Chamkun comments

It depends on what religious mean. If that means the based on monotheism sense. No Japan is not a religious country at all. However, Japan is inconspicuously spiritual nation. Our morality comes from "Otentosama ga miteiruyo" The sun is watching you. Our morality is not a guilt base. We do not believe One GOD system but feel and know some Godness. And many people believe a wisdom(Not knowledge) or Buddha nature within our life. If someone can not explain to you does not mean they do not believe this.

Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said on the ministry’s website. “If Japan does resort to enforcement measures like shooting down aircraft, that is a serious provocation to us, an act of war.

But sending a military aircraft to Japan territory without letting Japan acknowledge its purpose it self is an act of war. Any normal country have that situation, any nation would consider to do so. In order to avoid any conflict, stop sending those plains. If China feels any issue with Japan, go to ICJ instead of sending your dangerous toys.

Simply, it has been an illegal occupation by South Korea. The coward government keep doing hit and run since 1951. Instead of this drilling, Korea should meet Japan at ICJ for the future of 2 nations. Japan will never forgive S.Korea for Korea's illegal occupation, unless ICJ gives the final verdict. If Japan lost, Japan would detach from the issue.

From my study historically with many Korean documents since 512 AD, Dokto and Takeshima today is not the same island.

@Guru29

Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration (terms of surrender for Japan) says this: "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we ( US, UK, China and Russia) determine."

Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration had been released before San Francisco peace treaty was issued. That means a newer document dominates the case according to the International law. The article 3 has been effective since 1951 and the article 8 has lost its power in terms of territorial issues. Therefore, Senkaku and Takeshima are legally Japan according to the article 3 composed by the international world which produced the exit for WW2. Potsdam Declaration is the one of the steps.

"During a private dinner with the Chiangs on the evening of November 23, President Roosevelt asked Chiang China's intentions regarding the Ryukyu Islands.

Is this a story from 1943? at this dinner, China said NO.

@mulan "What money ?"

China has built airports, Bridges, hospitals,,,etc,with the Grant and ODA total from Japan which is 3,500,000,000,000 Yen so far. In 1965, for Korea, when $1 was 360 Yen, That was paid for all the issues till 1945 to resolve, paid by US$. That was $800,000,000 plus $5,300,000,000 of asset. President Park's father signed that says, the all issues till 1945 has been solved completely and forever. Ms.Park should learn what the former president of Korea did. That is her father otherwise, her saying in DC,"the nation which does not see its past will have no future"makes it for her own lesson. I think it is

"If Japan has confidence, she should return the Senkakus back to UN and let the world vote to whom the Islands belong to."

Japan will win for the Senkaku issue if it gets in a legal process. I hope you have read San Francisco peace treaty which reset Japan as the part of the world again after several years'work with all allies, and signed by 48 countries. Japan was not in the position saying or influencing the treaty but receiving a verdict from the world. The article 3 conspicuously states Senkaku all 5 islands are the part of Japan also Takeshima as well according to the article 3.

If anyone thinks it finds some error in the treaty, the law exists for that reason, basically it saying that -When it finds an error or asserts the invalidity of a treaty, the announcement to the country directly concerned is required by the Vienna Convention on the law of treaties article 65, However, no government or any nation have filed a complaint or made an announcement of error invalidity of the treaty until today as of today 2013/10/26 include China and Korea. If China has really believes what they started to claim around 1970 after the oil was found is sincerely true, China can sue Japan at ICJ in stead of sending ships and plains to Japan territory to provoke. I much prefer seeing that way than any military activity from any nation include Japan. But Japan needs to defend from those invading actions. So China should not give any reason to Japan to do this kind of game.

China warns U.S., Japan, Australia not to gang up in sea disputes

China. In that case, as long as China refrain from disrespecting the territory of Japan, Vietnam, India, Philippine, also make Tibet, Uighur and other ethnic grope people free and treat them respectfully. Disband the department of Okinawa autonomy　in the gov. of China. Make all the information available for the people of China and free internet access situation. Do not fabricate history. Make the military budget transparent like other countries. Do not control information. Stop anti Japan education. No more tactful deception. Do not control your media. China release all illegally arrested prisoners include some Chinese professor Shu Kenei at Toyougakuen Japan.

She is a liar. She said in this speech, "I was taken by Japanese during the Korean war" LOL!!! What did you say? I could not believe what she said. Makes no sense. It is a make up story as obvious, unless she had had a time machine. These women's statements that were interviewed by Mr. Ahn byung jik PHD at Seoul University and his team did research for the case as well as many interviews for ex comfort women were held but they could not find any single indications which identified those women's claims as a forceful abduction case, but they were hired at a kisaeng (Brothel) owned by Korean civilians. But I still feel my sympathy and remaining a moral issue for Japan and the world. This issue and wars were the problem of the world in those days.

Many media give a wrong impression. The fact is that Japan has never dined that Japan used brothels till 1945, but Japan has always dined forceful abductions except a sad case in Indonesia that Mr. Kono did not specify in his speech. In Japan and Korea's tacit agreement, Kono intentionally did not say Indonesia to save the honor of these Korean women who were standing up then. The both governments were not interested in putting them in the spot light as liars.

I am pretty sure that they have been also used by the some innocent supporters also the people intentionally produce a deception. In 1991 Aug.14th, Kim gaku jyun. I remember her because she was on the 9 o'clock NHK news then.She was the first comfort woman came forward. She was not a slave. She was saying that she was sold just for 40 yen by her parents and she got a lot of sympathy by Japaneses then. But today, she was supposed to be kidnapped by Japan! I know she did not say it but some people fabricated her story. After that, Japan did a lot of researches as the accumulated paper documents were as high as 6 feet. We found the case in Indonesia. Mr. Ahn byung jik PHD also appeared on KBS TV and he dined the abduction case but that was a prostitution case. Korea knew how the both nations tried to resolve the issue. Korea said, no more issue for this from Korea if they could get today as known as the Kono speech.

However, some reason, Korea used the speech for lobbying. This deception makes the issue of today. I have a strong sympathy for these women, some of them were sold by their parents! But because of this background situation. I strongly feel that Japan must not apologize any more for the sake of next generations.Also produces a wrong idea to the world then, this wrong accusation will be the history.

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Smithinjapan, It's really quite amazing to watch people come on here and demand SK forget history*

Asian2013 Japan cannot apologize, pay some money and then tries to deny history.

History? YES. The illegal occupation of Takeshima and fabrication of history. NO.

Korea has lost their marble for a year by now. Ms.park needs to learn what her father has achieved in 1965 as a historical fact.Without it, Today's Korea would not have existed as it is. Otherwise, she should criticize Mr.Park. What she has been doing is doing so without saying.

@Chris Lowery Remember that the Senkaku islands are only 300 miles from the China coast, google it.and you will see the issue.

This kind of lack of historical information and lack of legal information make this issue more complicated.

The judicial precedent in an international law. Island of Pal mas Case.

1)The title by geographical approach-ability does not have a meaning in the international law.

2) Discovery itself is immature origin of rights to obtain a sovereignty in international law which is inchoate title.

3) When a foreign country begins to use realistic sovereignty and a discovery country does not protest, the title which uses sovereignty is only larger than the title of discovery.

Until the WW2 broke out, between 1895 and 1940, there was a bonito flake factory and 250 Japanese were resided. Based on this, China is OUT. China did not use the island the way Japan did. In order to avoid war. We must respect how the law prevents it. That is way these 3 conditions are there. I prefer China send the case to ICJ instead of sending ships and planes to Japan territory. China is giving more reasons to Japan to beef its defense capability up.

Many reads might not know one fact for sure,which is the one of the major reasons of this issue left some grey zone is from the US politics. A recording tape WAS FOUND at Nixon Library 3 months ago!

This information is from the tape not any other sources. There was a textile issue negotiation between Taiwan and USA.In those days, that was a big issue in USA. The conversation among ,George Peterson, Henry Kissinger & Richard Nixon.I listened to it very carefully becasue I wanted to know why America stated Japan has an administrative right on Senkaku archipelago instead of sovereignty, According to the recording, Taiwan asked US to keep Senkaku as US territory so that they could keep fishing the way they did in those days or whatever the reasons were. If America kept Senkaku, Taiwan would accept some condition in textile deal as favor for US. So that US could protect the textile industry in South where Nixon needed votes in the area.Peterson's advised Nixon to accommodate the request from Taiwan.

Contrary to Peterson, Kissinger said 'According to San Francisco peace treaty with 48 nations approval,Senkaku was left for Japan. Since it is the part of Okinawa,its county, it must be returned at once as JAPAN. So that,we may say Okinawa is returned to Japan completely. That would be important to keep a good relationship between two nations.

Later, Nixon took the middle way as obviously today. The US returned all Okinawa islands in 1972 to Japan but in the document states that "Japan has a administrative right on Senkaku" The US gave the consideration to Taiwan. But it produced the room for today's Senkaku issue. Since it has been affected by the US politics, Japan must be determined to protect its sovereignty. That is being done everyday by normal countries any way. Japan must be stand by Japan self without rely on USA for this issue.

The bottom line is that if this were who is right or wrong issue? America knows Senkaku is Japan, but they keep it as our tacit understanding because from the grey zone from Nixon administration. China knows it is Japan as well. They published so many maps, news paper, official documents, also China even did not complain even though they had a seat as a UN security council while America was using two islands of Senkaku as their bombing range!!! Based on these facts, still China wants to say? " We knew America was bombing in China then, but we were quite" I do not think so. They suddenly changed their policy after the oil was found in Senkaku area. So at least China then knew the fact as Senkaku is Japan. Today, people were given a lot of fabricated information,so the new generation might sincerely believes it because of a famous China's tactful deception.

*

Probie Says the guy who denies the abduction of comfort women by the Japanese. *

*

Abe or any Japanese has never denied their existence. And many Japanese feel the moral issue from it from today's point of view. So Japan apologizes many times and has paid compensation and established supporting organizations not for only Koreans but other nations as well.

However, After I studied with a lot of great details, and historical facts and some objective documents from the 3rd party.Many interviews from Korean people around 1990, the based on that, I strongly denied the abduction by Japan as a fact but it is a wrong accusation. Do yo really know that fact with any hard evidence?

There is a two different issues. Except some individual cases such a case in Indonesia.That Japan and Mr. Abe has accepted for long time as a fact. This would be the off this topic, I would stop now.

NO way. Japan must not meet them if they set the condition before a meeting. Chinese politics has the way to do things. They have been fully capitalized on the 45 sec. casual conversation between Kakuei Tanaka and Shu Onrai in 1972. They only hear what they want to hear. NO more meetings and no more tricks. Only the case we should meet them is that, talking the both leaders without any condition. As a result of our talk, what China requests Japan becomes a fact, fine. But not before our face to face meeting. If China is too chicken to have an unconditional face to face meeting, Just leave and go to ICJ to make the 3rd party make involved in this case. At this stage, I much prefer that way. The way they have been changing the issues and details based on their convenience, I can not trust Chinese government for this particular issue.

The radar plan is for a defense reason which Japan has a right under our constitutions. China has no prat for Japan`s decision making for this issue. I wonder if that produces any incontinent situation for China? It is so funny that before N.Korea lashes out, China made a lot of noise for it.

Japan started a research in 1885 spending 9 years before Japan registered Senkaku as the part of Okinawa Japan. Japan had asked China before Japan registered it.China admitted that in UN that China signed the document for Japan.From that moment, China did not claim their ownership for over 70 years. Then after over 70 years, suddenly China claimed that the islands are China after the oil was found. China should admit that we became interested in the oil not those rocks. Also their opaque military expansion which is about 30 times more last 25 years, China needs the area for their tactics reasons as their free sea lane.That is so conspicuous. Their behavior for Senkaku is a true manifestation of Sinocentrism. If China really thinks that the islands are China, instead of sending Chinese ships and plains, send documents to ICJ. So that the world will be the witness for this case. I think China would not do that because they know that Senkaku is Japan and they have no way to win at ICJ.

China just fabricated the issue. There is no issue. If they had had an issue why China waited till the oil was found and all the maps was stated as Senkaku till then in China. When America was using Senkaku as a bombing range in'' China territory'' Why they said nothing. America did not think they took over China,either. If China thinks there is any issue. Go to ICJ. Japan will win 200%. Otherwise, back off China.

I enjoyed the first Tokyo Olympics in 1964.I was a student and was so inspiring to me then. But China did not say anything then.The 1964 was a big success. As far as the history is concerned, nothing has been changed since then. Mr. Kishi was a prime minster who was a Class A war criminal that China and Korea did not make as a big deal out of it. Even Korea made a deal with Japan in 1965 and got $800,000,000 to rebuild Korea.

OH, But after the last Tokyo Olympics, we made former apologies for the both nations for all the historical situations many times. The president of China asked Japan and Panasonic to have a factory in China for sake of their foundation of economy in 1978.Panasonic made an action. Matsushita family took that request very seriously.The factory was established in China. Yes, The One Chinese terrorists destroyed it in 2012. That was not a demonstration beyond even the law in China. What else,,,,We sent totally 3,500,000,000,000 Yen to China as ODA and built Beijing air port, many bridges, hospitals, Harbors....etc for the sake of the both nations's friend ship and our future together. This is the difference between the successful 1964 Tokyo Olympics that China said nothing, No ODA yet (Before) and the one we are going to have in 2020.(After ODA and many projects to assist.) Something is not right.

OH, one more. The potential oil was found!!! around Senkaku was in 1968!!!.That was 4 years later from the successful Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Before 1969, The all Chinese official maps showed Senkaku as Japan and their communist news paper also used to publish their articles about Senkaku as Japan. In 1992,China promulgated a unilateral maritime law to include Senkaku as China. Even though the private owner was a Japanese family.... They never historically billed a real estate tax from China.

China is right. 2020 Olympic success will depend on how Japan faces its history.

This is great. Go for it Tokyo. Now Abe can use this situation as his justification for more budget for the environment and to take over Fukushima situation more aggressively not being in a passive position. I do not want to rely on incapable TEPCO. We only have 7 more years to fix the problem for the sake of all living organisms and environment. Mr.Abe, show your real leadership here. We are behind you for this issue. All parties must unite for this mission. Every politicians, please do not use politics for politics but politics for this mission.We may not hand down this hot potato to the next generation. We must do it now. If we could over come this mission impossible within 7 years, this will be our gold medal even if we get none during the games in 2020.

I saw the last one in Tokyo not too long time ago but time flies, indeed. I lived near rote 20 that was used for marathon, I was seeing them so closely. That was a first time I saw so many non Japanese people in my lifetime. It would wonderful if I can see it one more time while I am alive.... 2020? I think it is 50/50 chance for me.

What is Obama's legal base for this possible preemptive strike without the UN resolution? America is not being attacked so it can not be a self defense action. Obama seems producing Obama Doctrine.

avigator:

*If Tadayoshi Murata of Yokohama National University, and Kiyoshi Inoue really said , the islands do not belong Japan.

I must say they have ignored International law.

According to the law,

Firstly, title based on contiguity has no standing in international law.

Secondly, title by discovery is only an inchoate title.

Finally, if another sovereign begins to exercise continuous and actual sovereignty, (and the arbitrator required that the claim had to be open and public and with good title), and the discoverer does not contest this claim, the claim by the sovereign that exercises authority is greater than a title based on mere discovery.

When did China used the islands?Has any Chinese people lived there? There is no way to prove China found the islands without　latitude/longitude. Even if I accepted China's claim that China founded the island 500 years ago, it means nothing to affect its sovereignty. Japan had a bonito flake factory there since 1895 till 1941 that happened after had been confirming all neighboring countries the TERRA NULLIUS status of islands before Japan made it as the part of Okinawa.

Why China did not say anything while the islands were used as a US bombing range and shooting drills in the 50,60s? If that had been China, did the US take over China? Using Chinese soil to bomb? Makes no sense.

I could think of at least 40 reasons that I can point out the contradiction of China's claim of today. Many Japanese remember that the right after the potential oil was found. The official Chinese maps was changed in 1971 from Senkakku to Chinese name and borderline was removed.

The main topic of this article is Japan's defense budget rise. Your point is deviated from it. Japan has reduced the budget for long time. It is normal to get new systems every once a while to maintain our system can keep up with the current technology.

You are mentioning some diplomatic overture between two nations, the bast way to do so is talk not returned China's property back that Japan does not have. China keeps refusing for a face to face meeting with Prime minister Abe. If China had enough confidence about the issue that you are concerned, why China would keep refusing. Since the issue started, Japan has never closed the door. I am sure that if the meeting happens, Abe will explain to China cleanly what Japan's intention to increase the budget this time. I much prefer that China sue Japan to ICJ instead of China keep sending military ships in Japan territory. I am not sure if Japan go for it or not. But at least China will have a chance to declare the issue to the world. I hope China will not rely on the power but law to resolve the issue with civilized manner.

Knox Harrington

One small act of denial after another...*

What is it?

both good and bad sides of their own country?

How do we know it.Sometimes knowing good and bad is not clear. The history is not like a Disney movie. We should teach the fact for the both side good and bad.If that what you meant, yes, I agree with you. But my point is let kids decide their own idea based on the fact information we teach.They may not know their answer till they get adult but give them a time to think before they jump to a conclusion. Then if some of them dislike the emperor would be fine as a democratic society. However, how Mr.Nakazawa described the emperor is leading kids to hate the emperor.I know a man who does not like the emperor system. When I had a discussion with him long time ago, he said when he was a kid, he read this comic and how Nakazawa blames the emperor greatly affected him. He did not deny the effect of the comic. Nakazawa concluded the answer for kids after showing enough his own horrible experiences. That experience part and his relationship with his family and his life using Gen as a character on be half of him would have been good enough.Why he has to preach his subjective feeling to kids?I would have enjoyed much more if he had shown me his life experiences.

Nakazawa dislikes the emperor very strongly and he concluded the cause of his and all people's suffering is essentially comes from the emperor. We do not have enough evidence to let him say that yet. Knowing a history takes time. Today, still historians are keep finding some new evidences what was happening then. Accumulation of those small evidences will let us know if really the Showa emperor was a ultimate war criminal or not. It is a small scene but in his comic, he concluded that. I can feel from his hate for the emperor the way he described the emperor. We should not teach or hand down hate to kids. Teaching good things and bad things as a fact of a history.I would say, Yes, but not Nakazawa's emotion and opinion about emperor, I will say No for that. There is a fine line.

@Kronos

Nakazawa-San does not have to be a historian.*

I would have agreed with you as long as he had only showed his experience. He has put some historical layers in his limited knowledge as if he had seen everything. If he had described it based on what he thinks,or what might be the case and that is clearly see from the readers as his personal point of view, it would be fine. I would have no problem with it. However, he described everything as a historical statement. I have an issue for that. That is why I said what I said in my opinion.

I must agree the decision. I had been already mature enough to handle some scenes when it was released in 1973. But my cousins were still elementary school students. They were greatly affected from some explicit descriptions. If some kids or parents want them to read, they can buy this title at any book store. If any elementary students read this, if some one can digest what this is would be recommendable. But free access at the school library is not a good idea. I believe that is the bottom line for this decision.

My personal opinion, Mr. Nakazawa did his best from his point of view but he is not a historian and his experience in this tragedy made him have some extreme point of view and many things even still today have not confirmed as a history were part of the story as a statement as a fact. When I read it, I had a strong sympathy for him but I did not like his comics. In other words some objective truth was used as a platform as the base to establish his subjective point of view to promote his readers mainly children. In fact I know quite many people would like to stop our emperor system and taking royal family out of the society are readers of this story and Nikyoso (Left wing teachers union) recommend this comic. Since I was a victim of them, this can be used as a brain wash process kit for kids. Until I got the age of 42, I could not sing our national anthem because how my teachers told me their point of view when I was between 6 and 12. That was not an education but a brain wash. I want to our children learn the fact but not someone's ISM.In this sense, I would not recommend this comic because this non fiction comic contain Mr. Nakazawa's about 90% objectivity and about 10% his strong subjective message is submerged inconspicuously.

I heard it is going to the supreme court. I hope Korea will let the world think as Korea as a lawful society after the verdict from the supreme court. I restudy and read the treaty and the court decision this time is completely the base less but just an emotional decision just like the Buddha statuses case. The police in Korea arrested the people who stole them and convicted. But Korean court decided that the statues would not have to be returned to Japan because the Japanese temple could not show the receipt in the 13 century to prove the statues were purchased or not. The court logic? is it could be stolen from Korea in the 13 century. If this comes from some one on the street who dislike Japan, I do not care much. But it came from the official Korean judicial system!!! When I heard this court decision, I lost my confidence to Korea as a lawful country. Shame on the Korean judicial system. I really hope the supreme court of Korea will bring my minimum confidence back to the judicial system of Korea. In case, the company loses, the world need to hear a lawful explanation why the Japanese company must accept this baseless legal extortion. It should not be like another statue case.

Why? Why? Why? The company should just ignore it this lawless verdict. Otherwise more to come situation will start. The issue has been solved for long time. I

He said'' Not to mention nearly 120,000 Allied military casualties who fought to defeat the genocidal Japanese.'' I wonder if he knows and ever thought the reason why before Japan, all those European nations had been every corner every where of Asia except the Japan territory. Every Asian countries were colonies by them. I am not implying here anything here but the during or after WW2, those colonies obtained their independence.

@South Korean President Park Geun-Hye

''Only by seeing history correctly and learning from it can Japan embrace the future. We urge Japan to follow its promise to seriously examine its history and win the trust of international society through actions,''it added.''Otherwise relations between Japan and its neighboring countries will have no future.''

Well said Ms. Park. Will you follow your own speech? Your father made an epoch making as a historically speaking. In 1965, Mr.Park resolved all issues between 1910 and 1945 as'' the final and completely'' as he stated and signed. Accept that history,please. If you bring back the old bad blood into the done deal issue almost a half century ago will produce a new issue. Your father accomplished a lot and he got $800,000,000 Grant and ODA from Japan as well as $5,300,000,000 asset with the formal apology from Japan. Prime minister Abe's grand father Prime minister Kishi did that. Therefore, I understand how Mr. Abe feels. He must respect Mr.Kishi's accomplishment. You do the same for sake of for two nations significant relationship for the future of this global society. Do not escape from your domestic issue while your wag the dog situation.

The bottom line that many Japaneses feel facing the history and accepting your accusations is two different thing.

Me.park, move forward. While we are working together as problem solvers for real global issues for our future, organically any issue two nations might have will be fixed. Your issue is the issue for the issue. We have reached the resolution for any historical issue in our basic treaty between Korea and Japan. It is about time to use it for our full implementation of that spirit of the treaty. Learn from your father and face the history of 1965.

You are the one who said at the US congress '' Those who are blind in the past will see no future''

smithinjapan

You miss my point. I am trying to support this kind of individual possible case. I am not denying everything. I only deny strongly the statement on the monuments were erected which statement is basically saying more than 200,000 Korean women were raped and abducted by Japanese solders then make them as sex slaves by Japanese government. I must say this statement on the monuments, based on the objective evidences, is false accusation.

Even the first woman Kim who came forward on Aug 1991 who did not say she was abducted or forcefully Japan made her as a slave, she only said she was sold by her parents for Korean business.It is also in her written testimony.That is a very sad situation. But today, she has become a sex slave status. In short,while this controversy is going for the monuments, I do not want Dy as categorized as the same sex slave category for her sake but may be better to be called a rape victim. If you read what I said more carefully, you will see it.

Of course if you argue that solders buy a sex service it self is making them as if the were a slave even though they were hired and quite substantial numbers of women applied as a job for high salary. I can not arguer with your idea. I do not like the sex industry. Some case it could be a crime for the humanity even the law then permitted. The bottom line is buying another human it self is wrong. Very wrong. But we are talking about in different era,parents sold their daughter was sadly happening. Yes it is a tragedy.

By the way, I was not a denier first. I was angry for what I thought we did for a while after I read a fake non fiction book by Seiji Yoshida in 1983, for the last 30 years, I have been studying the case then even learning English to seek more data with broader point of view, I found more contradiction in a logic with objective evidences to give a big question mark on the statement of the monument.

Joselito Asi No proofs? Will crooks videotape any wrongdoings? Will liars admit the crimes they committed? Pathetic.*

Which videotape are you talking about? If any video to show what Japan is denying can be proved as a fact and Japan is wrong, I will be the one to support Korea's saying and protect the monuments. I am not saying this sarcastically.

There might be two different issues here. The article said The first victim of Japanese sex slavery came forward on Aug. 14, 1991,I believe this is the story of Kim gaku jyun. I remember her because she was on the 9 pm NHK news then. If she is the one, the sentence of this article should indicate more accurately as she was the first comfort woman came forward. She was not a slave. She was saying that she was sold just for 40 yen by her parents because of their lone to a kisaeng (Brothel) owned by Korean civilian. I was sad to hear that story but some how today the story has been changed. Even Kim's case, she was forcefully taken by Japan. I do not have enough information of Estelita Dy, so I can not say about her case. But it what she is saying is true, this is a crime even during a war then. Japan must work it out to resolve this sad case with Japan's best.

My point is if every individual case makes it under the category as a sex slave, it will produce more problems. The fact is that there were many professional women who worked at brothels for money which average income was 300 Yen monthly and 1 Yen tip while middle class solder's salary was only 7 Yen era. It was a legal system till 1958 in Japan as well as Korea. That was a different world then. Especially the new evidences were just found recently as many dairies in Korean language of those workers, but still called a sex salve today in English papers. The diaries show the reality the life of them which is difficult to admit that they were slaves. This finding also subjectively support the U.S. Army 1944 report No49 which state they are as professional women.

I am not saying good or bad any moral issue here. Personally I do not like the system. I am afraid of some possible individual rape crime like Estelita case, and the controversial Korean Monuments in USA which states as if it were a historical fact as''over 200,000 Korean women were raped and abducted then forcefully Japan made them as sex slaves'' is completely different issue. Because of the enough evidences I can comfortably deny the story on the monuments. However, if the case of Estelita Dy is mixed with other Korean's claim cases, it is not a good idea for sake of Estelita.

So far, Japan found with clear evidences and admitted officially is some case in Indonesia. The Army solders got involved crime and he received a capital punishment by Japanese government during WW2.

Because of the request from Korean Government in 1993 to extinguish the fire for the both side after the fake non- fiction book by Seiji Yoshida and irresponsible article of Asahi News paper by Takashi Uemura produced chaos, Japan did research and Korea did, too. Japan found the case in Indonesia but Korea found no objective evidences. Mr. Ahn byung jik PHD at Seoul University and his team did research for the case as well as many interviews for ex comfort women were held but they could not find any single indications which identified those women's subjective claims. Also, 3 people were arrested in Korea who got involve this lawsuit situation against Japan for the sex slavery issue by some fraud charge. In this sensitive circumstance, Mr. Kono released to the famous Kono's apology speech which said some Japanese military's direct involvement existed at the foreign press club in Tokyo. What that meant was the case of Indonesia without saying the name of country in the official speech part at that time, only Japan orally explained to foreign correspondents to protect the pride the ex-comfort women who were standing up then in Korea.

There was a tacit understanding between Korea and Japan in 1993. Korea said that as long as the statement which keeps the pride of those women, it would not be the issue between two countries any more. This would be the final. I know this because I heard these details from a journalist who heard this from Kono's people who were in the room. Unfortunately, the controversial monuments are being erected in America now, this kind of information is being discussed now, finding out the lobbying movement of Korea mainly in the US but other parts of the world as well started in 1994 and Kono Speech has been used to sound as if Japan it self committed this disgraceful crime.

Therefore my suggestion is the media must distinguish this kind of particular case and today's general controversial Sex Salve issue of Japan. If Estelita is a real rape victim, Japan must do the best for her suffering. If the media throw the situation into this messy situation, it is not going to be her advantage. I know the most Japanese will support her if this case is treated as it is separated from others.

*kuuku

removing the names of war criminals or placing them in a different shrine*

A typical idea from out side of Shito. I can see why some people get angry when the politicians go to Yasukuni. It is a very different religion from the most of religions any where. A German prime minister visits to the cemetery of Hitler and Abe goes to Yasukuni has a huge religious difference. When someone goes to the cemetery of Hitler seems that person as if he subscribes to the point of view of Hitler. I feel other religions seem that even after one individual died,his or her policy and individuality is remained at the cemetery, but shinto is not the case. Once they become so called Mitama, they are no more individuality. Just like a clean water drop or the water you use for washing your face goes back to the ocean, every water just becomes water.I am not Shintoist but culturally I know some of it and this is my best description. I am a Buddhist and I believe an individual Karma, I do not go to Yasukuni, but I send my prayer in Buddhist way for everyone who suffered all wars with my relatives who died during the carpet bombing in Tokyo 1945 . But the same time, I am not subscribing to everything,some individual mistakes,either. This is a hard issue because every nation would like to keep their religious freedom. As everyone knows, Koreans, Taiwanese, all civilians and other countries solders are there as well. Soul(Mitama) is free. If I were there after I die in case I were killed by war, I would leave to go back my temple. This is one of very difficult issues to resolve completely because the deep part of the issue is not even mere political but the issue of mind for each individual.