smoothd comments

In my view, the decrease in Japanese tourism has a lot less to do with the conflict between the two countries over the islands. If this was the case, Japanese tourism would have dropped the most when Korean President Lee Myung Bak actually went to the islands last year. If you look at Japanese tourism numbers to Korea at that time, there was a slight temporary downward blip as a result of his trip.

What has really caused Japanese tourism to drop in Korea starting in March is the value of the Yen. It was around 80 and since March, it has decreased to 100. It has become 25% more expensive for Japanese to travel to Korea. I am willing to bet that Japanese tourism fell not just to Korea, but in general as a whole. The Japanese are frugal when it comes to spending and a 25% increase in travelling costs represents a high cost increase for them.

Huge decrease in tourism from Japan and the rest of the world to Korea? Well let's take a step back and look at the greater tourism numbers. South Korea which has about 50 million people recorded over 10 million visitors last year. Japan which has about 130 people, recorded just over 6 million.

Don't think there is too much of a dispute as to which country the international community favors to visit. The numbers don't lie. South Korea doesn't have too much to worry.

Why meet unless Japan changes its stance on the sex slaves and the territories? Meeting for the sake of meeting is useless in my mind.

dcog9065 - your comment is absurd and completely sexist. How are comfort women necessary in war? What is necessary are things that will keep you alive so that you can continue to fight...things like food, water, and weapons. Those are necessary items. If comfort women were necessary in war, how come the Germans didn't use French women as comfort women? Why not? Cause they are not necessary.

Women should not be swept for forced sex with soldiers so that the soldiers' sexual requirements be met. Sex is a pleasure not a necessity, especially if that is against the will of the female.

T_rexmaxytime - Hashimoto is admitting the use of comfort women. Are you saying that he is wrong too?

He is trying to justify the use of the organized and forced recruitment of comfort women (which he acknowledges) by saying that women get raped in war. Two completely different things. What don't you understand here.

DJbooth - great point.

I am just completely amazed by the lack of respect and awareness the politicians have. After Hashimoto comes out and makes those ludicrous statements about how comfort women were justified, he then stands by the statement. Then the women from Japan protest and the Hashimoto offers to meet the comfort women. Then the US rebukes Hashimoto and says how his view is absurd and that Japan has to stop deny the realities of the past. The Hashimoto attacks the US and goes back to his hard line stance.

At a time when Japanese politicians are being rebuked from countries all over the world, how can the president of Japan come out make these statements? Japanese politicians and their political system are just absurd. How can all these politicians still have their positions? Nishimura was a goat in all of this.

I am not focusing on this picture alone. This picture is only one part of a greater and broader movement. The Japanese are trying to deny the past and move towards provoking their neighbors. Everyone in China and Korea knows about UNIT 731. You may not. Abe surely knows. Second, they are are trying justify comfort women from Korea and other countries as a stress relief during combat. Apart from the Abe picture, how can any human being justify forced prostitution?

I dare someone to challenge me on that one. How does Hashimonto and Abe's staff stay in his position, when he said just that? If you can agree with them, please challenge me....

Japan is ridiculously absurd.

All you guys who gave me a thumbs down, please take a look at this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731

You think I am making this stuff up?

Japan is absurd!

You guys who defend Abe and Japan are ridiculous. The picture with Abe in that Jet is just one act of provocation. Hashimoto justifying the use of comfort women, Abe questioning the definition of aggression, Abe's desire to redefine the past history of what Japan did to Korea and China? Are you kidding me? I feel like I am debating with a bunch of uneducated, ignorant people?

Now, lets forget about the Abe picture. How many people can defend Hashimoto's statement that the comfort women were needed in WW2. You probably all disagree. But in Japan, this guy gets praise and honored. Imagine if in the US, Joe Biden said slavery was justified because it promoted US economic growth. Exactly, my point.

Japan is absurd! Foreigners who live in Japan need to realign yourself with reality.

Its incredible how many uneducated comments are made here. People, UNIT 731 is known to be one of the most horrific places during WW2. The japanese dismembered russians appendages and tried to sew them on korean and chinese peoples bodies to see if the korean or chinese person could grow that white arm. This is just one example.

Westerners may not be familiar to this unit, but Koreans and Chinese all are familiar with it. It was an atocious, horrfic place. Now you still think its coincidence? I think its disgusting and inhumane.

And again, how does the president of a country get away with this? Mind boggling!

Japan is absurd! How can the highest ranking politicians in Japan be excused for these actions? Mind boggling!

Koreans are not looking for reasons to become upset with Japan. Look at whats going on here. They are reacting to statements and actions that reflect Japan's attitude towards the past. Hashimoto justifying comfort women. Who were used in the comfort women? Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos. Abe's sitting in the jet that reflect the torture the Japanese inflicted on the Koreans and Chinese.

I can't understand the ignorance of the people who don't see how the Japanese leadership is making the provocations here and the Koreans are reacting!

I just couldn't hold back. You guys defending Abe are just nuts. Let me give you an example that will help clarify what Hashimoto's and Abe's actions would equate to in the USA.

First on Hashimoto's statement on how the comfort women were justifiably needed because it helped relieve the stress of the soldiers. Imagine of Joe Biden (Vice President of the USA) announced that in retrospect slavery was justified in the past because it promoted the economic prosperity in the USA. How do you think the public would react? He would not only immediately lose his job, but he would probably get murdered for the anger that he caused.

Second Abe's sitting in the place. Imagine if Joe Biden sat on a cotton field next to a tree holding a noose?

Its just crazy how the highest ranking officials in Japan can get away with this. I can't believe the feminist groups in Japan haven't renounced Hashimoto's statement for not only is at direct attack on Korea, China etc, but it also attacks females in general. Japan is getting heat from all the USA journals as the USA can no longer stand back to how Japan is trying to rewrite history.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324743704578444273613265696.html

This is a great article written by a Japanese living abroad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21226068