Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

The movie described how the decision of murdering 6 million Jews in Europe was made in less than 2-hour conference at Wannsee in Germany 1942. 

One of the participants was Eichmann, a Nazis high ranking officer who later was captured by the Israeli police and convicted to capital punishment in Israel. 

What they cared was not ethics, they cared nothing but the efficiency, honour of the nation, compliance with the laws, diplomatic strategy and veterans' affairs. 

There was a phrase "Pearl Harbour" in the conference since Japan was allied with Germany at that time though Hitler claimed Japanese were the second-class people. 

They were ruthless and their thoughts were systematic. 

Unbelievable to know in Weimar Republic era (1918-1933), before Nazis took over the governance of Germany, there was some Jewish cabinet member. 

The world can suddenly turn into the hell. We are now witnessing such thing in Ukraine. 

Where are we heading? Where do we stand now? 

I just found a TV drama series “Deutchland 1983” on internet. That was a story in the Cold War Era in Germany, when the nation was divided into two separate states, East Germany, called DDR and West Germany. The protagonist was a young man assigned to spy West Germany military activity disguising a subordinate to the general. In order to get classified information he had to use every element of his life including sex. That was quite thrilling. The story also featured 1980’s culture and social matters such as Walkman, AIDS and Ronald Reagan and described how severe life in East Germany was.

It is scary that there was a spy who shared the same language, culture and ancestry but ideology and tried to knock you down inside your own country. It is just like current North and South Korea.

Germany has thrilling history such as Nazis and the division of the nation. It has more interesting topics than any other nations. My interest in foreign nation is shifted from USA to Germany recently. America isn’t a very attractive nation any more since Trump is elected as President. Just recently Trump said to his rivaling congresswomen to go back home although they are naturalized citizens. US President cannot tolerant different opinions of theirs. He does not represent a nation that respects freedom. US is becoming like Nazi-Germany and degrading their national image while German chanceller Merkel said she sided with the congresswomen.

I am learning so much about its language, culture, politics, society, history and etc. I think I have to study more. I will watch more German dramas and movies and am excited to do that.

Ich interessiere mich fur Deutchland. 

I bought a DVD of it last year. But I had seen the film many times before I bought that. 

The story of an Austrian woman who became a governess for seven children in von-Trappe family and was married to father of the children, Georg von-Trappe and the family became a singing group in 1938. But in the end, they decided to escape from Nazi-Occupied Austria. 

The story is based on the true family history. 

Songs in the film are all great and became famous. It seemed that is all about music. But the film described what happened in Austria during that time. Annexation of Austria by Nazi-Germany. Annexation was done peacefully and there were many local sympathisers like Rolfe, a boyfriend to the oldest daughter. 

Because recent movement in the world is becoming similar to that period, I watch this film from different angle. 

Why did people favor such authoritarian regime? What kind of atmosphere was that? 

Actually, people were less cautious than they should have been. 

That is what you can learn from the film. Good history lesson. 

Have you heard of the term "Dark Tourism"? 

This is the tour to spots in which historically or even recently terrible incidents happened. It is not a travel to have fun. Rather it is for travelers to study the past and present for the better future.

I recently found I have done that many times for many years. Actually I've written about some of such trips on this blog. 

But here I present photos and name of sites, year I visited. 

Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, the site the Japanese military attacked on US Naval Force on 7 of December 1941

Nanjing China September 2004, the site of Rape of Nanjing in 1937, where the Japanese Imperial Army mass-murdered hundreds of thousands of Chinese including civilians. 

Auschwitz, Poland 2008, Holocaust Death Camp established by Nazi-Germany during the second world war

Hacksaw Ridge, in Okinawa, July 2017, A steep cliff, a big battle site between Japan and US during the second world war, where US forces climbed up to the Japanese Imperial Army Base  

This incident was adapted to the 2016 film "Hacksaw Ridge." I joined a guide tour of viewing the site where the battle took place.

The below photos are taken at The Former Navy Underground Headquarters, which I took in September 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trace of suicidal bombing by a cheif commander inside the headquarter in the end of the battle.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year's March, 

Execution site of 26 Christians in Nagasaki, late 16th century, 

Half blown Torii Gate by the Atomic Bomb dropped on 9 of August 1945

A-Bombing dome in Hiroshima, near Ground Zero of the atomic bomb dropped on 6 of August, 1945

There I met a survivor of the bomb and a German tourist and had local specialty food Okonomiyaki together at a restaurant nearby. I would like to write a mock-documentary script based on that experience. 

As for the recent matter, gate of Evacuation zone of Crippled Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants that was destroyed by the earthquake and Tsunami in March 2011. I visited there last year's March. Radiation Measure indicated twice higher level than normal. It is like another tour to Chernobyl. 

Some claim, visiting those places should not be regarded as Tourism. But I believe this is something we all have to do. Because we are living in a world such things can happen again anytime. 

Later I want to show another type of Tourism, which I call "Hot Tourism." Another Study Tour but what you see is currently happening and can join the incidents if you like.