We know nine Japanese people were among foreigners who entered Ukraine to fight against Russia as of Aug 5.

"... The media has whipped up the old hatred against Russia, which seems to be largely based on:

Actually, it's because they invaded a sovereign nation and started raping and murdering its innocent civilians.

There are many Japanese who join the US Marine Corps, or French Foreign Legion as well. Their reasons vary, but it’s ultimately their life, their choice.

In place of all Ukrainians, I want to relay my deepest gratefulness to all Japanese who are now fighting for my country and people. All I, a mere person, can do is to send you my sincere blessings from the bottom of my heart.

Lord Dartmouth, above -

"... The media has whipped up the old hatred against Russia, which seems to be largely based on:

1) The seizure of the Southern Kuriles in 1945 in which about 1000 Japanese troops and about 2000 Soviet were killed/wounded.

2) The internment of many Japanese POWs in Siberia after the war...."

Lord D forgot to mention the following background -

"Stalin brought forward the invasion of Manchuria due to the dropping of the atomic bomb. On 8 August the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan at midnight. Soviet forces invaded the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo (Manchuria) under the command of Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky with 1.6 million soldiers. They achieved complete surprise, outgunning and outflanking the defending Japanese Kwantung Army of 713,000 troops, commanded by General Otozo Yamada. The advancing Soviets claimed to have killed 84,000 Japanese soldiers and captured almost 600,000. About 1.5 million Japanese in Manchuria, Korea and northern China became prisoners of the Soviets, many of whom spent years in prison camps." (Imperial War Museums)

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-proposed-invasion-of-japan

Not surprising at all. The media has whipped up the old hatred again against Russia, which seems to be largely based on:

1) The seizure of the Southern Kuriles in 1945 in a battle in which about 1000 Japanese troops and about 2000 Soviet were killed/wounded.

2) The internment of many Japanese POWs in Siberia after the war.

When you consider that the USA killed 387,000 Japanese in air raids alone, it seems a bit odd how modern Japan reserves all its contempt and fear for China, Russia and N/S Korea: countries that really have done them very little harm.

I can only suppose this is the result of very skilful US propaganda during and after the occupation of Japan. I'm genuinely curious about this issue. Can anyone offer any insights?

Fighting for freedom, even for the freedom of others, is a laudable and noble thing to do. They risk their lives for their beliefs and for Ukraine. I hope they all come home alive and well when it is over. Respect!

@Lord Darmouth

For someone who "didn't 'forget' to mention it" you seem to be in need of constant reminders - "About 1.5 million Japanese in Manchuria, Korea and northern China became prisoners of the Soviets, many of whom spent years in prison camps." The defending Kwantung Army consisted of about half that number.

Have you any tears for those noncombatants who were imprisoned (you used the word 'internment') for years and subject to the same kind of brutal inhuman treatment meted out to prisoners in Soviet Siberian gulags?

The behaviour of Soviet troops towards civilians in Germany and in Manchuria in 1945 was criminal. The behaviour of Russian troops in the Ukraine in 2022 is the same.

@Robroy: Twisting my words again. I don't need reminders. I know the facts. The Kwantung Army was peacefully minding its business in Japan? Don't think so. Sorry, but it was a brutal war. The Americans frequently didn't even bother taking prisoners. The Aussies sometime just threw them out of planes over the Pacific (read John Dower). Many members of Von Paulus's 6th Army only made in back to Germany in 1955. We British bombed German cities into rubble, slaughtering vast numbers.

Japan's treatment of almost all its conquered peoples and its POWs was appalling, but I'm not accusing you of making light of it, and neither am I saying that we should loathe Japan forever because of its actions then, but apparently Stalin's crimes warrant eternal opprobrium for Russia.

@Lord Dartmouth: there's a need to untwist your words. At least you are talking straighter now. The long history of imperialism & colonialism continues today in a less widespread and prominent manner than in the previous five centuries.

Japan and Germany were defeated in 1945 after their late entry into the 19th century scramble for empire and colonies.

The USA, Russia & China were the victors in 1945 (contrary to popular belief the British and other European empires were not victors - they were losers on the winning side).

So, the big three continue the Great Game of world domination each in their own fashion - at present the Russian fashion is old-fashioned naked aggression.

Good on them for sticking up for their principals and going and doing something. It puts the government in an awkward position, especially when they have to constantly suck up to Russia to keep projects going, but oh well.

Yep, their life, their choice. And their death.

@Robroy: Yes, I get all that. I didn't 'forget' to mention it. The USA and the UK had been urging Stalin to do it for ages. The Kwantung Army? Well, sorry, but I can't shed any tears for those chaps. They weren't exactly knights in shining armour, were they?

@Strangerland: You misunderstood my point. I am saying that anti-Russian sentiment has been present in Japan for a very long time. In fact, one could date it to the Russo-Japanese War - a war that Japan started and then failed to win as much as they wanted from their victory (blame Russia!).

I'm not surprised. Quite a few of my students have mentioned their hatred for Russia for doing this and wished there was something they could do. Rambonosuke.

Good for them! They can be enshrined in Yasukuni...