historical facts their own instead of blindly swallowing Koren revisionist history.

What is it all about? Which man made object of UNESCO cultural heritage is not built by forced labor directly or indirectly? Name a few, if you can. Or in more general, Who of you all and me wasn’t or isn’t forced to labor during lifetime? There are only a very few people on this planet that are maybe not affected because have been born already with a golden spoon in the baby hand.