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That's why I think it's a good thing that Japan lost World War II. If Japan had won, so many others would have lost their language and culture.

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Koichi Kaizawa, 60, an official at the Biratori Ainu Culture Preservation Association. In 1869, Tokyo set up the Hokkaido Colonization Board to encourage Japanese settlers to move to Hokkaido. The Ainu were eventually stripped of their land, forced to abandon hunting and fishing for farming, forbidden to speak their own language and taught only Japanese at school. That history was repeated later in Japan's Asian colonies. (The New York Times)

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I am pretty sure it has to do more with the economic dominance of the USA for quite long than with the old British empire.

USA economic dominance? The time scale is too short, less than 100 years. most of the world who speak English do so because of the old British empire. Australia, NZ, Canada, US, India, Zimbawe, Kenya, South Africa etc.

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The ainu have lost both culture and language due to the Asian sense of shame!

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roughneck,

Any nation, who has won a war, or occupied other country has done this.

Sure. I guess that is why so many Japanese speak and write American English so fluently, huh? (Rolling eyes...)

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I like Mr. Onishi’s original article on the NYT. According to the article:

in recent months, Canada and Australia have offered apologies for mistreating their indigenous populations in the past, and New Zealand transferred about 435,000 acres of plantation forest and forest rents to seven Maori tribes. Shiro Kayano, director of the Nibutani Ainu Museum here, said the Japanese government should follow other governments’ examples and offer the Ainu a broad apology, though he was pessimistic.

I sincerely hope Japan would follow the steps of Canada, Australia and NZ. I also hope China would do the same for the Tibetans.

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Chosen Ilbo wrote something as follows: http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20060827000000

Almost every Korean view so far on the Japanese imperial days has been that of "exploitation". Japan occupied Korea and politically suppressed it and exploited it economically thus preventing her normal modernization. However, in the 1980's a voice was raised out of the academic circles to question such views. This argument based on statistical demonstration might be emotionally unacceptable to Koreans but it is not easy to disprove it "academically". For example, the radio broadcasting that the government-general of Korea started in 1927 gradually increased programs in Korean language that in effect contributed to the creation of the modern popular culture of Korea. And the first newspaper 漢城周報 written in Hangul and Kanji was realized with the help of Japanese. Before that they wrote only inKanji. Also the Korean literature saw the light of day at the beginning of the last century and never stopped to bloom even during the Japanese days.

also: http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20080330000001 http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20040110000003

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This is the same reason why English is the most common international language, because the British empire stretched worldwide...and they spread their language.

I am pretty sure it has to do more with the economic dominance of the USA for quite long than with the old British empire.

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The position of the Ainu is not much different from the Native Americans in American history.

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roughneck - I believe that you and Kaizawa-san are in heated agreement. He didn't claim that Japan's process was unique, but rather pointed out what they did.

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Hahahahaha.....Koichi Kaizawa needs to study more world history.

Any nation, who has won a war, or occupied other country has done this. Japan wouldn't be unique.

This is the same reason why English is the most common international language, because the British empire stretched worldwide...and they spread their language.

Wake up Kaizawa San.

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