Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

The main purpose was to meet people in Okinawa who confronts most unwanted unwelcome environmentally destructive and dangerous facilities in Okinawa. I joined them. If you want to know the detail, please read this article.

The below is the video clip I made for the summary of my Anti-US base tour.

However, I really enjoyed sightseeing and leisure in Okinawa, too. Swimming in emerald green sea, attending a concert on the beach, eating delicous food, forest trecking and seeing magnificient views of the island. This is the most beautiful island in the world only if the US fucking bases are gotten rid of. See the below video clip. That's fun part of Okinawa trip.

Since the Cold War is over, their presence is useless. Potential threat, China? No. China is world's largest owner of U.S. treasury bonds. They can't confront China because they owe Chinese a lot. All they do in Okinawa or other base towns in Japan is spread pollution disease, killing endangered mammals, commiting crimes such as rape and murder.

What are they doing? Go back where they belong, where they are welcome. Not in Okinawa, Not elsewhere in Japan. 

This week, US Navy's nuclear aircraft carrier, NIMITZ (CVN-68) was anchored in Yokosuka base. The purpose of the visit was to get supply from the base. Since last year USS George Washington (CVN-73) has been home ported there. The ship will come back on 1st of September. Both ships are in fact unwelcome by local citizens. So just as usual they marched on the street including near the U.S. Navy Base. The photo was taken near the base on 23 of August.

Not just nuclear aircraft carriers, the U.S. military brings criminals to threaten our peaceful society. Recently, the secret agreement was disclosed that Japanese D.A. would avoid indicte the crimes commited by U.S. military personnels even though the case happens not in the troop's work hour. In fact, cases of non-indictement has been higher than those commited by Japanese nationals. 

 

Soon new goverment will be set up. The new ruling party DPJ stated they would propose the amendment of US-Japan Status of Force Agreement and other related matters. They are planning to reduce the US military presence in Japan. It is what Japanese people has been demanding for a long time. The old ruling party were not so smart as to handle such normal demands.  

 

We don't like America any more. The sales of Hollywood film is declining recently. U.S. beef is known to be most toxic food, so no decent restaurant wants to serve it. The U.S. caused the world depression thanks to Lehman or other financial institutions. We know a lot of Americans are suffering corrupt system. The new ruling party says they will shift focus of diplomacy from the U.S. to neighboring Asian nations. That is good. The U.S. is no longer our role model, not so important like in the old days. Not a good friend any more. Even we get huge profit by trading with the U.S. what we get is depreciating U.S. dollar bills. The new prime minister is considering new common currency among Asian nations.  

 

On the day of demonstration, I visited exhibited old imperial navy's flag ship, Mikasa.

I saluted at the statue of Admiral Togo Heihachiro who led the ship along with the fleet that knocked down Russian fleet on the Sea of Japan in 1905, that resulted in a victory over Russia so that Japan could block Russian invasion in Manchuria and Korean penninsular. Last year when I first visited the ship, I met the ghosts of sailors and the admiral of the ship, I remember they said they wanted to remove foreign base occupying their place where they used to belong.

 

Yes, Yokosuka was in fact the old imperial navy's base. Now only half part of the base is used by Japanese self-defense navy.

It is time we get back our land.

 

I heard the news this week Nimitz crews painted the memorial ship as volunteer and the ship exhibition and preservation association held the reception to commemorate late Admiral Nimitz who helped recover the ship in 1960's after no one took care of the ship since Japan's defeat of the war. CVN-68 was named after Admiral Nimitz who admired the Admiral Togo.

 

Well, we have to appreciate him as for this matter. After the devastation of the war and demilitarization, Japanese totally forgot about the ship and lost respect to their own military, American military remembered the ship. Maybe because that was the ship that knocked down the cold war enemy country's fleet.

 

But it is time Japan controls its own defense not relying on foreign power. In fact, we are ready. Japan's naval force is second largest in the world. Soon Japan will build its own aircraft carrier. Actually it already has one, but only for helicopters. See the photo.

Japan's brand new helicopter carrier, Hyuga lined with Nimitz. Front is Hyuga.  

Hyuga is half length of Nimitz. We do not need nuclear powered one but we will have to build longer one so that airfighters can be stored and take off or land on.

Only obstacle is pacifist consitituition that restricts scope of military actions. I think it would not take so much time to amend it. More and more people are realizing they should.    

 

Today was a big news day for showbiz.

The king of Pop Star, Micheal Jackson died of heart attack and one of the hottest angel of "Charlie's Angels", Farrah Fewcett died of cancer.

Two big icons of American entertainment died. Both of them were very familiar to me.

I remember when Micheal Jackson visited Japan in 1980's. He stayed in Japan for more than 40 days.

He really liked Japan and gave big compliments to our country. He said something like "In Japan shy people like me can be welcomed unlike the U.S."

Did it mean he was not welcome in the U.S.?

The other big star, Farrah Fewcett was one of the casts of my favourite show "Charlie's Angels."

Actually I liked Cheryl Ladd who acted as her sister better.

The three beautiful women acted as detective. The story was made into film.

I like the episode that Cheryl Ladd and Farrah Fewcett were together as sisters.

But Micheal and Farrah are gone.

Not only that, my image of America of those days were gone, too. America is not dream country any more.

Actually I hate that country although I had lived there for more than 5 years.

Maybe since I learned the U.S. Navy decided to deploy nuclear aircraft carrier in Yokosuka.

But America has drastically changed recently since 911, war in Iraq and financial crisis.

The End of Era.

Even Obama, the first Black man to be the president of the U.S. work too well, the things would not be much better.

This article describes why.

Good bye, Micheal, Angel and the era of America!

Months have passed since Tamogami was dismissed due to his public essay which justified Japan's aggression in Asia and Pacific during WW 2 and then thrown into the spotlight in November last year. During this time, we have heard much criticism, mostly negative, about Tamogami and his essay in the media. But his popularity is high and he has published several books and appeared media outlet so many times.

　The fundamental errors in Tamogami’s take on history have been pointed out, and there have been murmurs of doubt between intellectuals about his ability to lead the Self-Defense Forces. This man is being regarded as a demagogue who was not even competent enough to launch a coup.

　However, similar criticism was placed on military politician Adolf Hilter who appeared in Germany after World War I. People said that a worthless guy like him will never be able to take over the country. But he did. Intellectuals completely underestimated his power.

　I cannot agree with Tamogami’s historical views whatsoever. They are obviously mistaken. For some reason, however, I feel very emotional when I hear him speak. This can likely be said for a lot of people, not just myself. One senses that he has the ability to relieve our discontent with the current situation. It is the feeling of worry for our country, no matter what our position. It is not so much the actual meaning of his words that is important, but rather the desire to share his passion.

　In fact, the current state of Japan is similar to that of the Weimar Republic of Germany. The recession is deepening, and frustration with a government that is weak in foreign diplomacy is swelling. I myself feel very frustrated with the Japanese and American governments that are essentially renouncing our sovereignty by deploying a home port for a nuclear-powered air craft carrier in Yokosuka. As a result, I feel a grain of hope hearing Tamogami’s words that advocate revising the constitution to allow for a defense system that is independent from the United States.

　However, we must be careful not to fall for his words too easily. He is harming our national interests with his clearly mistaken actions. It is unfortunate that this may have been the only way for him to catch the interest of the Japanese people in Japan’s current situation. Its is pathetic. Politicians and intellectuals are always promoting themselves under the pretense of helping others and eluding arguments that get to the heart of the matter.

　In this case, those who see Tamogami as a threat must consider circumstances equally as seriously as he does and intend to actually implement that reform. Ideologies where one simply prays for peace because of a distaste for war will lose in the battle with reality.

Regarding my frustration with deployment of a nuclear powered aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, the below describes the issue.