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15 April 2005

Why Chinese are angry with Japanese!

I've heard from one Japanese student living in Shanghai that those who participated in the demonstration march were small portion of Chinese. China has a big population. Even 20,000 demonstrators is not big scale.

It is said Chinese government is using anti-Japan sentiment to distract people's attention from failures of the government's economic policy that created wider gap between the rich and the poor.

But yes there are problems on our side which provoked such riots.

One is Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine that enshrined A-class war criminals of WWII. A-class war criminals were political leaders of that time including PM Tojo who ordered to attack Pearl Harbor. They are the invaders for Chinese but heroes or victims for Japanese right wingers. Koizumi and ruling party is backed up by such right wingers. The right wingers claim Tokyo tribunal that convicted A-class war criminals was unfair because the judges there were all from victors' countries. Also they claim Japan's war in China and against US was just war.

The other reason is related to the right wingers' interpretation of the history between China and Japan. They believe Japan is always right. They believe we should deny any unfavourble facts in our history such as atrocities in Nanjing, 1937. They've been campaigning to delete such facts from textbooks with politicians.

As a result, this year's newly published textbooks reduced such facts telling from previous edition.

This is outrageous. The right wingers believe it is good for our country. No. They are wrong. They are just embrassing our country.

As for A-class war criminals, I agree with their claim of unfairness of the court at that time, but we have to be aware of their responsibilities of the wrong corrupt war.

The below picture is taken in Nanjing (Nanking) last September. I was at the grave of victims of Nanking Masscre. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people were brutally murdered by Japanese army.

I do not support the riots but I understand the anger of Chinese people.



08 March 2005

I like Mr. Colin Powell.



Mr. Colin Powell is one of my favorite politicians.

Although he was born in poor immigrant family, he worked hard and made brilliant accomplishments in his career, he became the first Black Secretary of State in US history. This is what the 60’s movie “Guess, who’s coming to dinner?” predicted.

Although, he was Republican, he was pro-choice of abortion issue, against forcible praying at public schools, against CA proposition 209 that bans affirmative action.

He was not only a great politician, but a cool war strategist, that is why he successfully led the Gulf war. That is why he was against the Iraq war.

The most memorable thing to me was the comment he made to 3 Japanese hostages captive in Iraq, April last year. They were kidnapped near Fallujah and the insurgents’ demand was pullout of Japanese forces dispatched in Iraq. One of them was human aid worker. The other 2 were journalists. The human-aid worker was helping street children in Baghdad. She was on her way to meet the children.

8 days later, they were released, but at the time they were released, they became the scapegoat of hysterica of Japanese politicians and society. The hostages’ travel to Iraq was very much criticized because the government released the warning of not to go there. Their respectable activities as human-aid worker and journalists were ignored.

The Prime Minister of Japan was so angry with the human aid worker’s comment that she wanted to continue her activity in Iraq although she had a hard time being kidnapped. He said “How dare she could say that, many people worked hard not sleeping and eating to rescue her.” The PM just gave up his duty as leader of Japanese government. Some politicians even ask them to pay the expense to rescue them.

Mr. Powell’s comment was totally opposite.
“I am pleased that Japanese citizens were willing to take risk to do better thing. Japanese people should be very proud that they have citizens who are willing to do this. Very proud of soldiers in Iraq. If nobody takes the risk you can’t move the world forward. You take the risk, you are captured, it is your fault. No. We still have obligation to do everything we can to recover them safely. They are the citizens and our neighbors.”

He knows the duty as politician unlike our PM.

He is in fact the great human asset of dynamic American society, isn't he.

I want to receive his message as given to me "If nobody takes the risk, you can't move the world forward."

05 March 2005

Since 911, America is changed!


The above picture was taken on the top of WTC, July 1993.

I remember it was after car bomb in the parking floor of the building. So the guide described why the security got so tighten. But I never expected 911 tragedy would happen at the place I was in. I really want to express my condolence for the victims of 911. I might have been there, too.

However, I cannot understand why America went so mad since that day.

I understand it is so difficult for you to face the reality of the world and review why such tragedy happened, why your country became a target for the terrorists.

I, as one Japanese citizen do not think bombing afghanistan, and Iraq would help diminish the terrorism. Even if you capture Binladen, number of the terrorists wouldn't decrease.

Isn't America the country that respects diversity of the culture?

Isn't America so sophisticated society that can see thing objectively, rather than emotionally or subjectively?

That is why some of the Americans can feel sorry for the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and criticize what your country has done to our country although you are the winner of the war and we are the former enemy.

I am hoping America would be as it should be. I want to believe FOX news channel doesn't represent the voice of America.