virgo98 comments

@Alex No nation believes Chinese propagnada.

At least China does not have any right to destroy the beautiful coral reef which is not even their confirmed territory, turning it into a military base.

I wonder why any environment activist group is not claiming against it? This is your stage, Greenpeace.

@CH3CHO - Stating truth is not denial or revisionism. Is it so hard to agree to letting the truth be the guide? People should stop being dogmatic and labelling others deniers or revisionists, and should find truth to mend the differences of opinions.

Quite agree.

@toshiko

Use your dictionary. 娼妓 shogi　includes the meaning of (a) licensed prostitute.

toshikoJun. 29, 2015 - 05:09AM JST @vigo: There was no age limit for making girls postitute. Not in Japan either. Until Gen Mac directed to Japanese Govt, poor crop Tohoku farmers sold their daughters to Southern Japanese prostitute house as young as 5 years old. Military was not well with money so Military did not pay. Jist like Korean families shipped to Japan, they did not pay. Lucky men in Japan became laborersl Children Sons did door to door trash collectors. Trash were sold to trash collection area and their mothers were working as trash separaters. Metals and papers. 81 and 83? They were too old Korean war time.

I assume you speak Japnese, or please use any on-line translation. (Althoug it is said the age limit was 17 in Korea instead of 18.)

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A8%BC%E5%A6%93%E5%8F%96%E7%B7%A0%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87

The Korean War lasted for the period of 25 June, 1950 - 27 July, 1953. It means they were around 16 - 19 years old, really roughly speaking. And you say they were too old!?

This case just proves that UN has no ability to research. We can see they do not confirm any clear evidence but just refer to oral testimonies that are full of contraditions.

Recently, three so-called comfort women died, two of them were 81 and 83. Just remember the WWII ended 70 years ago. This is a very ridiculous thing because there was the age limit for the comfort women, and some Korean parents took their daughters under 10 years old to the recruit center, and the recruiter got angry and turned them off. (I'm afraid the girls were sold to some other brokers with worse conditions after all.)

It is more likely that these women were comfort women during the Korean War.

toshikoJun. 26, 2015 - 10:51PM JST I agree with zicchi. Another full apology beside Abe meeting with Ianfu. who were sex slaves

Then, UN itself should give full apology to Korean women who worked as Ianfu during the Korean War, and now suing their government. Because their main customers were US and UN soldiers, and they spent much more harsh days than Ianfu for Japanese soldiers during WWII, and this fact is supported by many evidences including the signature of President Pak Chung-hee, Pak Geun-hye's father, to approve the comfort house. The girls were sometimes sent to the brothels in drums as military supply. Many died due to bad care when the fell sick.

Why do UN and even Koreans ignore them?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitutes_in_South_Korea_for_the_U.S._military

2 Nicholas TeeJun. 26, 2015 - 08:09AM JST WOW .. You mean the the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights actually exists??? I actually thought the United Nations actually went into hiding when any work actually needed to be done. The UNited Nations has become a complete farce and one of the single largest waste's of money in the world. Where are they in the Ukraine/Russia conflict, the genocide Israel is committing in Gaz, the messes in Nigeria and Zimbabwe, the ISIS problem, the worldwide refugee crisis??? The UN has become the single largest dysfunctional organisation in the world. I would be ashamed to have anything to do with them. And as far as "making an emotional plea for victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery" goes, where has the UN been on this for the last 70 years?

I cannot agree with you more.

I'm not a specialist in economics, but as far as I know, this kind of aid money is from Japan's foreign exchange reserves, ie. in dollars. So, Japan cannot use it easily for domestic affairs in yen including the restoration works of earthquake, etc., because it would affect the exchange rate drastically considering the amount. In other words, this is the only way Japan use that money, or maybe for other investiments aborad?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_foreign-exchange_reserves

Someone who is familiar with economics, could you please give us explanation?

hachikouMay. 09, 2015 - 07:29AM JST This seems interesting. Academics vs Academics: I have been looking for a paper submitted to American Historical Association (AHA) by Jason Morgan, a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin. It is the counter claim against 19 historians for the serious distortion of academic freedom. 19 historicans among those in this open letter. I can only find the newspaper article that cited his paper, and not being able to find his paper itself. :(

Mr. Michael Yon refered to the original statement, and you can read it through above NYtoday's post.

http://michaelyonjp.blogspot.jp/2015/05/honest-abe-american-academy-gets-it.html

http://michaelyonjp.blogspot.jp/2015/05/academic-wall-of-shame.html

I totally agree with Mr. Morgan and Mr. Yon. Historians should be based on the facts. And in the statement signed by 187 academics;

"Important evidence also comes from the testimony of victims. Although their stories are diverse and affected by the inconsistencies of memory, the aggregate record they offer is compelling and supported by official documents as well as by the accounts of soldiers and others."

Where are those official documents? I have read so many contradictions in their testimonies. But they have never been clarified so far.

"Historians disagree over the precise number of “comfort women,” which will probably never be known for certain."

Such uncertain number of victims has been written on the plates to criticize Japan like a confirmed number. What would they say about that?

Japan has never denied the existence of comfort women for Japanese milityary. This is the reason why Asian Women's Fund was established to help them, but it was rejected by Korean civic group.

In any case, it is so disgusting that Japan has been criticized by such uncertainties. It is exactly what academics should do; to clarify and corroborate such uncertaintities.

Apparently, their statement this time, as well as the one by 19 academics before, has been exploited by Korean media, omitting many parts that are unconvenient for them, especially the following.

"One of the most divisive historical issues is the so-called “comfort women” system. This issue has become so distorted by nationalist invective in Japan as well as in Korea and China that many scholars, along with journalists and politicians, have lost sight of the fundamental goal of historical inquiry, which should be to understand the human condition and aspire to improve it."

Japan is a country of variety between modern and histrical aspects, cities and rual areas, north and south, and amond prefectures. There are extremely expensive hotels, restaurants, etc., but you can find reasonable or chep ones at the same time safely. Just try supermarkets, convenience stores, discount shops, chain restaurants, etc. that local people use. You can use JR or other transportation passes according to your stay wisely. There are passes only available to foreign visitors too, which is a good buy and I want to use myself but I can't.

I'll teach you one magic word when you are lost, that is "Sumimasen" meaning excuse me. Japanese people are just shy and not confident in their English, not meaning they are unkind. When they hear you say "Sumimasen!", they would think you may be able to speak Japanese. Once you can have someone, then just asking him or her the destination you want to go, maybe with easy English words. I'm sure the person will be kind enough to help you, might be a little bit embarrassed (LOL).

Japan is a boring country? No way! If you think so, I'm afraid you are lack of researches.

CH3CHO, thank you for the links. They are very helpful.

I agree with what Mr. Michael Yon, journalist says;

"The comfort women issue is largely a fabricate sham, and even a scam."

https://twitter.com/michael_yon/status/528796199718256640

He has reached this conclusion through official US documents and other researches.

http://eng.the-liberty.com/2014/5641/

There are already lots of people who have noticed the deceit under the 'ear-pleasing' cover of "Women's rights issue", knowing the facts. This is very encouraging to Japanese people. Japan should just keep telling the world the facts, only the facts that McGraw-Hill is trying to ignore.

StrangerlandDec. 07, 2014 - 09:56AM JST despite not a single evidence to suggest that these women were abducted by the IJA systematically. Who abducted the women, or even whether they were abducted, doesn't change the fact that if they were not allowed to leave, they were sex slaves.

You have replaced the goal posts again.

Life of comfort women for Japanese imperial army.

https://archive.today/1jcC4

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/13/national/koreans-war-brothel-diaries-offer-new-details/#.VIO9jrkcQ5t

http://texas-daddy.com/comfortwomen.html

Real sex slaves were the Korean women worked for US or UN soldiers during and after the Korean War, for which Korean and US governments, and even UN, ares responsible and blamed. I really feel sympathy for them because of the way their government and people treated and still treating them. Koreans just want to harass Japan, but they are not caring about the rights of women at all, and continue replacing the goal posts just like you are doing now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/world/asia/08korea.html?_r=1&

Sorry, I made a mistake. It was weorqereui, not toshiko. Sorry for both.

@ Christopher Glen.

Convincing evidence for that figure please. Over 50% of the comfort women were Japanese. Only this fact telles that the figure you stated is ridiculous. Besides, it is totally inconsistent with what Koreans have claimed so far. Paradox after paradox.

Yomiuri Shimbun just admitted they had used inappropriate words, just like the interpreter who put extra wording to the speech of Abe about WWI, which provoked misunderstanding internationally. That's all. Yomiuri did a right thing.

New York Times, Dec. 2, 2014.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/world/asia/japanese-right-attacks-newspaper-on-the-left-emboldening-war-revisionists.html

There is little evidence that the Japanese military abducted or was directly involved in entrapping women in Korea, which had been a Japanese colony for decades when the war began, although the women and activists who support them say the women were often deceived and forced to work against their will.

At last, NYT adimitted there is little evidence. The writer of this article should prove the credibility of the testimonies of the so-called Korean comfort women, before blaming Japan as rewriting the history (it is exactly what they are doing), or ignoring the Korean comfort women for US (and UN) soldiers during and after the Korean War, which has clear evidences and witnesses. They should do so, if they want to be called jurnalists. Otherwise, NYT should take the same course as Asahi Shimbun did.

As Toshiko says, US media is acting very unfairly.

tinawatanabeSep. 20, 2014 - 04:34PM JST What is Japan's Foreign Minisry doing? Why do they do nothing against SKorea's ever increasing Japan-bashing? Why do Japan's young athletes have to suffer from SK in each international sports event like this? What a incredibly incompetent and lazy people Foreign Ministry is!

Tina, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan is doing much better than before, as far as I see their web site. I hope them to add a section to explain the meaning and the actual history of Japanese rising sun flag. There is nothing we have to be ashamed of this design.

http://www.mofa.go.jp/

It used to be so scarce and powerless in arguing back to anti-Japan propaganda. I suppose this improvement is because Japanese people are determined to fight back. ROK has passed the line they should not have passed. Particularly, they have ignitted the anger of Japanese women; our lethal weapon in a meaning.

Some Koreans have noticed this, but it may be too late.

http://www.chogabje.com/board/column/view.asp?C_IDX=57172&C_CC=BC

http://oboega-01.blog.jp/archives/1009366359.html

Just absurd.

This badge design has been used for long, and never be brought to such an issue. And as Ossan says, it is ridiculous to always connect the sun representing design to Japanese imperialism.

Why aren't they claiming anything about the symbols of Unification Church. (It's so funny they have changed their symbol in the English Wiki.)

http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%84%B8%EA%B3%84%ED%8F%89%ED%99%94%ED%86%B5%EC%9D%BC%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%95%EC%97%B0%ED%95%A9

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

or the symbol of Asahi Shimbun ?

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

It's nothing but opportunitism.

Actually, Koreans started claiming "histerically" about the rising sun flag from just 2-3 years ago.

Further, this is not the action the host coutry of sports event should take for the guest countries who have came for the friendship. The attitude of the school teachers is the worst.

Korean attitude to try to use even Pope for their politics or propaganda has just disgusted Japanese people. It is too apparent. They will not be able to get any reaction they are expecting from Japan, but indifference.

It is good for them though that there has been a certain economic effect of this visit.

jerseyboyAug. 14, 2014 - 08:25AM JST "Members of a uniformed military crashing their planes by acting as the guidance system, into the military vessels of the enemy's navy in a time of war, is not comparable to terrorists hijacking a plane full of civilians and crashing it into an office building or blowing up large gatherings of civilians." Ossan -- nonsense. Both are acts of terrorism by desperate forces driven by a fanatical belief in a faith-based >ideology. Whether the combatants are in uniform or not makes no difference. Nonsense. You obviously don't know the definition of terrorism. Or know anyone who serves or has served. Please stop trying to glorify something -- "by acting as the guidance system" -- that even the pilots themselves say >should not be. Nobody is "glorifying" anything, Please stop making stupid accusations. zichiAug. 14, 2014 - 08:22AM JST The sad aspect is the lack of value the imperialist fascist command put on the lives of these young men, which was >also zero? They were expendable. Agree 100%.

I totally agree with you, OssanAmerica.

Japanese people are just feeling very sorry for the young lives that were lost before enjoying their truely happy days, because of the imperialism or militarism overwhlming at that time. We are not glorifying them, but who could disgrace them who tried to defend their home country with their lives in the midst of war?

Feeling sympathy for them never means a resurgence of militarism. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Could China handle such articraft properly, in the first place?

So many national treasures in ROK have been found damaged recently without proper care.

I'm afraid the same thing would happen in China, even if they are returned.

Japan's Consistent Position on the Territorial Sovereignty over Takeshima

http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/takeshima/index.html

Simple one: Historical Verification of Takeshima/Dokdo by a high school student

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlZB4QGSh8g

@smithinjapan

We all know the reason is because they don't feel they need to, which is the same with SK on Dokdo. Period. Stop dancing around it and admit the hypocrisy.

Don't refer it as "we all know".

At least I know you have been argued down many times by others including OssanAmerica in this "plaintiff - defendant" argument about Takeshima and Senkaku in the past.

Still you raise it in the same way again and again. You may be the person who admit the hypocrisy.

By the way, JT, as someone mentioned above, it is "Sea of Japan", not "East Sea (Sea of Japan)", the most concession we can give though is "Sea of Japan (East Sea)." Please just follow the global standards. What source are you based on?

A ex-Japanese imperial military officer once talked in a magazine.

His troop surrendered to US forces in an Asian country. American soldiers came to him, and the first question they asked him was where the comfort women were. He replied, then all the soldiers rushed to the place he said. Of course it was not to rescue the women.

I hate to say, but this is the reality.

Someone said above that the women were abondoned. But Japanese forces were defeated and surrendered. US forces should have been responsible for the safety of the comfort women after that. Japanese forces no longer had power to protect them.

And yet, the comfort women have never received compensation from the government of Japan.

I remember an old record player repeating a tune for ever.

Alex80

Thank you from me too. Japanese people are now determined to fight back to the unfairness imposed to Japan. It is hilarious that some people take it as Japanese turning to the right-wing direction. No way. We are just going to the balanced position, to a normal country.

But one thing is clear. Japan will not go violent like China, or will not do as ROK do such as the the following:

http://www.who-sucks.com/people/the-exciting-world-of-south-korean-protests

Because it was institutionalized rape of child sex-slaves.

Where is the evidence for such?

When a lie is told, another lie is always required to cover it up. Taking children to the war zone is totally unlikely strategically, because they act as a heavy drag.

I support Mr. Suga. He is one of the best Chief Cabinet Secretaries we had ever. He is keeping a cool head in comments against this kind of unfair approaches including those from China or Korea.

yabitsJul. 10, 2014 - 12:05AM JST You do not know what they did to Japanese after Japan's defeat. Do Japanese get to hate and mistreat Korean people for decades and expect nothing in response? What kind of crazy thinking is that?

Are you saying;

Koreans hate Japanese with reason = Understandable, but, Japanese hate Koreans with reason = Racism ?

Does it mean Japanese have no right to hate others even when treated unfairly?

Japanese people are fed up with Korean lies trying to mislead the world as if the Korea under Japanese rule was something like a hell, sometimes using the word "atrocities". I'm not goint to say it was a perfetly fair society, but it was not so even in the mainland Japan at that time. But just tell me, in such a hellish society, why the number of schools for commoners increased from around 40 to over 1,000 in 1940 and the literacy rate drastically rose, from 10% in 1910 to 65% in 1936? Why was the higiene state improved so much and the life expectancy in Korea lengthened and the pupulation almost doubled? Why was the number of life birth not decreased even at the end of WWII, where 200,000 (!) Korean women were said to be abducted by a demonish Japanese Empire?

Fortunatelly, through fair studies written in English, their lies have revealed one after another recently.

Another side to Japanese-Korean history:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2006/01/30/commentary/another-side-to-japanese-korean-history/#.U76IuLmKA5s

New Korea by Alleyne Ireland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkmH9COCX64

"The Japanese Colonial Legacy in Korea, 1910-1945: A New Perspective" by Prof. George Akita and Prof. Brandon Palmer will be also published in October 2014.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Abooks%2Cp_27%3AGeorge%20Akita

Back to the topic, I am not supporting Zaitokukai's activities. The way they took to protest the Korean school for its use of the public park was totally wrong.

Korean/Chosun schools were estbleshed in order to give their children ethnic education. They are not the standard schools under Japanese educational system. Foreign schools should be supported by their home countries in principle. But Korean/Chosun schools have taken advantage of their position in Japan. Japanese local governments or even Japanese government let them use the priviliges for long, as they wanted to avoid to be called racists, trying not to reopen old wounds.

And now, they are demanding subsidies from Japanese government, same as the standard Japanese schools.

Where is their ethnic pride gone? Why do they want money from the country they hate? Especially for the education for their children? If they want to receive the same treatment, they could send the children to Japanese schools because they can do so. No prohibiting at all. Or, do they use the victim card again?

ProudJapaneseJul. 10, 2014 - 12:15PM JST Virgo98 you give same reason to hate Korea as some Korean and Chinese give to hate Japan. Can't you see?

You are perfetly right. Then why has Japan only been singled out to be blamed?

@Kaal Singh

This should be called "hate speech" against Japan in the first place.

http://www.japancrush.com/2013/pictures/effigies-of-abe-burned-during-anti-japan-demos-in-korea.html

Not threatening children?

There are so many violences caused by the students of Korean schools against Japanese students. So many Koreans are in Yakuza members.

You do not know what they did to Japanese after Japan's defeat. Although they had been at the side of Imperial Japan, they acted like as if they were the member of United Nations from the first, called themselves "Korean GHQ" and rampaged through cities as if they owned the place,

S. Korea forced Japan to free Korean criminals in prisons (including felons) in exchange of the detained about 4,000 Japanese fishermen who were taken when they captured Takeshima illegally, with 44 casualties. PM Yoshida at that time wanted to return them back to Korea, but S. Korean government refused it. Later, the fishermen came back to Japan were debilitated severely.

There are still so many Japanese who remember these incidents. Do you really think there is no reason Japanese have become wary of them?

The China-South Korean summit came after Beijing began publishing what it said were the “confessions” of 45 convicted Japanese war criminals.

Association of Returnees from China

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

@yabits

Yes, I believe the women's stories. I do not believe what you are saying about the "Korean government," and I would not believe the "Korean government" over the women.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3rieiEoXbg

So, every time a Japanese mentions the Kono statement in support of a position, we should not trust them.

After forced Japan to compromise with the promise to make Kono Statement the final solution, it was S. Korea who betrayed Japan. The Statement would not be retracted as you wish. Japan did review the history as told to face it. If you are against the results of the review, explain it with convincing evidences. Which part of the review is against the fact?