Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

Please listen to the music. It is a good one.

Umi Yukaba (If I go away to sea).

I like it. I can feel the souls of dead soldiers belonging to Japanese army.

The song is played with translated lyrics (English and Russian).

The song is not played in public any more because it souds encouraging military men to die.

But it had been considered Japanese imperial army's anthem and second national anthem until the end of second world war.

The below one is without lyric subtitle but with adequate images for the song.

I never support war actions for invasion but I like the song anyway.

Recently controversial Manga (Comic) book was published in Japan. The comic was digest version of what is written on original thick book, "Mein Kampf (My Struggle)."

Left one is comic and right one is Japanese complete translated version.

As you know it was written by Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi-Germany, the book described his biography from when he was childhood until imprisonment after Munich rebel in 1923. It contains so much of Anti-semitism.

The pictures of the book reminds me of CBS Minis-Series "Hitler, The Rise of Evil." Surely the book and the drama should somewhat overlap because both are at least partially based on the same book.

In Germany publication of the book is banned. Actually the book wasn't very popular one at the time it was published.

This comic version is one of the series of classic literature including "Crime and Punishment," and "Faust."

I am recently very interested in Hitler and Nazi-Germany. How he got on the top and why such atrocities happened.

Recently Japan experienced similar phenomenon, an Air Force Chief was fired because of his provocative essay released in public which contradicts Japan's position of war responsibility and justified what Japan did to neighboring nations such as occupation and colonization.

His statement to the government's treatment was really similar "Strangely I was fired because I've made good statements for the nation."

After he left defense ministry, he became an icon among right-wing people. He published several books and made speeches all over the nation. I am sure he will run candidancy for next coming election. Strangely I, not so conservative person have been very much attracted to him since his public appearance. I bought one of his books. I went to his speeches and shook hands with him. Please read this if you want to know more about my passion for him. That is why I am feared. He has charisma and intelligence to lead people.

So that is why I am studying things about Hitler and Nazi-Germany.

I am now writing a novel which the story takes place in 1930's Germany on this blog. The theme of the novel is Nazism versus liberalism such as Bauhaus art. Please read "Bauhausler" if you are intereted.

I went to the theatre in Shibuya to see the film.

I really enjoyed it. German films are enjoyable if you know history of Germany such as Nazis, Berlin Wall, and 1968 anti-imperialist movement.

So far, what I have seen are as for Nazis "Sophie Scholl," "Der Untertgang" and as for Berlin Wall, "Lives of others," and "Good-bye, Lenin."

This time I watched post-war radical movement that took place in 1968, Germany. Youngsters became so radical because they believe they could wipe out imperialism and change the world better. One female liberal journalist with two daughters joined the movement.

But the consequence was disastrous. They became terrorists, bombers and hi-jackers, later ended up with commiting suicide in prison cells.

Japan had the same movement in the same era. The consequence were very similar. These days youngsters are not interested in such radical way of movement.

Germany and Japan went through the same path since 1930's in that sense. The country was dominated by militants in pre-war era. After the war, youngsters provoked radical social movement.

Recently my interest to foreign things was shifted from the U.S. to Germany. 

I went to Berlin last year. I was really impressed. I get acquainted with German people in business. I am studying German now.

Germany has a lot of things we, Japanese can learn from. One of notable things is how they dealt with war review and compensation.

Other things are local sports club, farms, and ecology policy. Germany is leading producer of solar PV in the world.

Germany succeeded reduction of CO2 emission as it scheduled following Kyoto Protocol while other nations failed.

I want to know more about this country.  

Deutcheland uber alles in der Welt!

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.