souka comments

In one way or another, any person can fall into any of the five categories, or how many more out there...we have different ways of coping with a new environment. we are not fixed but dynamic beings.

we are all human beings, whatever the differences, we are all yearning for a better life, whether you are japanese or not. the article seems like it is categorizing people like they are different and so have to be treated as such...reinforcing the idea that 'others' are something like a mess, not a good ingredients for a diverse environment.

That "unfortunate history" is also another way to show superiority, looking down with contepmt on your neighbours. It only shows how half literate these so-called leaders are. A country that somehow show deep remorse during the 70 anniversary is also now calling that very history an "unfortunate", more like an accident. Not sure whether they even graduate from a high school.

yep, wind power also can be constructed anywhere, even on large farmlands among crops and animals..with no noise and no use of chemicals like nuclear does, it just like solar, they can be tried anywhere on this island, and they can create clean jobs, not like dirty ones that put the lives of employees and hosting communities on peril with any unforeseeable disaster.

The propaganda is intended to strengthen one-party rule, enlist solidarity against a common external boogeyman and distract the public from thorny domestic issues

that is one core of the issue. japan also seems unwilling to fully acknowledge what it was back then, nanking massacre, etc., let alone so-called comfort women.

if japan can be more willing to acknowledge such unanimously, i think that can ripple out to have positive impacts on chinese opinion -- who knows they might also have a more favorable opinion of democracy, and could ensure more domestic opposition toward communist rubbish propaganda.

but those seems far from reach with current political trends.

hope the event is not for the kids.

Seems like Asia is inhabited by countries acting like children. China is just distracting attention from the current explosion in Tianjin, with another toxic pollution across the neighborhood.

???? Your post makes absolutely no sense. How does this prevent U.S. from spying on Japan? Or are you simply admitting to the fact that U.S. will continue to spy on Japan?

lols. don't make me repeat my earlier comment again!! your view seems narrow. revelations from wikileaks does not mean that US is the only country spying on Japan or to any other country for that matter. or that japan is not collecting any information that also serve that role...

What type of 'action'(s) can we expect from U.S. after this apology?

well, there might be a possibility of the US and Japan working closer on intelligence gathering. espionage will continue, so long as the computer and internet is well and alive. it can be governmental or non-governmental.

@nigel, ok, so u'r playing the devil's advocate while trying to change the narrative that is the crux of the issue in asia. i guess i'm talking with a kid -- i should keep that in mind from now on.

Get a clue. I'm playing a devil's advocate for this 'sincerity' card is BS.

well, maybe 'sincerity' card can act as a switch for the other card (victim). they are both interchangeable.

Not really similar since this is a recent event where people in charge are still 'in charge'. While WWII, pretty much those who are responsible no longer exist. Now, can I play the 'sincerity' card in regards to your comments. LOL

yes, it is not really similar. and those responsible are no longer exist. and yes, you have to be sincere to yourselve regarding the many other things that you use to conviniently omit. at least this one is not denied but acknowledged and is open for discussion, it is not being censured or classified as somehow sensitive.

On top of that, apology should be 'official' where it should be passed by both houses of legislature with a final signature from the POTUS. They should also make a law that makes such actions illegal. This should be placed on every U.S. textbook (don't whitewash). And any official and/or lawmakers who defies these actions would simply be translated to insincerity where it cancels everything out.

do u really think that wwii is similar with what is going on right now? so what, you are now the true victim!! lol

to carry out disinfestation work in the area later Monday.

there are natural ways to control infestation of pests. the use of artificial insecticides or pesticide can only hurt the environment (and also humans) and the chemicals can stay in the environment for long period of time. better to choose natural controls over man-made ones.

make no mistake, she just also need some attention. it is the 70th anniversary, so why only for the PM or the emperor.. at least she, as a first lady, also do her part.

man, thanks for the clarification. that make sense, i thought it will be another shrine with a priest.

thats cool, however costly, it will also make it equal with all other peace memorial parks like Hiroshima or Nagasaki. but, hope abe is listening. maybe japanese really need to bombard him with letters or calls, or just protest in front of his official residence.

ok, i think a shrine looks more like a church for christians, or a synagogue for jews. but if there is a secular one, i don't know alot about shinto.

@Yubaru, i think even if they build another shrine, isn't that still for praying? like Yasukuni shrine. perhaps a cemetery (like chidorigafuji) can look more like a secular one. imo

the costume is too much. the video musics are a little scary. does she base her music and videos on anime? there seems to be a big change needed if world domination is the prime goal. ambitious but i don't know if she can reach that given her current streams on youtube.

tina, it is convinient for you to see the good things, but inconvinient to see the opposite. do you think teaching the correct version of history is not the right thing to do?

i agree with Yubaru. the problem is at home, not abroad. give the right education here at home, not a distorted one.

the originality should override the network thing (as in the link by Supey11) because that shows how mature you are. while the network is important with friends and relatives, that doesn't mean that you can then just do whatever you want taking others' works as yours, it's plain childish. especially in event like the world cup.

it looks like networks in japan are more important than the value of the work being assessed. perhaps not only in this one but in other areas as well.

Japanese should not be required to keep appologising since they did so in 1995.

i sort of agree as well, given that most japanses don't really give a damn thing about the tragedies caused by IJA. Abe's message, and his actions to yasukuni plus historical denials are welcomed well domestically.

an apology is one thing, a cycle of denial tells the opposite. while the nukes of H&N quite venerated inside and outside, others like so-called comfort women will never gain that same rightful commemoration -- since the perpetrators themselves are the ones who crush those voices down.

remorse means deep regret or guilt. Does it mean apology? no. it is a first step to an apology, but there is no second step taken. well, at least they feel guilty for the consequences of the war.

the murayama statement mentioned both "remorse" and "heartfelt apology". the emperor omit one of those. so, i find it just as similar with the PM's message, nothing very different or meaningful there.

his wordings are not that controversial. but, perhaps he could have listed what actions to back up those words. for example, what laws, are they going to teach the true nature of the war, etc.

because he didn't list any back up, the statement is only open for interpretation, kind of weak one. for sure, he didn't offer any back up because that will go against his right wing political mandate, as his speech was also approved by the cabinet. japan has already gone through much (of the denial saga), it is time to back up those words with concrete actions.

while the war is now history, not being well-settled can also mean that you are still in the war. but now, maybe you are in the war of words, and the war of words can be just as powerful as the exchange of gunfires and bombs - it makes you feel uncomfortable all year around trying to find reasons, excuses, exemptions, running around the bush, pretending of not knowing what you were doing back then, disguising yourself as someone who is all good and glorious, with no blemishes. maybe that is what abe and his LDP redundant policies want to leave as a form of legacy.

while am a bit optimistic about the speech in that perhaps Abe will show remorse, looking only to his last speech to congress only change that positive to negative.

interesting article. i will just add that maybe japan need to open channels for voices of its victims to prop-up and be heard, but not to muster its might and crushing them to the most saddened state, as had been the case so far, with the so-called comfort-women issue and others.

the superior-complex mindset of (most) Japanese is very real as that also seems to be ingrained in the education system, from primary up to university level. they never learn the bad things of their ancestors or allowed to dig deeper into that history, they are only on the surface, the good-things about it. and the result of the education system gave the kind of leadership and the social mindset that is quite unbalanced and contrary to historical facts.

maybe japan need to listen more to other voices and causes for the war, not to judge them on the spot. there is a saying that 'when you judge people, you have no time to love them.' and money that was paid is not going to help you in your cause, money is also another form of judging people, that somehow they are poor, and you are superior. words and actions matters.

My personal belief is that the testimonies given in front of the American Congress soon after the end of the war are much more truthful than those of recent years (there are documented cases of discrepancies)

i think the issue is not the discrepancy of stories, but maybe the social behavior and mindset, especially the willingness to accept the story being told. there are many parts of the story for the war.

since the war had already gone, it will be much better to accept each others' story, than to deny them. denying will only lead to another round of aggravated finger-pointing that will only lead to nowhere.

maybe the issue with japan is in not wanting to share the stories of others..true, the current generation is not responsible for the war, as it already 70 years back. perhaps the only thing left now is sharing each others' story. Hiroshima and Nakasaki is part of it as well. The world share both stories. Japan also need to share others' as well, no matter how inconvinient it can be.

The war already gone, it already history. Japan also need to settle and perhaps to laugh at its own history. You cannot be settled until you admit it happened -- sometimes maybe you also need to be just a 'yes' person. if your neighbours say yes and bow to hiroshima and nagasaki, why not just say yes to theirs? it is not that hard. if your friend or neighbor do you a favor, they might also expect a good favor in return. you don't need to be alone to grieve or celebrate, you need more friends, not enemies.