My father was a prisoner of the Japanese during WW2. He was on the Bataan Death March, and also a captive at Mukden. Growing up, I often heard him tell about the horrors he lived through. No one should ever have to live like they did. I have met other POW's who were in my fathers camp. They all talk about the testing that went on. My father has been on 20/20, 60 minutes and has testified before Congress. But still people can not believe that these horrors happened. Soon those who suffered through these tortures will be gone. They are all old men now. The Japanese and American goverments need to apologize to them before they are all gone. If not, its up to us, the next generation to set the record strait!
I was Doing a report and this was very helpful.Please tell us more!! It's sad that thi really happened, but we have to face it and learn from it. Thanks.
Whatz up?
I was Doing a report and this was very helpful.Please tell us more!! It's sad that thi really happened, but we have to face it and learn from it. Thanks.
THE JAPANESSE WERE SICK INDIVIDUALS WHO MUST NOT HAVE ANY HEARTS, HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO THOSE POOR P.O.W.'S
Food for thought. Some people commented on how the Japanese soldiers mistreated the people it conquered. While I do condemn the acts the Japanese military commited against humanity, look at what happened before the war started. The French in Vietnam, the Dutch in South East Asia, and the British in India and China. And look what they did. They exploited the Asian population for their own personal greed without worrying about the exploited people's warfare. Has Britain ever said that she was sorry for the Opium war, has the Fench ever said, ``We're sorry?'' No, but somehow, since these things happened a long time ago they seem to have been forgotten as being attrocities. I'd really hate to see Hitler being portrayed as a ``great conqueror'' in another four hundred years just because the acts he was responsible for happened so long ago.
Are there any books published on troop 731? Please write me at Bigtouch @ aol.com. Thanks!!
I think that the Japanese owe the world a long overdue apology for their actions that they took during World War II. All though we have moved on and expanded from WWII, the POW's deserve an apology for the hell that they had to endure. However, people who blame the Japanese today for their actions, should not look at today, but the past people who made these terrible crimes possible. I do not think that it is effective to have Japan apologize today because it deals with the people from the past. They do owe the world an apology though.
Looking over the comments, I see a lot of resentment against the Japanese. While in context to Unit 731 this anger is more than justified. However, readers should keep in mind that the average Japanese of today has LITTLE OR NO IDEA THAT ANY OF THIS EVER HAPPENED. I live in Tokyo and when speaking to Japanese about WWII, they are usually unable to say much. In school, the government authorized history textbooks focus on dates rather than "what and why" (textbooks especially ignore the "why"). They know that "something happened" in Nanking in 1937 but they don't know what. While it is easy to simply hate Japanese, remember that today's Japanese are mostly ignorant to their past. It is the Japanese government that is responsible for this denial and failure to take responsibility for its past.
This is to Resnet221 at Buffalo, I just wanted to say that I have zero intolerance for nasty, stupid,ignorant, slimeball, dickweeds like you. Your comments about the entire Japanese race can only be met with equal crasness like, Hey, dipshit, I also go to Suni Buffalo and I have seen you on campus several times. I can't wait to see you again now that I have read your stupid shit on the net. Your brainless attempts at bravado is personally offensive as my girlfriend is Japanese. When I do see you, I will kick your little scawny fucked up ass with my shit-kickers and maybe teach you a little bit o' humility. Try looking up "generalization" in the dickshunary, you ball-less wonder. God, you make me want to puke my guts out. Duke Hanson, executor of the little dick,Resnet. (Look around, dickhead, I will run into you again, then it's all over for you)
I think it is awful that something like what these Japanese did went on. I think that they should apologize for it, even though that still will never bring back all thoses who suffered and died. Even though I have this opinion, I don't hold this incident against anyone who is Japanese. Like an earlier commenter said, most of the current Japanese generations are ignorant of their past. The only ones who should be held responsible for these actions are the people who were directly involved.
It has to be told everywhere and where it gets the greatest exposure and reach; it the only way to prevent repetition. Pictures however cruel and grusome they may be must be shown and made available to the outmost.
General MacArthur is a sun of a bitch for preventing those criminals condemned to death from hanging.
A book recently published which provides a glimpse on how Japanese militarism could revive is Cartels of the Mind by Ivan Hall. Scary!
i typed in Aero as in the plane, this taught me nothing, thanks for a whole laot of nothing
to expect the japanese of today to appologise for what there ancestors did, makes as much sense as me apologising for my ancestors taking america from the indians. on the other hand at least i am able to recognize that it hapened. it would be nice to see the japenese people able to recognise what atrocities where done by their nation. we also must remember that they were brought up in a completely different set of morals and ethics than we were. to mister hostility who wants to kick someones ass. that will realy honor the memory of the men, women, and children who died under those conditions. i think they will rest much easier knowing you are beating someone in their name.
I grew up in the immediate post-war Philippines. Many of my classmates and/or their parents and many of my teachers had suffered terrible tortures at the hands of the Japanese Imperial forces. I cannot recount the stories without breaking into tears. As a result I learned to hate everything related to Japan or the Japanese. I found that this hatred was eating me up inside. One of my teachers, the most horibly tortured of all, forgave her captors and testified for the defense at the trial, of her torturer. I thought, If she can forgive why can't I? In 1996 I had the opportunity to lead a student-teacher exchange to Japan. I didn't know how I woulf face it, but I knew I must. I spent many hours with small groups of Japanese teachers, students, and ordinary citicens, telling of the atrocities in the Philippines, and learning what they had been taught. They are eager to learn the truth which has been hidden from them. I do not blame the currently living Japanese people. The government of Japan, (and in some cases our own) should accept responsiblity. Now when I hear the words "Japan" or "Japanese" I can think of my wonderful japanese friends, and not the horrors of war. Still, we must not forget, yet we must not hate. John L. Odom (jodom@vol.com)
First, I am looking for pictures of Josef Mengele from
probably 1955 to 1965, max. If anyone can let me know where
I might find them, I would be most grateful.
Second, reading the information on this website is
extremely emotional for me. I am a decades-long survivor
of US government mind-control experiments. I and other
survivors of these experiments, when sharing our
recollections, are realizing to our abject horror that
many of the doctors who hurt us in early childhood were
Nazi war criminals covertly imported by our government.
Although most of them are now dead (I pray), the damage
they did to us personally, and through their US associates, is devastating. The holocaust did
continued on a smaller scale after the Nuremburg trials
...with most of their newer victims being children of their
Aryans associates.
I, too, was called a "guinea pig" by my sadistic father who
was strongly allied with these German criminals.
Too many of the same horrific methods, including disposal
of victims' bodies, that I witnessed here in the US as a
child, seem to have been the same. I guess they thought,
if it works, why change it? Or as my father said, "If it
works, do it!" I never ever have met people so dead in
their consciences as these men, and as my father became.
I thank God he is dead. How many others learned from those
criminals and still practice such technologies on innocent
victims, today? We have no way of determining this, but
guaranteed, the practices have continued. For more
information, see
I cannot understand why, given such atrocities as this and many more committed by the Japanese during the war, that they continue to shout how evil and immoral we were for using the atomic bomb. We didnt bomb Pearl Harbor. We didnt start the war. To have made an assault on the main island of Japan would have cost, according to some estimates, up to a million American lives. They started the war and we finished it. Not one American should have had to die but thousands upon thousands did...all because the Japanese began a war upon the United States. If thousands of civilians died from our atomic bombs then that is the price they paid. How many American mothers and fathers hearts were broken because of Japans actions. They have no right to call us immoral for using nuclear weapons. They began the killing. And they carried it on ruthlessly. But when it came to their people....then they call it immoral.
Cruelty and a lack of compassion starts small. In today's modern system where talents and achievements are emphasized, have governments and societies worldwide put in efforts to emphasize virtue of character and human compassion as well?
wow...never knew it was THAT brutal...i did know about the medical experiments...but not to an extent as mentioned in your little page. But I also do believe, that was what lay in the past. The point is, to learn about the mistakes and start fresh.
I found your artcile very interesting and useful in my research for a project on human atrocities. I think what Troop 731 did was terrible and should be called upon. But for anyone to say that the Japanese are the most evil people live for doing that is wrong. Everywhere you look atrocities have occured. The US for example bombing hiroshima and Nagasaki was an atrocity, no matter how you look at it, the hundreds of thousands who were killed immediately or slowly killed by the aftermath was not an act of war, but an act of evil. Stalin's Russia killed 20 million people, their own people during the cold war, which is also an atrocity. Atrocities occur everywhere, and these demons can be used as a tool to learn, so such massacres will never occur again. Mike Brown
Everyone knowa how Germans treated the Jews so badly during the WW 2.. But noy many people know how Japanese treated Korean, Chinese and many other Asian countries during the war. Japan still denies of the war crime and have not mad a formal appology...
We are not heroes, simply because our grandfathers fought in the second world war, so therefore, the current descendants of the japanese people who ran the pow camps should not by punished for what their grandfatheres did
Japan MUST COMPENSATE
May more people of all nations know read this page, and know what happened as FACT indeed during the World War II. History is written by blood, not ink. So many of the FACTS during these years were covered, eroded, forgotten, and worst of all, artifically covered or erased. We sincerely support You, Zero Tolerance, to uncover more of such facts and let more know. A suggestion to Zero Tolerance and other interested views: there is an important discovery of a diary by a German living in Nanking throughout 'Nanking Massacure' whose surname was Rabe. He worked for Bayern in Nanking at that time. Also a core member of the International Community trying to protect Nanking civilian. This diary was not disclosed until 1997 by Rabe's granddaughter in Germany. This diary is a new account of the real history. Written by a German, it was free from the bias of Chinese or Japanese basically. May those interested work on this source.
Berlin is one of Sero Space
You American's never cease to amaze me with your hypocracy. If you would be so clever as to cast your mind back a bit, you may remember that before the Meiji Restoration, Japan (including their evil emperor) wanted nothing to do with any countries outside their own.They wanted to exist quietly, away from foriegn influence, and your response was to send in your gun boats and force them to open up. Well boys, they did open up and you can now read all about what that eventually led to. Congratulations boys, you reaped what you sowed.
this is cool. it helped my term paper a lot
I have studied World War II history for many years and discovered many atrocities commited by the German and Japanese military. We must stand together and fight evil at every opportunity. Let the light of truth shine on these evil ones for their day of judgment is fast approaching. Please continue to shine the light.
My grandfather was a POW in the Phillippines. He survivrd the Oryoku Maru only to die in a hospital in Moji, Japan of starvation and dysentary. We can not allow these actions by the Japaneese to go unnoticed. If we do, we dishonor the memory of these of these gallant Americans.
this sux you dont knowhow to write a decent page!!!
oasis rules
the more things change the more they stay the same. It appears that through human history man's inhumanity to man has been a constant feature. Todays society must learn from the past and accept it for what it is. To argue the point or to ignore the facts only perpetuates the very same attitudes that prevailed during the dark times of man's own madness.
asf
I believe strongly with the Japanese arrogance not to apologize for their horrendous crimes, that in doing so, they do not believe what they did was wrong.
fuck them gooks we should just kill em all!
are you a gringo?
kurt cobain forever
kurt cobain april 8, 1967 - 94
You know the worst part about hiding the truth? Look at the current Japanese attitude... toward everything. Take notice, it is happening again. I bet that in 50 years we are back at war with Japan again. Anybody want to take me up on that? Tyrannosaur Visit me at http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk
The actions of the Japanese in WW II against POWs and the people of the lands they invaded can never be forgotten, or forgiven! No amount of money, no groveling, bowing appologies will erase the horrors that these people committed. Instead August 6th should be a national, no world-wide, holiday to celebrate the horror that we unleashed on the Japanese. It's too bad that we only had two bombs.
After reading this page and the comments, I've realized that although the Japanese did some prety heavy stuff, it is just like what we Americans did to the Africans, and the Native Americans for that matter. I'm not some kind of "Anti-American" activist, but I'm just saying that we ought to think about what the Africans and Native Americans think about us massacring their people, in war, or their war victims. I'm only an 8th grader, but I already realize that we weren't perfect little angels during any wars. So, think before you speak, because those thoughts could come right back.
After reviewing this page, and the comments on it, I am glad to see that everyone has at least been exposed to the attrocities of the Japanese Military during the Pacific War. On the same hand, I was saddened to see so many people leave behind racist comments... for I do not believe that was the intent for the creation of this webpage. The truth is a powerful tool, and it should be used to eduacate, to create understanding, and not hatred. That does not mean that those action should slip away into the faded memories of the past, rather, they must remain a part of us, and our posterity, as in the words of George Santayana, "Those that cannot remember the past are condemmed to repeat its mistakes." Yet we must remember that these actions, in this case, Unit 731, are not an isolated incident. All nations have committed "crimes against humanity." The European imperialists and the explotation of indeginous peoples, the millions of Russians who were killed by Stalin, the ongoing conflict in Bosnia, the fact that the Americans killed many native Philippinoes in the takeback of the Philippines... there are many skeletons in the historical closets of all the nations. And we see a wide amount of literature on this subject. "Hitler's Willing Executioners" discusses the role of the common people in Nazi Germany. "the Rape of nanking" is the first full length book to discuss that topic. "years of infamy" looks at the unconstitutional internament of the Japanese-American by the American government. "Factories of Death' looks at the actions of Unit 731, and the American decision to cover it up. Let us not let these incidents go quietly into the night... let us honour the past, and those that died.
cultural and ethnic intolerance has been too long a practice in this country and must be stopped. Genocide has occurred since the beginning of time, and although the most unique was the Holocaust we must not overlook the other groups that have been devastated by this ignorance.
I dont know the nationality of the writer. I feel very strongly that the Western countries' demand for an apology from Japan for WW2 crimes committed is a farce. From time immemmorial, Christians - read Whites are committing all possible crimes on all other people. HOW CAN THE WHITES EXPLAIN THE 'Jullian Walla Bagh Massacre' committed by Gen. Dyer (Fucking Dyer) in India? The White Bastards have screwed up the whole world. Have you read 'Things Fall Apart' written by Chinua Achebe (Africa)? Let the Fucking whites apologise to the rest of the world and then ask Japan for an apology.
hey stupid ass!
This whole war thing is very sad and disappointing. Learn from their mistakes and correct them now. Make peace.
I certainly believe that the Japanese had done something aweful during WWII and the victims have every right to ask for an apology from the Japanese, yet, why don't I see any one asking the Western Powers for an apology? Why do we only hear that the Westerners has brought modern technology and democracy to their former colonies? This is a problem caused by as to whom is in charge in the world right now. If the Japanese won WW II, then we might be hearing how the Americans has committed atrocities during the war and how evil those Americans are. We may be hearing requests for an apology from the US for its 'atrocity victims'! Since most of us are educated by history books that are written by the victorious nations of WW II, I think what we've learned is only one sided. Who knows if the Allies are really clean during WW II? Who knows if they too had committed horrible atrocities or not? They were the victors thus they have the power to cover it up. All the blame went onto the losers such as Japan. I also think the US owe the Japanese people, at least the people of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, an apology. It is because, we know that by the time the US has dropped the atomic bombs, it was clear to everyone that Japan was going to surrender soon. Then why the US drop the two bombs? The other thing is, why did the US dropped the bomb in residential area of Nagasaki instead of the industrial area? Was it the pilot's mistake or the command of the US military high command? If the bomb was dropped in the industrial area of Nagasaki, then the US can justify its action, but in the Nagasaki residential area? Doesn't that count as an atrocity too? This world lacks not only Japan's apology to its victims but also apologies from every nation to their respective victims. Former western colonizers owes apology to their former colonized people, Russia owes apology to the Germans or even the whole Eastern European nations. Western countries owes apology to China who suffered a 100 years of humiliation from the West. The Chinese has to apologize to its former tributary states for posing such an arrogant attitudes towards them in the past. The apology lists goes on. Until everyone agrees that everyone is going to apologize to everyone, this single demand on the Japanese to apology just seems unfair to the Japanese. That's why I don't think any one country has any right to ask Japan for apology.
I'm learning from a history teacher who is preparing a
course on the Holocaust. I've watched him struggle with
agonizing questions about the Nazi German perpetrators
and their accomplices. ("How could they?") It's so
easy to puff up our egos and say we'd NEVER do such things
...but unless we've lived in such insanely dangerous
situations, we really do not know WHAT we are capable of
doing.
The human brain and body are funny things. The primal
part of the mind will do things, when our conscious
defenses are on vacation, that we would -- in normal
circumstances -- be horrified to learn we've done. (Anyone
who's ever had an alcoholic "blackout" can probably relate.)
Add fury, sleep deprivation, need for revenge, huge
adrenaline rushes, PTSD, fear of being harmed for
disobeying a commander's orders, mob hysteria, maybe some
alcohol or drugs to break down one's morality barriers even
more...it's amazing what a normally decent person might do.
And then regret for the rest of his or her life.
It happened in Vietnam. In Cambodia. In Korea. In Rwanda.
In Russia, Germany, and so many other countries. It has
happened more times than we'd like to know, right here in
the US.
To expect those in charge of such atrocities (or their
govt. reps.) to "apologize" is only the very first step.
Words are cheap. Anyone can say "I'm sorry." Sociopaths
are infamous for apologizing, crying crocodile tears, and
then doing the same crime again. Until people agonize over
what they or their governments have done, I don't think
anything will really change. Men and women will still
behave as beasts.
I guess it has to start with each of us...to choose to
respect and value human life. To determine to learn
to love, to accept differences, to protect the weak and
the young. How can we demand decency and respect from
others if we do not first demand it of our own selves?
K. Sullivan
Refer to page 113 in the book "Inside The Third Reich", which was written by Nazi Albert Speer, while he was serving his Nuremberg sentennce in Spandau Prison.(Speer was Hitler's architect, minister of armaments, and in fact one of Hitler's most high up leaders; in fact, he was in line to take Hitler's place as Fuhrer at the end of the war). Also, just read the transcripts of the Nuremberg trials. It is very obvious that the Holocaust was very real
Hi, I would like to say that your site was very informative and helped us greatly in our history project. We have to write a newspaper about the rise of like... dictatorships or something during World War II. Thank you again.
Japan has never made any attempt to right its past wrongs and has instead erected shrines to its wartime leaders. This is because they see nothing wrong with what they did as they consider non Japanese as sub human. They should be made to change their thinking and be forced to PAY for these and their many other disgusting acts of savagery.
Japan has never made any attempt to right its past wrongs and has instead erected shrines to its wartime leaders. This is because they see nothing wrong with what they did as they consider non Japanese as sub human. They should be made to change their thinking and be forced to PAY for these and their many other disgusting acts of savagery.
I applaud the following messages! bn-a04-pool-198.tmns.net.au. Friday, March 27, 1998 21:21:53 and 202.54.37.100 Wednesday, April 15, 1998 05:28:42........ Japanese cannot be blamed for their actions. They were trapped and cornered by the white bastards which have done nothing but kill and destroy on this planet. I am from South Africa. I have seen white aggression first hand. I deeply sympathise with the Japanese in their attempts to free the yellow race from white imperialism. I think the white people are so hypocritical. They should look at what they have done first before they complain about any other countries' atrocities.
im not in denial so get the fuck off of my back
I have to admit ignorance on my part. I stumbled on this page by accident while researching a report on Japan. This is not the only crime commited right under our own noses though. Government cover-ups are as devastating as the crime they are hiding. I suppose blame is placed where ever your eyes seem to wander for the moment. I appoligze for my ignorence on this subject.
The state of South Vietnam was created by the American militarist imperialists. The US invasion of Vietnem brought about horrors which resemble th Nazi Holocaust. When has the USA ever apologised to Vietnam? When has the USA handed out compensation to the victims? You white hypocrites are in no position to critisize any other countries' government or wartime denials.
Hey - lets not get racist here. I'm white, and I don't think we are hypocrites, others maybe, but thats the lesser educated for you. Some of the reactions on this page are from the same people who say guns kill. They don't kill , its the people who use them. The whole planets had its mistakes through history, whites, black, asians, any race, so lets just stop the argument.
Alot of these racial comments are ridiculous! Please get educated before you judge. This is whole purpose of learning history. War has been going on for many years. People need to know what has happen, not to hate, but to understand now in order to prevent similiar situations later. Japan needed to colonize, they were overcrowded with only a few resources. Countries resisted. Japan fought. They got greedy. They took what they wanted. They were going to make examples of all those who resisted. This has gone on almost everywhere, with every race. As terrible as things were, they need to be told and passed down. We need to be told how greed and hate consumes people and the outcome of it. Maybe we can appreciate how our lives our today and look at how we have progressed in maturity. Has it not been obvious that all sides finally said "No More Killing!" Forgive other races for what they have done to your ancestors. I am sure if you looked in your own race's past, you will find your ancestors did some atrocities to someone else. The killing stopped with the wars. Why do you choose to let the hate live?
I recently heard a WW2 veteran, when the Japanese were mentioned, explode with an exclamation "Japanese? Those little bastards ate a mate of mine!" It was the second reference I had heard this year to Japanese cannabalism. I had never heard of it before. Similarly, I had heard of the Rape of Nanking, but only since getting net access had I been able to find any definitive information about that horrible incident. This evening, our local newspaper carried an article about a Japanese film about the war crimes trial of Tojo. In this article, a Japanese member of parliament is quoted as saying "Nanking was a fabrication. A complete falsehood." The Japanese have no honour while they continue to deny their criminal acts.
Good job on this webpage... it's high time that this tragic episode of history be taken from obscurity and dealt with squarely by the Japanese government. I happen to be an American, of Japanese descent, yet I do not blind myself to the terrible crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists. Modern history, unfortunately, tends to focus so much on an episode like the Nazi holocaust, that it eclipses the crimes of Stalin, Tojo, and others. We need to view history - the good, the bad, and the ugly - with fairness and objectivity.
Whenever possible, publish the names of the perpetrators.
The majority of responses to this page seems to be either outright racism or merely a source for apathetic college students. You all seem to miss the point is that this knowledge is being preserved so that such horrors (which were the result of racism and apathy) can be prevented in the future.
LL
I am now working for a Japanese company here in the Philippines. The Japanese attitude of arrogance is still very visible although I suppose that not all of them are like that. Just to inform you, my grandfather was killed by them during the Liberation of Manila by the American troops. If the Japanese continue there attitude, maybe in 50 years time we will be at war with them again. They think that they are the best living creatures here in Asia or even the world! They really are superior.. in atrocities! They still treat us as monkeys, slaves and inferior beings! To hell!
I think that the Japanese who were directly involved in the war should be responsible but many other Japanese people also suffered from this. They were innocent and were afraid to express their opinion because they were afraid of the government. I am Chinese myself and I know the horror that the Japanese and the German brought to the Jewish, Chinese, Russian, Americans. But do you dare to tell me now that no Japanese people or German people suffered from the war. I don't think you could tell me that. People should learn the mistakes of the past and tried not to make the same mistakes again. That was the past....yet there is still people suffering from this...all kinds of people...not just americans or chinese or jewish...japanese, american... they are still suffering....We shouldn't judge people by what their ancestors did..they had no decision whatsoever in it..they were born that way..they had no choice...if u think that people should be blamed for what their ancestors did, then maybe you should just think a little bit more about the innocent....as we all say..hate is an old idea...make peace not hate...remember and keep that in mind....PEACE!!!!
Is anything whenever happened in this world as extreme as what they did. Besides denial they decorate it, 'Pride, a moment in life'....
where is the page for UK action on Jap visit to give support to the protest ?? Ex RN guy thinks this state visit covers too much under the carpet for comfort. The protesters shame the establishment!!
My only regret over the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima is that we stopped too soon. I would be much happier if the Japanese Islands glowed in the dark to this day and on unto Eternity.
I am from Kenya. I think the should all be obliterated!
Kill every single honky on the planet
The hypocrisy of the white race is cleary visible her. They make numerous racist comments about Asias. But when you critisize the wrong doings of white people in the past, then they complain and cry racism! stupid honkies. You should all die for your atrocities.
You want to see a real atrocity? Look at what the white people did to us Namibians. They massacred 75% of the population of this great country in 1941, and then at the end of the second world war they gave Namibia over to South Africa! Modern day western societies are built on the murder of millions of innocent non-white people. The whites are a subhuman race who evolved from ghosts! we will send the whites back where they belong! We will kill every single white person (including women and children) so that they become ghosts once again!
It is sad that there are still people unconvinced at the truth, and it appears that racism is still prevelant. Too many cry that this and this ethnic group is at fault. Why cannot we accept responsibility as human beings to ensure that this does not happen again?
Excuse me you white hypocrites. Britain was the largest colonial power before World War II and although it was responsible for many barbarous acts, such as the 1840-42 Opium War, the country has hardly offered any apologies to its former colonies. When he attended Hong Kong's handover ceremony last summer, Prince Charles gave a self-congratulatory assessment of his country's rule of the former colony. He said Britain had brought democracy, freedom and prosperity to Hong Kong, but he had little to say about how his country had gained control over the territory. And you are here complaining about Japanese not apologising for their past. White people are parasites. Look at how hypocritical you are. Why don't you apologise for your wrong doings? Or are atrocities committed by white people somehow not considered to be atrocities because whites are above everyone else? You honkies are the most hypocritical race in the world. Everyone else knows it.
As individuals: she only see`s the world through her eyes. I am not alone in feeling shame re: Englands colonial domination, based on capital retention. Neither am I alone in reacting against the cultural supremacy that every state bestowes to its youth, educated to be loyal little factory/cannon* fodder. The atrocities endured by POW`s in East Asia are, for all their terror & hardship will not stop anyone from being shocked by the tortures of Bryzantium,Central Europes periodic pogroms, Genocide in Rwanda, People vanishing from the streets in Santiago... All terrifying. All brutal. All pre meditated. Vengenace,Justice, I don`t know. But I do know that as long as WE bare witness to prejudice and intolerance to other people it don`t matter who is sorry and who is not. We can only look to the future and share the wisdom(?) of our past histories. It is not my fault as I was born too late? *Delate as applicable to historical circmstance
Look at all of the comments. Either they consist of people wanting to kill the Japanese, or people wanting to kill the maker of this web site. GUESS WHAT PEOPLE!! YOU'RE HAVING A WAR AS BAD AS WW2 WITH EACH OTHER! Although there is no blood shed, you are hurting each other with your words. It is these harsh words that start chaos, and build up tension to lead to war. SHAME ON YOU ALL! Instead of pointing fingers to keep peace, why don't you try to help each other so that the fiery words of your tongue won't shed any more blood that the bullets have shed. FACE IT!! ANGER AND HATE WON'T LEAD TO PEACE....IT'S REALITY!!
If Japan doesn't wish to admit to the crimes that they committed, then screw them when they see someone wearing a t- shirt that has a mushroom cloud on it and says made in America and tested in Japan.
Ok, the Bullshit ends now! I've read through the comments, and I am absolutely sickened by all the people comparing European Imperialism to Japanese Atrocities. NOWHERE did any other army do what the Japanese in Nanking The japanese indiscriminately murdered anyone who they felt like!!! A common case is of them murdering pregnant women (after rape) then cutting open her belly with knives, then spiking the baby on a bayonet. This is fucking inhuman, and I say FUCK JAPAN if they refuse to accept responsibility! The fact that this behavious was endorse by the officers (General Level) and that Hirohito and Tojo also didn'g give a fuck is even more incriminating. I am from Australia, but noone has mentioned the crimes against Australia yet. Australia had done nothing at all to Japan in Japans history They were our Allies in WWI. Yet in WWII they attempted to invade Australia, bombimg Darwin on 19th of February 1942.The Japanese came close to Port Moresby, but were turned back and routed by the Australian Army, the only Army capable of beating the Japs in Jungle warfare. Following the Japanese rout, Australian soldiers came across horrifying scenes. Evidence of Japanese cannabalism, where they had eaten Australian Prisonese. There was also evidence of torture, Headless Australians were tied to trees. Your pathetic argumens that it was our fault are meaningles. There was the sandakan death march in 1945, where out of thousands of Aussie POW's, only 5 survived. This and other unprovoked acts of inhuman, savage brutality leaves no sympathy in my heart for the Japs, for they had none for us. This isn't the main problem though...the main problem is that in Japan, instead of recognizing this and feeling sorry-or at least insuring it wont happen again, they deny it, and try to justify it. If they at least tried to apologize, I and many thousands (millions) maybe able to forgive and forget, but at this moment, they refuse to even admit it, and insist on worshipping these inhuman dogs in shrines.Of course, one of you racist arseholes will start trying to say that Australia is hypocritical, and that we shoudl apologize to the aborigines first. Well I have news for them. The Australian Army never cannabalized and murdered Aborigines, in fact the Australian Army never did a thing, neither did the Australian Government...In fact, we have a day called National Sorry Day, we're they get Australians to feel guilty and apologize for something they didn't do.... The bottom line is, Japan commited unexcusable acts, and all arguments against Australia don't stand. Another argument you might throw at me is "Generalization". I have been to Japan, I have met many Japanese. Not one of them was sorry, or even admitted these things at all. One Jap bloke I met was trying to pin the blame on Australia, and saying they should have nuked us instead. Shows how mature they are, and how much they dont give a shit. Japan has commited the worst crimes in history, unmatched by any other. At lest Nazi German apologized to the world, and destroyed all Nazi's. In japan, they dont give a shit, and will be sure to do it again, considering how they got away with it for nothing. The inexcusable Japanese war crimes are made worse, far worse by the fact that refuse to adknowledge, much less apologize for them, and are actually thinking they were right in what they did.The war will never truly be over, unless ALL the Japanese people grow up and be mature people, and accpet responsibilty, by adknowleging that they did wrong. The Government has a far greated responsibility to rectify these. It is not just history, since the war continues to this day, as the Japanese army spends on rearmament, and the militarists are still free. APOLOGIZE NOW JAPAN!!!!! Lest We Forget
Stupid Honkies! How dare you claim the European atrocities were not bad. You are insulting all of us Africans. How can you say what the Europeans did is better than what Japan did? You honkies should all burn in hell. Your comments prove the honky parasite subhumans are not apologetic for what you did. HONKIES WE WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!
Honkies are the most hypocritical race you say? I ATTEST TO THAT! It is true, this webpage proves that! I say kill all the honkies and the rest of the people in the world will live happy and long lives. The world will never be peaceful as long as there are honkies. So we should kill them all and turn them back into ghosts.
Rape of nanking killed 300,000 people. Slavery killed 40 million. Plus we must take into account every other atrocities the honkies have committed. I wonder, does God watch what these honkies are doing? And if so, will he liberate the world by killing all the honkies in judgement day? I hope so.
Listen to this honky trash from Australia complain. The bastard's grandparents probably killed many of those aborigine people whose land was invaded by the honkies, and is still occupied by the honkies. How dare he say the Europeans did not commit bad atrocities. This honky is tried to revise history!!! We Africans will kill every single honky on the planet. Maybe we should start in Australia. The Austrialians are clearly the most racist people on earth. DIE HONKIES DIE!
Kill the honkies!
blah blah blah
For those of you favoring the atomic bombings, don't forget that among those killed were American POWs.
Many of these comments suggest that the Japanese should not be punished for what their fathers did. This is true, however many of those fathers are still alive today. I live in Japan and have spoken to Japanese veterans of WWII. Most of them are feel terrible about what happened during the war and feel that they were lied to buy their own govenment. Many of them are also pretty pissed that Emperor Hirihito was never tried as a war criminal (that was MacAuthor's decision). Many of the young Japanese I speak to equate Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Their screwed up attitude is that the two balance each other out and they have no idea of the context of the different situations. This is a direct result of the Japanese government's attempt to portray the Japanese as the VICTIMS of WWII.
Everything the man above says is true and it's great that he has the balls to say it.
My fellow Africans, do not worry. I will machine gun every single ghost race and subhuman parasite race I see! Japanese government is critisized because it made Japan successful. The white people are angry to see a non-white country succeed. Soon, there will be many successful non-white countries! Because we will nuke Europe and America then steel all their money!!!!!!!!
Wow, Thats like really heavy irony, man. Isn`t it?
???
Sandakan Death March - There is a war memorial for the Australian soldiers in Sandakan (a town in Sabah, Malaysia). Sabah is formerly known as North Borneo. It's on the Borneo Island. I grew up not knowing much about what happened. My parents were still young at the time. Thanks for this website and thanks to the Australian Battalion which freed our town and land.
Let me be the first honkie to apologize on behalf of my race. Jesus loves you.
I first came to Japan as a tourist. Extremely impressed by the kindness I received, returning home,I went on to study Japanese, returned there, and have been, unfortunately, living there a total of six years. Given my experiences I have to say, I would not recommend to anyone to ever live in Japan. Their kindness I have come to realize is completely superficial and falls away as soon as someone actually learns the language and about the culture. Based on my experiences with Japan in regards to this web page, I have to say the following: Japan by WW II was virtually an isolated nation. They had had no contact with other races, cultures or nationalities for literally 1000 years. Thus, in my opinion, when they invaded other nations, this was their first contact with anyone not like them. A horrid xenophobia arose. Anyone not like them was less than human and was treated as such. Further, Japan was (and in many respects still is) a totalitarian group society with a vicious us and them attitude. When Japanese soldiers went abroad, this attitude became stronger, societal pressure was lifted from them, and, coupled with their xenophobia, wherever they went in Asia, they committed atrocity upon atrocity. Japanese of today did not do these crimes, and certainly should not be held responsible for them. Further, I question whether the government should apologize- if so, most of Europe as well as America should apologize for things they did around the world. Instead, however, I feel it is essential that the Japanese people know what happened during these periods- it should be admitted by the government, put in text books, and even have museums made about it. Everybody in America(I use America as an example as that is my country) knows about the a-bombs, the genocide of American Indians, the horror of the Slave trade, the horrible bombings of N. Vietnam and Cambodia and so fourth. Nobody is denying it- to do so would be an even further injustice. In Japan the people have no idea what happend- nor really even care. Instead Japan looks at itself as the victim of WWII. As one of my Japanese teachers put it, after contact with people from many different cultures: "We Japanese only care about ourselves". For myself, I will leave Japan soon, and frankly, even after returning home will never work for a Japanese company. Even today a vicious xenophobia is strongly in existence in Japan, which is carried with the Japanese to any country they visit. Anyone from another country, ethnic background, or physically different appearance (i.e. race) stands no place in Japanese society, business, what have you. While superficially nice, I have found most of them are terrified, and intolerant of anyone who looks different from them or is from a different culture. Coupled with this xenophobia is an incredible since of superiority of all things Japanese with a derision towards anything foreign. Given all of this, and their little knowledge of their own past, only being concerned abou themselves, etc., I am convinced that if Japan ever gains a great military potential, they will venture forth again to cause distruction upon the world. May this never happen.
This is to the racist twerp who denies the facts: You claim that Australia is the most racist country in the world? Nothing coudl be further from the truth....Australia is often called the most tolerant country in the world. There is people living in Australia born in 240 Different countrys and speaking 70 Different languages...Ahh, but what can we expect for an ignorant racist little twerp like you? In addition, you are ignoring the facts...The Japanese slaughtered the chinese...THEY ARE BOTH ASIAN...so little fuckwit, explain that one.
Reply to the previous writer: You certainly cannot deny that racism exists in Australia. The anti-Asian feeling there is stronger than anywhere else. Look at the politicians, like Pauline Hanson, whose has won popularity on her anti-immigrant platform (Asians in Australia make up the largest non-white group, at 4%). Look at the movies, like Romper Stomper, which won quite a few awards. And there was that incident a few years ago, in Adelaide, involving neo-Nazi skinheads and attacks on Asians.
I'm not from Australia but am certainly willing to bet there is a certain degree of racsism. However, consider this, while Australia HAD a White Only policy, most Australians I've met at least are pretty apologetic and embarrassed about it, also feeling Hanson is a complete Jerk. Australia now excepts immigrants from around the world and people from various races and ethnic backgrounds are found at most levels of society. Japan never had an 'Asian Only' policy. What it instead had, and still to this day doe have a 'Japanese Only' policy- there is no immigration to Japan even though they have an aging society and could strongly use an in flux of youth.. Nobody who is not Japanese makes it in Japanese society-anyone from another country, ethnic background, or physically different appearance (i.e. race).. Most companies will not hire someone who fits into these categories- even if they do, they will never be promoted. Even in Japanese companies in foreign countries, all top positions are held by Japanese- even going so far as to hire Japanese ex-pats above locals. Should a non-Japanese get into a managerial position (highly unlikely), according to one well researched work, he will never have Japanese subordinates- too undignified. One national newscaster last year, after an interview with an Indian highly fluent in Japanese, on national television actually said (with a disgusted look) 'These (white) foreigners should really only be able to speak broken Japanese'. Was he fired? No. It never even made it into the Japanese newspapers. Why would someone get fired for saying what only reflects most Japanese opinions. I could go on, but one gets the idea. In Australia there are 4% Asians. Good for Australia! It could never happen that 4% of those in Japan are from another ethnic background/ race. Further, I'll bet no Asian in Australia ever received nasty comments because they speak English too well (I wish I could say the same about Whites/ Blacks who become too proficient at Japanese in Japan). Australia has rascism, but a., it is trying, and b., compared to some countries, it is minimal.
Of course, racism exists in no country other than Japan. yea...... you people really have intelligence.....
For you, Australian racism may be minimal. But for me, as an Asian, it's a matter of life and death. At least in Japan, the Japanese don't go around killing foreigners.
Not exactly true. Last year in Kyoto a group of High School punks insulted a group of foreigners, then called a huge group of their buddles on their cool cell phones who then came by with bats and put some of the foreigners in the hospital. A foreign friend of mine was insulted and then had a knife pulled on him in downtown Tokyo. Recently a foreign guy in Tokyo was chased by bat weilding youths (he managed to escape however). I think the reason there are not more of these instance than their are is that there are so few forigners in Japan compared to other countries, and that they are not allowed citizenship nor to participate in the society- i.e., kept at a racially safe distance. This being said, however, I apologize- if you're on the receiving end of rascism, regardless of the nation, its a pretty bad thing. Even if you yourself may not have been the target of violence, I bet it runs right through one just knowing that there are bastards out there who would do something like that to one just because one's appearance/ethnenticity is different.
I really liked this page. Isn't that pathetic that there are so many young Japanese who have no idea what their grand parents had done to the human beings? Shame on them.
........
In the USA and most white nations, White youths are always attacking foreigners. Even the white police are always killing non-Caucasians. There are incidents of crazed white people burning down black churches, etc..... So it is extremely hypocritical for whites to complain about discrimination in Japan. White people are all hypocrites. Just read their messages on this webpage. They are full of hypocricy. I suggest that all people of non-Caucasion heritage completely ignore anything that any white person says. Whether it be at work, home on the neighbourhood, or on the internet. Just ignore the racist hypocrites.
I don't think so. I'm not white, but I have come across bigots of all races, including Blacks. Remember the O.J. Simpson murder trial?
This message is to ip220. Please stop plaguing us with your racist and hateful remarks. Don't think you are above racism just because you happen to be black. I've experienced prejudiced from people of all races, including whites, blacks and asians. Until we learn to stop pointing fingers and start to take some responsibility to try not to be racist ourselves, I'm afraid history will just repeat itself.
Mr. or Mrs. gia237a.berkeley.edu. How ironic that you talk against racism but at the same time you only go after the black African making the racist remarks but you do not go after the whites who have made racist remarks on this page...... To any of my fellow Africans who may stumble upon this page, as yo can see even those white people who are speaking against the racism are hypocrites and racists themselves. These white parasites invaded our continent and murdered over 100 million people, but they expect us to trust them and like them? We trusted them in South Africa, and look at what they did with our trust there! They install this apartheid system, and all the other white countries had SUPPORTED South Africa until the late 1980s! So tell me, do you think thw white parasites can really be trusted? Expell them from Africa! Or better yet, kill every single one of them! How about we muder 110 million white people in revenge for the 110 million black Africans that they murdered?
Hey, asshole... if you don't have anything constructive to add to this page, then FUCK OFF!! I swear, if I ever find you, I will come right over and shove a virus up your hard drive!!!
kaf
Am I supposed to be afraid? offended? You white hypocrites can say what you want, but I know that the people of Africa will no longer tolerate your threats and your racism and your hypocrisy. Come to Africa and try to shove a virus into me. When you try, you will have the entire wrath of the African people brought upon you, your family, and your race. The Afircan people will no longer tolerate White violence against blacks. So come to this continent, and face our WRATH.
my balls hurt
When one looks at Japanese wartime atrocities and how the Japanese deal with their own history, one has to consider, of all things, U.S. policy towards Japan. When Commodore Perry forced the opening of that country in 1853, it had such an impact on Japan, much like how the Pearl Harbor attack has had on America. The Japanese realized how vulnerable they were to the outside world and became determined to regain control of their own destiny. This meant adopting Western technology and securing all necessary resources, which meant conquering East Asia. Even after the war, the American occupational government had the opportunity to reform Japan however it saw fit and go after anyone for war crimes. But the U.S. needed Japan as an ally against Communism and "looked the other way". Even now, Western and Japanese big businesses depend on each other, and their respective governments cannot afford to have their good economic relations damaged by opening up old wounds. Even the U.S. military presence in Japan has served to downplay regional fears of renewed Japanese militarism. Although they have been out of isolation for some time, the Japanese people are still in the process of learning how to deal with other people... it's simply unrealistic to expect 150 years of Westernization to undo over 2000 years of Japanese national egoism. For the Japanese, "saving face" is everything. They won't officially apologize simply because world opinion demands it... some other country would have to apologize first for crimes against Japan. (For example, the U.S. for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is unlikely anytime soon. Many Americans still think the atom bombs were used to end the war sooner... not really.) Despite the ongoing denials and what others on this page have said, I believe the Japanese do have the capacity for remorse. I personally know some of them, who know all too well about the atrocities, and they feel as much revulsion as anyone else. In fact, when Hirohito died in 1989, Japanese television showed a documentary on Unit 731, and this is how many Japanese learned of the atrocities for the first time. Also, a good number of people who visit the U.S.S. Arizona memorial are Japanese tourists, many of whom have expressed regret over Pearl Harbor. And it should also be pointed out that Japan has not committed crimes in every war it has fought... before the Imperialist dictatorship, Japanese soldiers had a reputation for being among the most chivalrous in the world. If Japan is ever to get a chance to prove that it can change for the better, it has to start with a change in U.S. policy.
This is in response to spider-wa011.proxy.aol.com. You have some good points, there are some repentent Japanese, and the US should reassess its policy with Japan. I think that you miss a huge one, however. Japan is the world's second largest economy. It is an absolute powerhouse with investments throughout the world, is a leader in countless technologies etc. . To assume that it is somehow the US' responsibility (or even fault) in regards to Japan's coverup is just plain wrong and treats the Japanese like children. It is a nation of adults, 100% independent and should be treated as such- this includes the expectation that it take responsibility for its actions. By the way, I was in Japan in '89. The reactions you refer to were by far in the minority. The average Japanese has no idea about the war except the belief (which they have been taught) that the they were somehow victims. If you want a good book on the current views in Japan on this, please read Iris Chang's 'The Rape of Nanking'.
Hey ip203-81.cc.interlog.com.....your talk about your wrath is certainly intimidating. What are you going to do......bludgeon us to death just like you bludgeoned your fellow African brothers and sisters to death in Rwanda?
Hell hath no fury like that of a pissed Zulu tribesman. Bring em on girly-man. White America rules.
ahem
The africans of rwanda were united until the white French forced segregation onto them. So it is again the fault of the whites, for their intervention in Africa has caused nothing but trouble for the African people. White America rules? How interesting. What aspect of white America rules? The crime? The drugs? The racial discrimination? Students being gunned down in school? LA Riots? What part of white America do you like so much? BTW I am not Zulu.
cs3-15.spa.ptd.net I must admit, that Zulu tribesman thing was quite funny.
Hey ip203-153.cc.interlog.com... crimes and drugs in America are mostly black on black. Racial discrimination... there's something called affirmative action, where less qualified blacks can get into school or jobs over more qualified white people. LA riots... black youths dragging anyone who wasn't black out of their cars and trucks and beating the shit out of them... it was all on TV. Rodney King was on PCP. I thought that thing about the Zulu tribesman was funny too.
The White USA has had a history of repressing, killing, and harrassing blacks and other non-caucasians. Just like I said before, when the whitres have oppressed the other races then none of the whites will complain. When someone does the same back to them, then they complain. Affirmitive Action cant possibly compare to the centuries of repression and murder which the whites imposed onto the blacks and other races.
Mr. or Mrs. spider-ta064.proxy.aol.com what exactly has your US education taught you? (1)Slavery is........ok? (2)apartheid is.........ok? (3)colonialism is..........ok? (4)KKK is..............ok? (5)Selling opium to China and destroying families is......ok? (6)Atomic bomb is......ok? (7)Whites murdering innocent people is.......ok? (8)oppresing non-Caucasians is.......ok? (9)Whites supremacists are..........ok?
What a fucking joke. Nobody is an American anymore. If you were born and raised in America, you're an American. Go anywhere in the world - you are a fucking American. Not Irish, not Italian, not African, fuck, not even Korean or Japanese. A friend of mine here in Japan was born and raised in New York and the local Japanese consider him an American. By the way, the best way to move past particularly unpleasant periods of history (that will never be redeemed or corrected) is not to fucking yap about it forever. I don't give a fuck who you know who was victimized by war or any of the other bullshit, but if it didn't happen to you personally, shut the fuck up and quit pretending to get all uspet. Maybe one or two of you are actually sitting up late at night pondering these dilemmas, but the rest of you are full of shit and don't give this another thought once you go back to cruising the web. My point is, shut the fuck up already. If any one of you have children or bills to pay, you're wasting your fucking time here. Even me, at the moment, the only reason I'm writing this is I have way too much fucking time on my hands. Go out and do something useful with your misspent youth instead of just bitching. Bitching about things that you can't change and were never a part of. As for all the racist shit - I fucking hate everybody. The world will be homogenized soon enough and everyone's shit-picking arguments about skin color will become a very moot point. So I guess then you'll have to find real reasons to fuck with each other. But, apparently everyone has the time. Fuck, what a goddamn waste.....
The Legacy of War Crimes: Japan's War Criminals Are All but Ignored (23/3/97) By William Triplett The Washington Post Sunday, March 23 1997; Page C03 The painful reexamination of the Holocaust and other Nazi war crimes stands in sharp contrast to the tiny step the U.S. government recently made to correct its willfully blind policy toward Japan's war crimes, which included the murder and torture of civilians and military prisoners. In December the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) -- which has focused almost exclusively on Nazi war criminals since its inception in 1979, despite its mandate to pursue both Nazis and their allies -- took the biggest step toward redressing this imbalance by adding the first set of Japanese names to its nearly 70,000-member "watch list," until now a collection of alleged Nazi war criminals and sympathizers barred from entering the United States. Twelve of the 16 new suspects are veterans of the Japanese Imperial Army's infamous Unit 731, which conducted grotesque medical and biological warfare experiments on POWs, some of whom may have been Americans. The other four are believed to have been involved with "comfort women," the Japanese term for captured Chinese, Korean, Dutch, Malaysian and Filipino women forced into prostitution by the army. The additions to the list represent the first formal attempt by the U.S. government since the post-World War II war crimes trials to do something about Japanese war criminals who had escaped justice, and they are therefore indisputably a step in the right direction. The question remains whether the action might lead to what certain victims' rights groups have desperately sought for years -- shining as much light on Japan's wartime atrocities as has been shone on Germany's for the last half-century. The answer is no. Not even close. Eli Rosenbaum, director of OSI, says that his office has been trying for 10 years to develop information on Japanese war criminals, but, because of a dearth of Japanese records, a reluctance among victims to speak out and a general lack of interest among scholars, human rights groups and others, the going has been slow. "As far as World War II is concerned, the world's focus has clearly been on Europe. That's a historical injustice that we're trying to rectify," said Rosenbaum. Recently, he said, there have been some breakthroughs with documents and interviews coming into the public record on subjects such as the use of slave labor and the phenomenal death rates in Japanese prison camps. "There has been a learning curve internationally that the scholarly community has been on, that the media have been on, that human rights groups have been on," he said. The biggest obstructions have been the Japanese themselves. For the most part, they have refused to acknowledge their role in wartime atrocities; rather than confront the issue as Europeans have done, the Japanese have made deliberate efforts to keep it out of their textbooks. Unfortunately the American government has also done little to bring Japanese conduct into the open. As in Europe, the U.S. ran war crimes trials in Japan and convicted 25 of the 100 top officials it arrested. But the trials were cut short by the onset of the Cold War and a new strategy that called for molding Japan as a bulwark against communism. The prosecutions, it was felt, would only alienate the Japanese, whom the U.S. now needed as an ally. Rosenbaum estimates that several thousand Japanese escaped prosecution, and of those several hundred are still living and should be added to the watch list. It was a foreign policy of "selectivity, by which I mean based upon the needs of the moment," says Dick Rosen, a Japan specialist and professor of history and international studies at Utica College. A particulary cynical example of this was what happened with Unit 731. Despite evidence of their sadistic treatment of prisoners -- such as live dissection and testing the effects of germ bombs and frostbite on shackled subjects -- none of Unit 731's personnel ever appeared in the Tokyo war crimes tribunal. The U.S. military, with the full knowledge of the U.S. government, agreed to a deal offered by the unit commander -- all the results and data of the human experiments in exchange for blanket immunity. Most scholars have maintained that the U.S. government thought it would put them ahead in a germ warfare race with the Soviets. As evidence of the secret deal with Unit 731 began surfacing in the early 1980s, a number of former American POWs tried to get Congress to help substantiate their claims that medical experiments had been performed on them. But Greg Rodriquez, an advocate for the veterans, including his late father, says the effort proved futile. "Nothing happened," he remembers. After two hearings, Congress issued no reports or conclusions. It wasn't until early this decade, as memorial flames were beginning to be lit in honor of one World War II anniversary or another, that public interest in Japan's war crimes rekindled. For example, in 1991 a large segment of the Chinese-American community in California gathered at a service to remember the Rape of Nanking, where 200,000 civilians were slaughtered. Ignatius Ding, one of the organizers of the service, says it led to the founding of the Alliance for Preserving the Truth of the Sino-Japanese War, a group that has since been trying, without success, to get records from the Japanese government. The alliance then tried the U.S. government. "We ran into as much problem with the Americans as we did with the Japanese," Ding says. "The State Department has fought us bitterly every inch of the way," says Gil Hair, who is executive director of the Center for Internee Rights. "They said this would be an embarrassment in our relationship with the Japanese." State Department officials deny this. Rosenbaum maintains that, when he went to the State Department for its approval to put Japanese on the watch list the agency was "very supportive." Perhaps the climate is changing. The question, however, is what does this action -- long overdue for whatever reason -- really amount to? Some people can overlook the hypocrisy of denouncing suspected war criminals whom we once protected -- as long as the effort to start righting historical wrongs appears genuine. But the Clinton administration has no plans to press the Japanese into tracking down the 16 suspects (or any of the few hundred that the OSI expects to list eventually). In fact, the government hasn't even made the names public. Including the Unit 731 members on the list amounts to an anonymous warning to aging war criminals out there ("you know who you are") not to try visiting the United States. "This may only be a symbolic gesture," Rosenbaum concedes, "but symbolic gestures do have an impact when they come from the most powerful government in the world." The official reason to keep the 16 anonymous is to gain a sort of ripple effect: Other war criminals, not knowing whether they were on the list, would be deterred from trying to come here. But it could have more impact if the government would name names -- and continue to add more to the list. Reviving the issue of war crimes is about more than punishing the guilty; it's about rectifying the historical record so that we can understand everyone's role and prevent this from happening again. It's bad enough that younger Japanese people, innocent and to a large degree ignorant of their country's wartime atrocities, are in effect allowing the guilty and their crimes to remain hidden from world view. The U.S. government doesn't have to keep helping. Wasn't once enough? William Triplett is the author of "Flowering of the Bamboo," an account of a mass murder committed in post-war Japan.
For centuries there has been a conspiracy among geologists and archaeologists in Europe to deprive the people of Africa of their history. According to European archaeologists the only history in Africa is the European people's history in Africa, Africans themselves have no history (film: Africa A History Denied). The people of Africa however, have created magnificent sculptures and cities which the European people could only dream of creating. European fanatics have fallen to believe that a tribe of white people once lived in Africa. These imaginary white tribes are said to have lived in luxury and fortune. One city to have been denied its history is Great Zimbabwe, the capital of a large empire that once flourished in present day Zimbabwe. Great Zimbabwe was protected with a wall that was 20 feet in height. In 1871 German geologist and explorer Karl Mauch visited the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. Like many other European geologists at the time, he was blinded by great prejudice. The city, according to Karl Mauch, "could never have been built by blacks" (The Horizon History of Africa, pg 12). Mauch's fanatical summation became popular among many white South African settlers. James Theodore Bent, a British geologist, had also travelled to the ruins of great Zimbabwe. According to Bent, Great Zimbabwe "must have been built by a northern race closely akin to the Phoenician and Egyptian" (The Horizon History of Africa pg 9). Ironically, Theodore Bent had searched the city for artifacts which might prove that Great Zimbabwe was by Africans. He found crude potsherds, copper spearheads, and gold working crucibles - all of which were clearly of African origin. Bent had also found soapstone birds atop carved monoliths inside one fortress-like structure. This led Theodore Bent to believe that Great Zimbabwe had been built by a northernly race from either Assyria, Mycenae, Cyprus, Egypt or Phoenicia. Scottish philosopher David Hume agreed with this statement, adding: "black Africans have no ingenious manufactures among them, no arts, and no sciences" (The Horizon History of Africa pg.11). On the border of Zimbabwe and South Africa, there once existed a small but wealthy kingdom that had been established by the local Venda people. (film: Africa A History Denied) In 1935, an Afrikaner scientist attempted to find some remnants of this kingdom. He found only a golden sceptre and a golden rhinoceros figure. Further excavation of the area proved that a wealthy kingdom did in fact exist here. White settlers immediately claimed that this was the long lost kingdom of the white African tribes. In contradiction to this claim, Afrikaner archaeologists conducted further excavation of the area and found that the kingdom had been created circa 1200 - long before Europeans had set foot in Southern Africa. (film: Africa A History Denied) Afrikaner radicals continued to deny that Africans could have inhabited the Venda kingdom. The radicals believed that whites and blacks had arrived in South Africa at the same time, and that the black people in no way possessed the mental capacity or the technology needed to create any advanced kingdom in Southern Africa (film: Africa A History Denied). The Africans of the Swahili Coast of Africa, an area stretching from Somalia to Tanzania, have also seen much of their history vanish as a result of Western history revisionists. In the fourteenth century, the area stretching from Somalia to Tanzania was flourishing with trade and commerce. Along the Swahili Coast, merchants from the Arab world and the Orient traded with the Swahili merchants. African ivory was exchanged for Persian rugs, and gold was exchanged for porcelain. The Swahili people had a huge merchant empire stretching from Tanzania to the Middle East, to India, and to China. The Swahili merchants had firm control over all trade around the Indian Ocean. They navigated the dangerous seas and they delivered the goods from Africa. These merchants were pouring gold and ivory into the Middle East. Once, a giraffe was even delivered to China, causing a sensation in China's imperial court. (film: Africa A History Denied) However, the huge cities which lined the coasts of this area were said to have been built by Arabs, not Africans. "Experts" claimed that even the merchants and the landowners who operated the immense trade of goods on the Swahili Coast were Arabs, not Africans (film: Africa A History Denied). One such city to fall victim to these revisionist views was Kilwa. The ancient city of Kilwa on Africa's eastern coast is one of the most beautiful and well-constructed towns in the world. The city stands on an island encircled by water. Inside Kilwa are large buildings of stone and mortar with terraces. The city, which comes down to the shores, is protected by a wall and many towers. It could hold more than twelve thousand inhabitants. The country was luxuriant with many trees and gardens of all sorts of vegetables, citrons, lemons, oranges, sugar-canes, figs, and pomegranates. The people herded sheep and other flocks (African Civilizations, Graham Connah, pg 150). European archaeologists to Kilwa had not believed that it had been built by Africans. Portuguese merchants believed that they had stumbled upon an Arab outpost. The Arab sultans later claimed that Kilwa was built by previous rulers of the Islamic empire (film: Africa A History Denied). The claims by Europeans and Arabs to the building of African empires has not ended. And any attempt by African people to criticise the Western and Middle Eastern people's cultural destruction of Africa is often met by hostility by these people.
To Zero Tolerance: I guess you should rename this site "Unit 731 and white hypocrisy towards Africans".
Sushi Vocabulary Note: Upper-case letters represent long vowel sounds. See the pronunciation guide below for more details. Sushi a la carte aji -- horse mackerel akagai -- ark shell ama-ebi -- raw shrimp anago -- conger eel aoyagi -- round clam awabi -- abalone ayu -- sweetfish buri -- adult yellowtail chUtoro -- marbled tuna belly ebi -- boiled shrimp hamachi -- young yellowtail hamaguri -- clam hamo -- pike conger; sea eel hatahata -- sandfish hikari-mono -- various kinds of "shiny" fish, such as mackerel himo -- "fringe" around an ark shell hirame -- flounder hokkigai -- surf clam hotategai -- scallop ika -- squid ikura -- salmon roe inada -- very young yellowtail kaibashira -- eye of scallop or shellfish valve muscles kaiware -- daikon-radish sprouts kajiki -- swordfish kani -- crab kanpachi -- very young yellowtail karei -- flatfish katsuo -- bonito kazunoko -- herring roe kohada -- gizzard shad kuruma-ebi -- prawn maguro -- tuna makajiki -- blue marlin masu -- trout meji (maguro) -- young tuna mekajiki -- swordfish mirugai -- surf clam negi-toro -- tuna belly and chopped green onion ni-ika -- squid simmered in a soy-flavored stock nori-tama -- sweetened egg wrapped in dried seaweed Otoro -- fatty portion of tuna belly saba -- mackerel sake -- salmon sawara -- Spanish mackerel sayori -- (springtime) halfbeak seigo -- young sea bass shako -- mantis shrimp shima-aji -- another variety of aji shime-saba -- mackerel (marinated) shiromi -- seasonal "white meat" fish suzuki -- sea bass tai -- sea bream tairagai -- razor-shell clam tako -- octopus tamago -- sweet egg custard wrapped in dried seaweed torigai -- cockle toro -- choice tuna belly tsubugai -- Japanese "tsubugai" shellfish uni -- sea urchin roe Maki-zushi (sushi rolls) maki-mono -- vinegared rice and fish (or other ingredients) rolled in nori seaweed tekka-maki -- tuna-filled maki-zushi kappa-maki -- cucumber-filled maki-zushi tekkappa-maki -- selection of both tuna and cucumber rolls oshinko-maki -- -pickled-daikon (radish) rolls kaiware-maki -- daikon-sprout roll umejiso-maki -- Japanese ume plum and perilla-leaf roll negitoro-maki -- scallion-and-tuna roll chUtoro-maki -- marbled-tuna roll Otoro-maki -- fatty-tuna roll kanpyo-maki -- pickled-gourd rolls futo-maki -- a fat roll filled with rice, sweetened cooked egg, pickled gourd, and bits of vegetables nori-maki -- same as kanpyo-maki; in Osaka, same as futo-maki natto-maki -- sticky, strong-tasting fermented-soybean rolls ana-kyU-maki -- conger eel-and-cucumber rolls temaki -- hand-rolled cones made from dried seaweed maguro-temaki -- tuna temaki Other sushi terms nigiri(-zushi) -- pieces of raw fish over vinegared rice balls Edomae-zushi -- same as nigiri-zushi chirashi(-zushi) -- assorted raw fish and vegetables over rice tekka-don -- pieces of raw tuna over rice sashimi -- raw fish (without rice) chakin-zushi -- vinegared rice wrapped in a thin egg crepe inari-zushi -- vinegared rice and vegetables wrapped in a bag of fried tofu oshi-zushi -- Osaka-style sushi: squares of pressed rice topped with vinegared/cooked fish battera(-zushi) -- oshi-zushi topped with mackerel -tataki -- pounded, almost raw fish odori-ebi -- live ("dancing") shrimp oshinko -- Japanese pickles neta -- sushi topping wasabi -- Japanese horseradish gari -- vinegared ginger shOyu -- soy sauce
Maybe Nigeria should drop an atomic bomb on New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles. Then say "We did this because we wanted to save millions of white people's lives. If we had not bombed you, then many black people would have invaded your country and killed millions of innocent white people." And also say, "this is also for revenge for the 110 million black Africans who you monsters have killed". It should be interesting to see the white people's reaction.
TOKYO (June 24, 1998 00:15 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) -- In some ways, Japan is still fighting World War II. This summer the battle is being waged in movie theaters, where film buffs can revisit the postwar trial of Gen. Hideki Tojo, the architect of Japan's militarism. "Pride, the Fateful Moment" portrays the general as a loving family man, devoted to emperor and nation, and the victim of a vengeful victor's justice engineered by the United States. ___ The film has been roundly criticized by the Chinese government for its "whitewash" of history. It downplays the Nanking massacre, in which the Japanese Army killed as many as 300,000 people, Chinese historians say. ___ In Japan, the film has been endorsed by members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. More tellingly, it has become a resounding success. Despite foreign and domestic complaints about the film's revisionism, moviegoers have made it the country's most popular film. ___ "Pride" is the latest sign of a growing frustration in Japan about the way the war is seen, the endless apologizing the country is asked to do for the war, and how that still shapes the country today. The film's timing and popularity point to a political and social shift that has profound implications for Asia and the United States. ___ On a popular level, guilt is giving way to indifference and aggrieved pride, while politicians and academics are pushing for a reevaluation of the war. ___ "Pride" is part of a movement to foster patriotism in young Japanese by showing them, in the words of one proponent, a "correct" version of history. For Asian nations that have long warned about the dangers of a nationalistic Japan, these are troubling words at a troubling time. ___ In the last few years the disastrous Kobe earthquake, a terrorist gas attack on Tokyo's subways, soaring teen violence, and economic recession have left Japan demoralized and primed for a movement that can make it feel good about itself. ___ At the same time, a series of political missteps have left the Socialist Party, Japan's traditional watchdog on war-related matters, powerless to counter a campaign to introduce a more palatable history designed to foster greater national pride. ___ World War II underlies modern Asian politics with all the immediacy of this season's election campaign. The war still determines Japan's relationship with the United States -- guarantor of its security -- and shapes its self-image. ___ The political left and right in Japan agree that boosting patriotism is an important goal, but the war divides them as to how this should be done. ___ Japan fought World War II on behalf of its emperor using symbols of state - the rising sun flag and the "Kimigayo" national anthem that calls for the emperor's long reign - that are still in place. ___ For many, those symbols have been sullied by the acts committed in their name. This perceived violation strikes deep chords in a culture where the indigenous religion, Shinto, is built on concepts of purity and pollution. The left-wing national teachers union strongly resists attempts to use the flag and anthem at schools. On the right, the reaction has been to correct the perceived contamination. ___ Nobukatsu Fujioka, a Tokyo University education professor, leads the Liberal View of History Study Group that calls for the deletion of textbook references to the Nanking massacre or the Japanese army's use of sex slaves, euphemized as "comfort women" at the time. ___ These scandals, Fujioka argues, are manufactured for political and economic reasons. "The Nanking massacre is a totally made-up case," he says. ___ Japanese textbooks contain little about the war that would help students understand Asia's lingering resentment toward Japan, and this has certainly affected the response to "Pride." Yet Fujioka's group says these texts teach children a "masochistic" view of the past and want it replaced with "correct" history that inculcates pride. "It's extremely important to look at our history with properly balanced eyes, not oppressed by the forces of Western countries," he says. ___ Fujioka and his group have support in high places. "Japan's postwar education, in terms of fostering patriotism, is a complete disaster," says Kenzo Yoneda, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The victor's postwar policy, he adds, was to deprive Japan of its pride. ___ "We cannot accept forgery in our history," Yoneda argues. ___ That resentment of the United States, and Japan's long subordination to the United States in foreign-policy matters, spells trouble for U.S.-Japan ties, argues Gavan McCormack, a professor of Japanese history at Australia's National University in Canberra. ___ "Formidable media, corporate, academic, and political forces are echoing right-wing anti-U.S. resentment," he says. "There's a bitterness that expresses itself in movements like the film 'Pride.' " ___ Discussing war-related issues is difficult, though. Right-wing groups react to any perceived slight against the emperor or the nation, often with physical violence that inhibits debate. ___ "If you attack anything Japan did during the war, in a way you're attacking the emperor, the Kimigayo, the flag, this whole system that people associate with the core essence of what Japan is," says Mark Schilling, a Tokyo-based author of books on Japanese culture. "It's a very sensitive issue." ___ When Yokohama theater owner Kikuo Fukuju launched his Asian film festival, he screened the Chinese-made film "Nanking 1937," which shows Japanese troops committing atrocities. On opening night, a member of a local right-wing group slashed the screen with a knife. ___ Despite a heavy police presence at Fukuju's theater and home, other members of the group have circled the theater and his house in a sound truck blaring criticism about him and the film. His wife has received threatening letters and phone calls, and attendance has trickled to some 30 people a show. "I don't know when the bullet will come through the window," he says. ___ The strategies of these right-wing groups and academics like Fujioka stoke and are stoked by a growing Asian awareness and activism about the war that can only heighten tensions. ___ More than 50 years after the fact, Japan's wartime actions are discussed around the world more thoroughly than ever before, thanks to shifts in scholarly focus at Chinese universities, the growing influence of Asians in the United States, and growing awareness about human rights in Southeast Asia. ___ In the United States, "The Rape of Nanking," Iris Chang's book describing the Japanese army's brutal invasion of the city, recently became a surprise best seller, spawning academic conferences, documentaries, plans for a Los Angeles museum, a film, and a musical in Singapore. ___ It has met with harsh condemnation from Fujioka and other prominent Japanese academics, who recently held a forum to discredit the book's claims. ______ By Nicole Gaouette, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Every one out there that said something bad about my race should be ashamed of yourselves you don't know me and have don't have any idea how I am. You don't know that I eat food just like anybody out there. The people that only had vicious remarks to say sounds like you are full of hate and need to get something else to think of. Anytime you look at someone for there colour, race, age, how much money some one has then you need to take a look at yourself and wonder why you do that. If you think you have a ligitamet reason then you have to realize that the other haters out there think that their reasons for hating are just as legitamet as anyone elses. So as soon as we stop hating because some race did something to our race then you can finally live and not hate all the time. Maybe you can guess my race and maybe you can't but dose that really matter.
About the movie "Pride", I do not think it is any less revisionist than American nationalistic movies. While I do not support the theme of this movie, I really don't think Americans are in any position to pass judgement. To: ip po-or-ts1-ip1-146.linkport.com. I guess you are right in a way. I have been making wide generalisations about white people. But if you lived under the colonial rule of a racist and genocidal people, you would be very bitter too.
First off all of you african half-wits need to lighten up if any of you even tried anything with Europe or America your asses would be in a world of shit. Besides how are you planning on nukeing America or Europe when not even one african country has nuclear capability. Of course america has done bad things in the past but then so has EVERY other country in the world that has ever existed. But that is the PAST as in already happened there is no way to change it. and EVERYONE needs to calm their asses down. and if it wasn't for america being so diplomatic alot of countries wouldn't even exist anymore and most of them are in the middle east who I personly believe are a bunch of morons "Hey everyone let's piss off one of the most powerful nations on earth." We kicked the shit out of iraq and we'll kick the shit out of anyone else who fucks with us! LONG LIVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!
The USA is the Great Satan. Nobody likes it except for Americans. Americans are the most arrogant, ignorant, and callous people. Their education system is a mess, their crime is way out of control. American teenagers have no morals at all, and when they finally come into power the USA will break into anarchy. The USA will be destroyed by its own internal problems. Such as gender issues, racial issues, AIDS, out of control teenagers, and soaring crime. BTW, my main anger is not at the USA. It is the Euro Trash I hate.
First off all of you african half-wits need to lighten up if any of you even tried anything with Europe or America your asses would be in a world of shit. Besides how are you planning on nukeing America or Europe when not even one african country has nuclear capability. Of course america has done bad things in the past but then so has EVERY other country in the world that has ever existed. But that is the PAST as in already happened there is no way to change it. and EVERYONE needs to calm their asses down. and if it wasn't for america being so diplomatic alot of countries wouldn't even exist anymore and most of them are in the middle east who I personly believe are a bunch of morons "Hey everyone let's piss off one of the most powerful nations on earth." We kicked the shit out of iraq and we'll kick the shit out of anyone else who fucks with us! LONG LIVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!
No african country has nuclear ability? Is that what your "free press" told you?
If Japan's history education stinks, what about the U.S.? There's a girl in my college class who thought that Neil Armstrong was the first guy to walk on Mars!
No I didn't hear it on our free press and that's all I can tell you.
Japanese Film's Role Reversals___In 'Pride,' Gen. Tojo Praised, Americans Mocked___By Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan__Washington Post Foreign Service__Monday, May 25, 1998; Page B01_____TOKYO__Finally, a feel-good World War II movie for the Japanese.___"Pride, the Fateful Moment" turns the tables on generations of Hollywood war films in which decent American military heroes avenge the atrocities of Japanese militarists who are almost comically sneaky and evil in their little brimmed hats. ___ The new film, which opened Saturday, is gathering steam like a locomotive here. In it, Americans are drawn as cartoonish bad guys -- big, awkward, mean and vindictive braggarts who trample all over the humble and mild-mannered Japanese citizens of the postwar U.S. occupation. The Americans shout and sweat and rage and connive. The Japanese speak politely, love deeply and suffer their boorish conquerors with dignity. ___ "Pride," a major picture from one of Japan's leading studios, Toei Co., tells the story of Gen. Hideki Tojo, the prime minister who led much of Japan's war effort. Hanged as a war criminal in 1948, Tojo emerges in this new movie as a loving husband and gentle grandfather with an admirable devotion to his emperor and his nation. ___ Fifty years after the war, a remarkable perception gap still exists between Japan and the rest of the world. Japan's stance on World War II remains a central element of its relationship with China, South Korea and other Asian nations who suffered at the hands of Japanese soldiers. Many in those neighboring countries are still deeply angry at what they see as Japan's lack of remorse, and "Pride," which producers hope will eventually be released in the United States, is certain to inflame those bad feelings. ___ "Pride" is actually as Hollywood as Hollywood -- a splash of documentary in a sea of entertainment, the genre perfected by Oliver Stone in "JFK" and "Nixon." In this treatment, the man who helped make "Banzai" a terrifying household word in American homes becomes a pretty sweet old duffer. Gen. Tojo, apparently, loved nothing more than raising tomatoes with his wife. ___ Certainly, many Japanese don't agree. Ezra Vogel of Harvard University, one of America's leading scholars on Japan and China, said the philosophy expressed in the movie represents "only one Japanese view of things," and that many Japanese believe the war-era military was never held fully accountable for its conduct. ___ Yukio Matsuyama, a professor of American politics in Tokyo and former chief editorial writer for the influential Asahi Shimbun newspaper, shook his head after a recent screening of the movie. "Counterproductive," he said. ___ "The movie may encourage hawkish, conservative people, but will have scarcely any influence over the majority," he said. "I hope no youngsters will be influenced by it." ___ Portrayed by Masahiko Tsugawa, one of Japan's most famous actors, Tojo comes across the way many Japanese continue to see wartime Japan: honorable, if ultimately mistaken and overzealous in its pursuit of the war. ___ For many in the West, Tojo's mustache and shaved head have come to symbolize the militarism and fanaticism that produced the kamikaze pilots and the gory battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. But in this movie, Tojo's only fanaticism is his devotion to duty and to nation. His shaved head here suggests wisdom, his impassive face strength and decency. His mustache becomes a plaything for the cute, chubby fingers of an adoring grandson. ___ "I wanted to depict Tojo as a human being -- not a hero, but a human being trapped by history," said Hideaki Kase, a political historian who was a driving force behind the movie. Kase was also an adviser to former prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of Japan's leading conservatives. ___ "We wanted to present to Japan and the world that Japan is not solely responsible for the Pacific war and that the so-called Tokyo Trial was unjust, illegal and unfair," Kase said. ___ The central dramatic device of "Pride" is that trial (officially named the International Military Tribunal for the Far East). In Japan's version of the Nuremburg trials in Germany, Tojo and six other defendants were sentenced to hang. ___ In the movie, the trial is depicted as an act of revenge dressed up as a legal proceeding. The lead American prosecutor is shown hissing privately to the chief judge that the trial is not about justice, but Washington's desire to completely humiliate and neutralize Japan. ___ On screen several of the justices, as well as the American and Japanese lawyers assigned to defend the military leaders, raise questions about the trial's fairness. How could the victors, who had suffered enormous casualties at the hands of the Japanese military, fairly judge the accused? ___ When Tojo's lawyers ask why the defendants' crimes were any worse than dropping an atomic bomb on civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the movie shows how prosecutors interrupted Japanese translation and censored the remarks in the press and official trial record. In fact, the film's portrayal is generally accurate. But by showcasing the flaws of the trial, the filmmakers are clearly attempting to suggest that other historical interpretations of the war are also wrong. ___ The film presents grisly testimony from a priest who says he was present in Nanking during the infamous slaughter of Chinese there. But under cross-examination, he admits he actually witnessed only one killing. The message: Nanking wasn't as bad as it's been made out. And the larger message: People have been lying about Japan for too long, and it's time for that to stop. ___ The movie's release coincides with widespread publicity in America for "The Rape of Nanking," by American author Iris Chang. That book is a spectacularly graphic account of the rapes, beheadings and other murders that Japanese troops committed in 1937 in Nanking. Chang puts the death toll at more than 300,000. The book has infuriated some historians and portions of the general public here, who claim that Chang's book grossly overstates the death toll, is based on hearsay and uses some unauthenticated photos. ___ As international criticism of the movie has risen, a government spokesman said last week that the movie "in no way reflects the position of the government of Japan." He went on to say that Japan felt "deep remorse and heartfelt apology" for those who "underwent tremendous pain and suffering during the war." ___ Many Western scholars say that Japan has not fully opened its archives from the war period. The country glosses over this period in its textbooks. Government officials remain reluctant to examine the era. Japanese have traditionally abhorred confrontation and controversy, preferring to avoid uncomfortable subjects. For decades, discussing the war was taboo. ___ But that is beginning to change, and "Pride" is part of the cultural shift. ___ Even though several Japanese prime ministers have issued what seem to be sincere apologies for suffering caused by Japan during World War II, few of Japan's Asian neighbors pay attention. Instead, they talk about their fears that Japan will "rise again," and they insist Japan has never apologized adequately. ___ According to Vogel, some neighboring countries have taken advantage of Japan's official "silence" on the war for their own purposes. China has hardly come to terms with its own ugly past in the Great Leap Forward and even in the Tiananmen Square incident, but the government quickly seizes on any opportunity to criticize Japan to further its own nationalist agenda. ___ Ironically, although Japan is assailed in other countries for not apologizing enough, within Japan critics condemn the government for failing to respond to what they see as unfair demands for repentance. ___ "Pride, the Fateful Moment" should make those people very happy.
Published Thursday, July 2, 1998, in the San Jose Mercury News _____ Refused entry, `war criminal' says U.S., Japan avoiding truth ____ BY MICHAEL ZIELENZIGER Mercury News Tokyo Bureau ______ YOKAICHIBA, Japan -- When Yoshio Shinozuka boarded a flight from Tokyo to Chicago last week, he was planning to tell Americans about ``the inhuman acts'' he helped carry out as a member of the Japanese Imperial Army's infamous Unit 731, which tried to infect Chinese civilians with typhus and bubonic plague and conducted biological experiments on Chinese prisoners of war. ___ But when Shinozuka, 74, shuffled to the head of the immigration line at O'Hare Airport and handed over his Japanese passport, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officers greeted him harshly. ___ ``They scanned my passport on a computer,'' the 74-year-old, white-haired former soldier recalled Wednesday. ``There was a beep and they took me to another room.'' Within hours, he was back on a plane to Tokyo, the first Japanese to be barred from entering the United States for ``crimes against humanity.'' ___ In an interview at the Buddhist temple he helps manage, the ex-soldier said the Justice Department's decision will obstruct efforts to reveal the full extent of Japanese brutality during World War II -- brutality that official Japan still denies. ___ The Justice Department's ``watch list,'' which identifies war criminals barred from entering the United States, ``is a tool to distort and cover up the reality of what really happened,'' Shinozuka charged, as he sat on a straw mat on the floor of the rural temple about 60 miles west of Tokyo. ___** Deal suspected **___ He said he suspects that the Japanese and American governments made a deal to keep him out of America because high-ranking officers in his unit, including commanding officer Shiro Ishii, were never prosecuted after the war. In previous years, he said, prominent doctors and politicians who served with Unit 731 entered the United States regularly. ___ Saburo Ienaga, a professor of Japanese history who has battled with mixed success to get Japanese high school textbooks to include the facts of the country's conduct in World War II, said he suspects that the U.S. government fears Shinozuka's testimony would embarrass American officials. ___ ``The U.S. released members of Unit 731 after the war in order to get the know-how of biological weapons,'' Ienaga said. ``Even Gen. Ishii was not prosecuted at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. So it is possible that if the U.S. allows Shinozuka in and lets him speak, he will cause them problems, not because of what he did, but because of what he knows.'' ___** Justice Dept. adamant **___ A Justice Department official, however, said the watch list is to keep war criminals out of the United States, not to prevent Americans from learning the truth about Japanese or German war crimes. ___ ``We are adamant that war criminals will not be allowed into the United States,'' said John Russell, a Justice Department official. ``There are facilities for them to send a message into the United States, either through satellite or through video equipment. There is no need for them to come to the United States.'' ___ The Justice Department barred Shinozuka as a result of a 1996 decision to add 16 suspected Japanese war criminals to the list, which already contained names of more than 60,000 Nazi war criminals. The list was created by an act of Congress during the 1970s. Last year, 17 more Japanese were added. ___ Most Japanese on the list are scientists or doctors who were attached to Unit 731. Others are suspected of involvement in the Imperial Army's procurement of sex slaves -- euphemistically referred to as ``comfort women'' -- throughout Asia. ___ But Shinozuka argued that those like himself who want to tell the truth about war crimes should not be on the watch list. He and 86-year-old Shiro Azuma, a witness to the Japanese army's brutal 1937 occupation of Nanking, China, had planned to discuss their wartime activities as part of an exhibit sponsored by the Cupertino-based Global Alliance for Preserving the History of World War II in Asia. But Azuma got a severe cold and abandoned his plan to go abroad. The exhibit will visit four other North American cities before stopping in San Francisco on July 5-19. ___** Credibility at stake **___ Shinozuka said he fears that being barred from the United States will damage his credibility as a witness for the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in Tokyo last year by 108 Chinese, seeking compensation for damages inflicted by Japanese germ-warfare attacks in 1940. ___ Asia scholars estimate that more than 15 million civilians died in China as a result of barbarism and neglect during the 14-year Japanese occupation that began with the invasion of Manchuria in 1931. ___ In 1939, at age 16, Shinozuka enlisted in the Japanese Imperial Army and was ordered to Harbin, Manchuria. He was assigned to a laboratory where biological-warfare agents, including cholera, typhus and deadly viruses, were being mass-produced. ___ Later, he helped breed fleas that were infected with bubonic plague. He worked on mass-producing anthrax, typhoid and other deadly germs that the Japanese sprayed on Chinese civilians from airplanes. ___ He also has testified to participating in at least five live autopsies, in which Chinese soldiers were vivisected to see if they had been infected with the plague. Each organ was methodically excised while a doctor listened to the patient's heartbeat. ___ ``At the time the war was being fought, I had no idea I was a war criminal, but I knew I was part of a secret unit,'' Shinozuka said. ``I figured if a person can be shot with one bullet, what's wrong with using this person's body as an experiment for developing medical industries? Besides, I had been taught in school that the emperor is the son of God and that we are different from other Asians. . . . Whatever orders we received from commanders of Unit 731 we followed, because they were imperial orders.'' ___ After the war, Shinozuka was imprisoned by the Chinese for five years for his participation in Unit 731. It was while he was in detention that he began to express remorse.
Published Monday, July 6, 1998, in the San Jose Mercury News___ Asian-Americans at S.F. exhibit condemn Japan's war crimes __ BY KEN MCLAUGHLIN Mercury News Staff Writer _____ TREASURE ISLAND -- During World War II, Kenji Taguma's family was tossed into a U.S. internment camp with others of Japanese descent. So, Taguma says, he has always felt the pain of ethnic prejudice. ___ But a few years ago, when the 28-year-old San Franciscan began dating a Chinese-American woman, the pain came from an unexpected source. His girlfriend's mother had seen Japanese Imperial Army soldiers murder her father during Japan's ruthless 14-year occupation of China. To the mother, her daughter was dating just another ``evil Japanese.'' ___ Taguma was one of several Japanese-Americans who joined forces Sunday with Chinese-Americans at the Bay Area opening of an exhibit on Japan's wartime atrocities, often called ``the Forgotten Holocaust.'' ___ As people of Japanese heritage, the speakers said, they are ashamed not only of Japan's actions during World War II but also of the government's refusal to formally apologize or pay reparations to the victims -- as the U.S. government did for Japanese-American internees. ___ ``Japanese-Americans must join in the voices of protest,'' Dr. Clifford Uyeda, a retired San Francisco pediatrician who is a past president of the Japanese American Citizens League, told a crowd of more than 600 gathered outside Treasure Island's Navy Library. ___ ``For far too long we have remained silent'' about the atrocities, said Taguma, a third-generation Japanese-American who noted that his girlfriend's mother has come to accept him and realize ``we are not all murderers.'' ___** Soldiers barred **___ The exhibit, sponsored by the Cupertino-based Global Alliance for Preserving the History of World War II in Asia, made history last month when two former members of the Imperial Army became the first Japanese barred from the United States and Canada for ``crimes against humanity.'' ___ The men had wanted to join the five-city tour, which is trying to publicize the fact that more than 15 million Chinese civilians died from Japanese savagery and neglect during the occupation, which began in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria. ___ Although the refusal to allow the alleged war criminals to speak gave the tour a shot of publicity, organizers are still fuming that the U.S. Justice Department used the exhibit as an opportunity to enforce its ``watch list.'' ___[...]___ The exhibit at Treasure Island deals graphically with the history of Unit 731, the ``comfort women'' and the ``Rape of Nanking.'' ___[...]___ Three years ago, the Mercury News reported that a declassified U.S. military file provided clear evidence that U.S. intelligence agents didn't pursue abundant leads indicating U.S. prisoners of war in Mukden, Manchuria, were the victims of biological warfare experiments. ___ The unwillingness to pursue the allegations apparently stemmed from a secret deal granting the Japanese immunity from prosecution in exchange for tissue samples and reports on human experimentation that might help give the U.S. a germ warfare advantage over the Soviets. ___** Claims dismissed **___ A Justice Department official last week dismissed Shinozuka's allegations as nonsense, saying that the department was simply ``adamant that war criminals will not be allowed into the United States.'' ___ The other barred Japanese, 86-year-old Shiro Azuma, an ex-soldier who took part in the Rape of Nanking became ill and decided to remain in Japan. ___ Their attorney, Koken Tsuchiya, said Sunday that he was upset the U.S. and Canadian governments had waited until the 11th hour to deny the men entry, even though they knew about the trip for two months. ___ ``They had a strong motivation to confess, to make peace,'' he said. ``They should have let them in.''
Daily Yomiuri -- July 20, 1998 _____ Revised curriculum just more of the same? -------- Ginko Kobayashi---Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer ___ This is the second in a series of reports on the likely effects of the new school curriculum, which is to start in 2002. After two years of discussions, the Curriculum Council compiled a proposal last month. The council is to submit its proposal to the education minister later this summer. ___ A new school curriculum and a five-day school week will be introduced at primary and middle schools in academic year 2002 and at high schools in 2003. ___ The recurrent themes of the Curriculum Council's discussions have been: fostering students' sense of individuality; reducing the pressure placed on students in the school environment; and giving children "ikiru chikara" (strength to live). Children will be encouraged to find and solve problems by themselves, and two new classes will be added to the curriculum to facilitate this: sogoteki na gakushu no jikan (a comprehensive studies class) and an information technology class. ___ Still, some educators believe the Curriculum Council's recommendations for the new curriculum are just partial measures, and that the council won't deliver what it promises in its "ikiru chikara" slogan. ___ This week we interviewed Waseda University Prof. Tetsuo Shimomura, a specialist in education management. Shimomura doesn't believe the new curriculum will change things much. Schools, he says, will continue to function as training grounds for entrance examinations, and will continue to be governed by rigid rules. Creating a freer atmosphere depends on individual teachers and schools, according to Shimomura, and it is something that could be achieved even under the current education system. * * * ___[...]___ Daily Yomiuri: Allowing schools to introduce their own ideas into the classroom is encouraged under the new curriculum, yet schools are still restricted to using authorized textbooks screened by the government. Do you think the current deregulations will extend to the textbook screening process? ----- Shimomura: The school textbook is merely one of a variety of teaching materials. How it is used depends on the teacher's abilities. We don't have to adhere to the text the way teachers did before World War II. ___ DY: Still, social studies textbooks have been the focus of media attention for a long time. During the latest screening, the ministry objected when a textbook asserted in the main body of its text that 200,000 people were killed in Nanjing during World War II, but added in its notes section that the Chinese side says 300,000 were killed. The ministry said that because the descriptions were inconsistent, the publisher needed to say that the 300,000 includes those who were injured. ----- Shimomura: But it doesn't make any difference in terms of what was done there, even if the description changes. The (atrocity) doesn't get any less serious, even if the number is reported as 30,000. Besides, even if the textbook cited 200,000 victims, teachers can still introduce the 300,000 figure. We shouldn't underestimate a teacher's abilities. "Academic freedom" is recognized both in Japan and the United States. In the United States, it is part of the teacher's employment contract. This means that when you are teaching a specific theory, you have to spend the same amount of time teaching a contradictory theory. When we think about the textbook issue in this light, we feel much better. ___ DY: Do you think the government should continue with its current textbook screening system? ----- Shimomura: I don't think it's necessary, particularly for high school texts. If we must do it for primary and middle schools, the ministry's opinions should be stated as such in writing. I would also suggest paying the screening officers much more, so that we can choose people with greater academic expertise. Schools themselves--rather than boards of education--should be able to choose the textbooks they use. If you don't choose them yourself, you're not going to teach from them with much passion, are you? Private schools do this; public schools should be able to do it, too. The choices are made from among authorized, pre-screened textbooks written according to the ministry's prescribed course of study. So there shouldn't be any problem. But at the moment, there's still not much freedom in this regard. ___ DY: Lastly, what do you think of the council's recommendation that the national flag be hoisted and the national anthem sung in class? The current course of study already advocates this, but the new curriculum would give it greater priority. ----- Shimomura: Even if it's included in the (new) course of study, you won't be able to force students to do it. The course of study sets out rules of teaching--it binds teachers but doesn't regulate the activities of students. Students have freedom of thought and feeling. You can't admonish children who don't bow before the national flag. You can't force it on them. This new curriculum looks soft on the surface but it has a hard core. If the national flag were raised in every home, and everybody in the nation found it natural to sing the song and hoist the flag, then of course it would be natural for schools to follow suit. Schools should follow, not lead, in this regard. Since the Meiji period (1868-1912), and especially before World War II, the schools have played a leading public role. So officials have a hard time giving up this way of thinking. But it's better if schools follow what the public wants to do in this regard. ---------------------
Maybe I have no right to comment on this particular subject as I have never been at the hands of any of these monsters, however most countries in this world have special units that deal in phycological warefare of this kind of nature. If this particular unit should be held up and set as a standard in wrongness, then people should do more research on all nations before saying that this was the worst case.
GERM WARFARE ----- The Hall of Shame ---------- (http://home.earthlink.net/~bkonop/) ________ The United States has a long history of experimentation, on unwitting human subjects, which goes back to the beginning of this century. Both private firms and the military have used unknowing human populations to test various theories. However, the extent to which human experimentation has been a part of the U.S. Biological Weapons programs will probably never be known. The following examples are taken from information declassified in 1977, and from other private source accounts. Several involve incidents which are still of unknown origins and which cannot be fully explained: _____ 1900: ___ A U.S. doctor doing research in the Philippines infected of number of prisoners with the Plague. He continued his research by inducing Beriberi in another 29 prisoners. The experiments resulted in two known fatalities. ______ 1915: ___ A doctor in Mississippi produced Pellagra in twelve white Mississippi inmates in an attempt to discover a cure for the disease. ______ 1931: ___ The Puerto Rican Cancer Experiment was undertaken by Dr. Cornelius Rhoads. Under the auspices of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Investigations, Rhoads purposely infected his subjects with cancer cells. Thirteen of the subjects died. When the experiment was uncovered, and in spite of Rhoads' written opinions that the Puerto Rican population should be eradicated, Rhoads went on to establish U.S. Army Biological Warfare facilities in Maryland, Utah, and Panama. He later was named to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and was at the heart of the recently revealed radiation experiments on prisoners, hospital patients, and soldiers. ______ 1932: ___ The Tuskegee Syphilis Study began. Two hundred (200) poor black men with syphilis began a long term experiment in which those men were to be studied. They were never told of their illness, and treatment was denied them. As many as 100 of the original 200 died as a direct or indirect result of the illness. The wives and children of the subjects also suffered as a result of the disease. (The government office supervising the study was the predecessor to today's Centers for Disease Control (CDC)). ______ 1940's: ___ In a crash program to develop new drugs to fight Malaria during World War II, doctors in the Chicago area infected nearly 400 prisoners with the disease. Although the Chicago inmates were given general information that they were helping with the war effort, they were not provided adequate information in accordance with the later standards set by the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal. Nazi doctors on trial at Nuremberg cited the Chicago studies as precedents to defend their own behavior in aiding the German war effort. ______ 1950: ___ The U.S. Navy sprayed a cloud of bacteria over San Francisco. The Navy claimed that the bacteria was harmless, and used only to track a simulated attack, but many San Francisco residents became ill with pneumonia-like symptoms, and one is known to have died. ______ 1950 - 1953: ___ An array of germ warfare weapons were allegedly used against North Korea. Accounts claim that there were releases of feathers infected with anthrax, fleas and mosquitoes dosed with Plague and Yellow Fever, and rodents infected with a variety of diseases. These were precisely the same techniques used in immunity from prosecution in exchange for the results of that research. The Eisenhower administration later pressed Sedition Charges against three Americans who published charges of these activities. However, none of those charged were convicted. ______ 1952 - 1953: ___ In another series of experiments, the U.S. military released clouds of "harmless" gases over six (6) U.S. and Canadian cities to observe the potential for similar releases under chemical and germ warfare scenarios. A follow-up report by the military noted the occurrence of respiratory problems in the unwitting civilian populations. ______ 1955: ___ The Tampa Bay area of Florida experienced a sharp rise in Whooping Cough cases, including 12 deaths, after a CIA test where a bacteria withdrawn from the Army's Chemical and Biological Warfare arsenal was released into the environment. Details of the test are still classified. ______ 1956 - 1958: ___ In Savannah, Georgia and Avon Park, Florida, the Army carried out field tests in which mosquitoes were released into residential neighborhoods from both ground level and from aircraft. Many people were swarmed by Mosquitoes, and fell ill, some even died. After each test, U.S. Army personnel posing as public health officials photographed and tested the victims. It is theorized that the mosquitoes were infected with a strain of Yellow Fever. However, details of the testing remain classified. ______ 1965: ___ In a three year study, 70 volunteer prisoners at the Holmesburg State Prison in Philadelphia were subjected to tests of dioxin, the highly toxic chemical contaminant in Agent Orange. Lesions which the men developed were not treated and remained for up to seven months. None of the subjects was informed that they would later be studied for the development of cancer. This was the second such experiment which Dow Chemical undertook on "volunteers" who did not receive the information which the world proclaimed was necessary for "informed consent" at Nuremberg. ______ 1966: ___ The U.S. Army dispensed a bacillus throughout the New York City subway system. Materials available on the incident noted the Army's justification for the experiment was the fact that there are many subways in the (former) Soviet Union, Europe, and South America. Although there are no harmful effects known for this release, details of the experiment are still classified. ______ 1968 - 1969: ___ The CIA experimented with the possibility of poisoning drinking water by injecting a chemical substance into the water supply of the Food And Drug Administration in Washington, D.C.. There were no harmful effects noted from this experiment. However, none of the human subjects in the building were ever asked for their permission, nor was anyone provided with information on the nature or effects of the chemical used. ______ 1969: ___ On June 9, 1969, Dr. D.M. McArtor, then Deputy Director of Research and Technology for the Department of Defense, appeared before the House Subcommittee on Appropriations to request funding for a project to produce a synthetic biological agent for which humans have not yet acquired a natural immunity. Dr. McArtor asked for $10 million dollars to produce this agent over the next 5-10 years. The Congressional Record reveals that according to the plan for the development of this germ agent, the most important characteristic of the new disease would be "that it might be refractory [resistant] to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon which we depend to maintain our relative freedom from infectious disease". AIDS first appeared as a public health risk ten years later. ______ 1972: ___ President Nixon announced a ban on the production and use of biological (but not chemical) warfare agents. However, as the Army's own experts reveal, this ban is meaningless because the studies required to protect against biological warfare weapons are generally indistinguishable from those for chemical weapons. ______ 1977: ___ Ray Ravenhott, director of the population program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), publicly announced the agency's goal to sterilize one quarter of the world's women. In reports by the St Louis Post-Dispatch, Ravenhott in essence cited the reasoning for this being U.S. corporate interests in avoiding the threat of revolutions which might be spawned by chronic unemployment. ______ 1980-1981: ___ Within months of their incarceration in detention centers in Miami and Puerto Rico, many male Haitian refugees developed an unusual condition called "gynecomasia". This is a condition in which males develop full female breasts. A number of the internees at Ft. Allen in Puerto Rico claimed that they were forced to undergo a series of injections which they believed to be hormones. ______ 1981: ___ More than 300,000 Cubans were stricken with dengue hemorrhagic fever. An investigation by the magazine 'Covert Action Information Bulletin', which tracks the workings of various intelligence agencies around the world, suggested that this outbreak was the result of a release of mosquitoes by Cuban counterrevolutionaries. The magazine tracked the activities of one CIA operative from a facility in Panama to the alleged Cuban connections. During the last 30 years, Cuba has been subjected to an enormous number of outbreaks of human and crop diseases which are difficult to attribute purely natural causes. ______ 1982: ___ El Salvadoran trade unionists claimed that epidemics of many previously unknown diseases had cropped up in areas immediately after U.S. directed aerial bombings. There is no hard evidence to support these charges. However, the pattern and types of outbreaks are consistent with the claims. ______ 1985: ___ An outbreak of Dengue fever strikes Managua Nicaragua shortly after an increase of U.S. aerial reconnaissance missions. Nearly half of the capital city's population was stricken with the disease, and several deaths have been attributed to the outbreak. It was the first such epidemic in the country and the outbreak was nearly identical to that which struck Cuba a few years earlier (1981). Dengue fever variations were the focus of much experimentation at the Army's Biological Warfare test facility at Ft. Dietrick, Maryland prior to the 'ban' on such research in 1972. ______ 1985: ___ In ruling on a case in which a former U.S. Army sergeant attempted to bring a lawsuit against the Army for using experimental drugs on him, without his knowledge, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that allowing such an action against the military would disrupt the chain of command. Thus, nearly all potential actions against the military for past, or future, misdeeds have been barred as have actions aimed at the release of classified documents on the subject. ______ 1987: ___ As the result of a lawsuit by a public interest group, the Department of Defense was forced to reveal the fact that it still operated Chemical and Biological Warfare (CBW) research programs at 127 sites around the United States. ______ 1996: ___ Under pressure from Congress and the public, after a 60 Minutes segment, the U.S. Department of Defense finally admits that at least 20,000 U.S. servicemen "may" have been exposed to chemical weapons during operation 'Desert Storm'. This exposure came as a result of the destruction of a weapons bunker. Causes of the similar illnesses of other troops, who were not in this area, have not yet been explained, other than as post traumatic stress syndromes. Veterans groups have released information that many of the problems may be a result of experimental vaccines and innoculations which were provided troops during the military buildup. -------------------------------
I found this site. Very imformative on Japanese war crimes. Especially, the discussion board.
I am a Chinese, Attended University in Japan, have a Japanese wife, and currently living in the US. I feel no special animosity towards Japan nor the west. The Chinese have been victims in History at the hands of the British(Opium Wars), Western Imperial Nations, as well as Japan. Even though the British Opium War precipitated more damage on the Chinese people than anything in modern history and I Personally am not aware of any official apology from the British government, I do not feel animosity for the British people today. The Sino-Japanese Wars, on the other hand, was much more brutal and inhumane. To add injury to insult, (1) no more than a handful of the war criminals were ever convicted for their crime against humanity, (2) known war criminals worked as high ranking officials of government and academia after WWII, (3) Even now, High ranking Government officials and politicians, including the Japanese ambassador to the US, Saito, continues to deny or downplay the Nanking Massacre, operation of brothels by the Japanese Imperial Army, or the human experiments conducted by Unit 731 in Harbin. (4) Conspiration to hide the truth about Japan's recent history for the next generation. What bothers me most is that these are being perpatuated by highly educated Japanese elite. Moreover, I am afraid they are successful in there endeavor since I have yet to meet a Japanese person who feels remorse after living in Japan for 10 years.
STATEMENT OF CONFESSION AND APOLOGY --- Our Responsibility in World War2 ---------- issued by the NIPPON REVIVAL ASSOCIATION, a Japanese religious organization ________ We, Nippon Revival Association (NRA), founded in May 1996, confess our responsibility for World War2 under the name of Jesus Christ, the one and only Lord and the Head of the Church. _____ We, the church of Japan, followed national Shintoism and committed the sin of idolatry by worshiping the Emperor as a living deity and the sin of forcing Asian churches to bow at shrines. We, the church of Japan, failed to fulfill our role as a "watchman" warning of the evils of our government's colonial policies and war of invasion. On the contrary, we participated in the colonialization and invasion of Asian countries. We, Nippon Revival Association (NRA), confess our idolatry, and responsibility for the war. We repent from our hearts and apologize to both God and the people of the countries we violated. _____ We, Nippon Revival Association (NRA), admit to Japan's thirty-six years of colonial governance of the Korean Peninsula, the invasion of Asian countries during World War 2, the massacre at Tegari Church, the massacre of Korean people following the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Nanjing Massacre, the Skeleton Incident in West Kalimantan of Indonesia, the vivisections by the Unit 731, the comfort women affairs, the bringing of Korean people to Japan against their will, infringements of human dignity against foreign people living in Japan, the Pearl Harbor Attack, and many other villainous atrocities commited by Japan. We deeply repent of them before God, and wholeheartedly apologize to the concerned nations and their peoples. We apologize to the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of Singapore, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of the Philippines and many other nations. _____ These awful sins were of the outgrowth arrogance on the part of us Japanese. During the war, we called our country "Deity's Country." We forced people to visit Shinto shrines and to commit idiolatry by worshiping the Emperor, and, worst of all, we persecuted many Christians. We apologize for these sins that we commited without fearing of men and God. _____ In order that we will not repeat the same sins again, seeking God's mercy, we apologize to the people of those countries we harmed and make compensation. _____ We take the following two concrete steps: 1) We will fast and repent on August 15 (The Day We Were Defeated) and December 12 ( The Day We Declared War), declaring them as "Days of Fasting and Repentance" for Clergy and Lay People who are members of Nippon Revival Association (NRA) first of all, and for all churches and Christians in Japan. 2) So that our apology be accepted by the countries we harmed and their peoples, we send this statement to the governments, members of the press and mass communications network, and churches and their representative organizations. In addition, we will dispatch delegations as much as possible to offer our apologies. _____ "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." ( 2Ch 7:14, KJV ) ________ August 1997 ----- Nippon Revival Association ( NRA ) ----- Chairperson Minoru Okuyama ----- Vice-Chairperson Tsugumichi Okawa ----- Akira Noguchi ----- Yoshiyuki Sakae --------------------
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Hey, I think this page is very informative and interesting. I think that the Japanese shouldn't be blamed for their past crimes but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be blamed at all. If any of the people in Unit 731 are still alived I hope the hand of justice strikes them down and sentences them to a eternity of unforgivness.
so how can a nation continue to deny that these crimes ever took place? surely to god, some sort of apology needs to be forthcoming in light of some of the latest examples of horror that have come to light. after all, even in war, human life should not be sacraficed and desecrated to the degree that japanese war culture took it. im not talking about the comfort women or the massacres, what disgusts my conscience is that i am a part of humanity that allowed deliberate torture, mutilation, compitions between officers to see who could kill thee most refugees in a given time frame. surely the complete lack of remorse shown reflects part of the japanese culture. it is time to change such culture, to allow japan to emerge from it's barbaric ways and to gain some semblance of human morals and principles. surely an easy way would be to apologise for its past actions, even though such a blood debt can never be repayed.
Reply for euryale.itsc.adfa.edu.au. I totally agree with your analysis that Japan should apologize. "Japan Should never be accepted as a permanent member of the UN security council" until they have guts to admit what they done. The international community should not accept their application until they can act in a responsible manner. The COLD WAR is over and Japan should not be allowed to get away with their denial any longer.
I hate to tell you this, but the Japanese right wing is going hard and strong. I checked out that web site that pool030-max3.gg-ca-us.dialup.earthlink.net referred us to and it's nothing but a forum for denial and rationalization of Japanese war crimes by a bunch of right wing sub-morons. What's worse is that some of them appear to be in the process of creating more of these sites. Very disgusting indeed.
My comments about War World Two is very simple: Give me twenty years and i will fuckin blow off Japan off the face of this planet. by a normal teenager who hate Japenese
Grow up, jerkoff!
To ip2o5: Your intolerance and bigotry is the sort that was responsible for the atrocities suffered by your people at the hands of the whites. How do you ever expect to be treated as anything other than an inferior if you too treat others in this manner? You are a Redneck. Learn from the mistakes made by others so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. What with you, the black panthers, the KKK, and other idiotic, unthinkably ill-informed redneck wankers, whose ideas and ideologies have absolutely no sound, logical, ethical or moral basis, there'll never be any peace, and one day you might be on the recieving end of what was dished out to your forefathers. Think about it redneck! By the way, you cant write for shit, and your football team stinks. Rule Brittannia.
To ip2o5: Your intolerance and bigotry is the sort that was responsible for the atrocities suffered by your people at the hands of the whites. How do you ever expect to be treated as anything other than an inferior if you too treat others in this manner? You are a Redneck. Learn from the mistakes made by others so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. What with you, the black panthers, the KKK, and other idiotic, unthinkably ill-informed redneck wankers, whose ideas and ideologies have absolutely no sound, logical, ethical or moral basis, there'll never be any peace, and one day you might be on the recieving end of what was dished out to your forefathers. Militant airheads like yourself spend their time plotting against an enemy which doesn't exist. Your conspiracy theories, and claims that all whites are your enemy is total nonsense. It must have occurred to you that not all white people at the time supported what went on. More to the point, most whites today are extremely regrettful about the atrocities that their countries inflicted on other peoples. If you know your history, you will realise that the most recent all-out war (ww2), was fought primarily between white nations. I do not deny that the atomic bombing of Japan was wrong, but that event, despite my race is not my responsibility. I was not there. I acknowledge it's wrongness but deny responsibility. This is the way you must look at the world. The past must be just that, and we should, rather than dwelling on past, irrelevant conflicts, aim toward the futre, where each can live in peace. Don't worry, I'm not some evangelist dreamer, i'm a realist, who sees that the future should be the focus of life. If you see a white person do you kill them? If you see an asian person do you kill them? If you see an arabian person do you kill them? A slav? Where do you draw the line at whiteness? To me you seem to be nothing more than an arrogant, cowardly, unrealistic, vendetta-holding racist, who has far too much time on his hands. Afriend of mine pointed this site out to me, primarily because of your ongoing correspondence on it. Whilst my saying this is hypocritical, there is no other avenue for me to speak to you so; you use this site, intended to show the atrocity of war crimes, and exposing these crimes, and for people to reflect upon these events, with the (hopefully) purpose of realising that this sort of thing ca never happen agian. You use it as a forum to express your racist, supremacist thoughts. Show some respect to the dead mentioned on this page, by corresponding elsewhere. (I know I am as bad as you for doing this, but at least I recognise that). Also, you invite another writer to come to your country, and experience the entire wrath of your people. I am certain not all feel the same as you, and would much rather see a harmonic world than one dominated by hate like yours. I have white friends(English,French,Australian,American), Indonesian friends, Malaysian,Singaporean, Japanese, and South African friends, in addition to my black american, and Zambian firends. I am proud of the multicultural relationships in my life, and think nothing of the different races of my friends, they are simply my friends. I doubt very much whether my remarks or anyone else's will make you see the light as you seem, as most extremists do (left or right wing), extremely set in your ways. I do not know how old you are, but I will give you one last piece of information. Here in Australia at the moment, a political party called "one nation" is very much the focus of everyone's political attention. The party advocates the deportation of refugees, the abrupt ceasing of asian immigration and other, non-tolerant policies. They are supported primarily by the old, and the uneducated, particularly rural people. I collectively refer to these people as rednecks. The yoputh of Australia despise this party, they protest in theri thousands in the street, and i am certain that all will vote against her, once thay are legally of age to do so. I am 18, and will be voting one nation last. The point of this? The youth of the world despise racists and prejudice. They want peace, and want to avoid the mistakes made by their ancestors. Take a lesson from the youth of the world, who no longer care for your racist rantings. When the day of judgement comes, it will be those who have strived for a peaceful world who are rewarded, not those who look to kill those different to them. t offends me that you mention judgement day, the coming of the lord again, he who advocates peace between all races, in the same sentence as your wishes to kill all the "honkies". This is perhaps your most blatant hypocrisy. Concentrate on fixing your own country, making it a player in the world market, so that living standards and conditions can improve for your people. Dont waste your time with hate shit. I do not dislike or discriminate against any race, but I hate rednecks, and those who spread discriminatory hatred. Perhaps this is my most blatant hypocrisy, but I persist, in telling you that the only people I would willingly use force to remove are those who spread this sort of hate.
To ip2o5: Your intolerance and bigotry is the sort that was responsible for the atrocities suffered by your people at the hands of the whites. How do you ever expect to be treated as anything other than an inferior if you too treat others in this manner? You are a Redneck. Learn from the mistakes made by others so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. What with you, the black panthers, the KKK, and other idiotic, unthinkably ill-informed redneck wankers, whose ideas and ideologies have absolutely no sound, logical, ethical or moral basis, there'll never be any peace, and one day you might be on the recieving end of what was dished out to your forefathers. Militant airheads like yourself spend their time plotting against an enemy which doesn't exist. Your conspiracy theories, and claims that all whites are your enemy is total nonsense. It must have occurred to you that not all white people at the time supported what went on. More to the point, most whites today are extremely regrettful about the atrocities that their countries inflicted on other peoples. If you know your history, you will realise that the most recent all-out war (ww2), was fought primarily between white nations. I do not deny that the atomic bombing of Japan was wrong, but that event, despite my race is not my responsibility. I was not there. I acknowledge it's wrongness but deny responsibility. This is the way you must look at the world. The past must be just that, and we should, rather than dwelling on past, irrelevant conflicts, aim toward the futre, where each can live in peace. Don't worry, I'm not some evangelist dreamer, i'm a realist, who sees that the future should be the focus of life. If you see a white person do you kill them? If you see an asian person do you kill them? If you see an arabian person do you kill them? A slav? Where do you draw the line at whiteness? To me you seem to be nothing more than an arrogant, cowardly, unrealistic, vendetta-holding racist, who has far too much time on his hands. Afriend of mine pointed this site out to me, primarily because of your ongoing correspondence on it. Whilst my saying this is hypocritical, there is no other avenue for me to speak to you so; you use this site, intended to show the atrocity of war crimes, and exposing these crimes, and for people to reflect upon these events, with the (hopefully) purpose of realising that this sort of thing ca never happen agian. You use it as a forum to express your racist, supremacist thoughts. Show some respect to the dead mentioned on this page, by corresponding elsewhere. (I know I am as bad as you for doing this, but at least I recognise that). Also, you invite another writer to come to your country, and experience the entire wrath of your people. I am certain not all feel the same as you, and would much rather see a harmonic world than one dominated by hate like yours. I have white friends(English,French,Australian,American), Indonesian friends, Malaysian,Singaporean, Japanese, and South African friends, in addition to my black american, and Zambian firends. I am proud of the multicultural relationships in my life, and think nothing of the different races of my friends, they are simply my friends. I doubt very much whether my remarks or anyone else's will make you see the light as you seem, as most extremists do (left or right wing), extremely set in your ways. I do not know how old you are, but I will give you one last piece of information. Here in Australia at the moment, a political party called "one nation" is very much the focus of everyone's political attention. The party advocates the deportation of refugees, the abrupt ceasing of asian immigration and other, non-tolerant policies. They are supported primarily by the old, and the uneducated, particularly rural people. I collectively refer to these people as rednecks. The yoputh of Australia despise this party, they protest in theri thousands in the street, and i am certain that all will vote against her, once thay are legally of age to do so. I am 18, and will be voting one nation last. The point of this? The youth of the world despise racists and prejudice. They want peace, and want to avoid the mistakes made by their ancestors. Take a lesson from the youth of the world, who no longer care for your racist rantings. When the day of judgement comes, it will be those who have strived for a peaceful world who are rewarded, not those who look to kill those different to them. t offends me that you mention judgement day, the coming of the lord again, he who advocates peace between all races, in the same sentence as your wishes to kill all the "honkies". This is perhaps your most blatant hypocrisy. Concentrate on fixing your own country, making it a player in the world market, so that living standards and conditions can improve for your people. Dont waste your time with hate shit. I do not dislike or discriminate against any race, but I hate rednecks, and those who spread discriminatory hatred. Perhaps this is my most blatant hypocrisy, but I persist, in telling you that the only people I would willingly use force to remove are those who spread this sort of hate. By the way, my previous remarks regarding your writing + the football team were made for the benefit of an amused onlooker, Itake them back, and did not intend to diplay that, as it was not entirely complete, as you can see.
To ip2o5: Your intolerance and bigotry is the sort that was responsible for the atrocities suffered by your people at the hands of the whites. How do you ever expect to be treated as anything other than an inferior if you too treat others in this manner? You are a Redneck. Learn from the mistakes made by others so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. What with you, the black panthers, the KKK, and other idiotic, unthinkably ill-informed redneck wankers, whose ideas and ideologies have absolutely no sound, logical, ethical or moral basis, there'll never be any peace, and one day you might be on the recieving end of what was dished out to your forefathers. Militant airheads like yourself spend their time plotting against an enemy which doesn't exist. Your conspiracy theories, and claims that all whites are your enemy is total nonsense. It must have occurred to you that not all white people at the time supported what went on. More to the point, most whites today are extremely regrettful about the atrocities that their countries inflicted on other peoples. If you know your history, you will realise that the most recent all-out war (ww2), was fought primarily between white nations. I do not deny that the atomic bombing of Japan was wrong, but that event, despite my race is not my responsibility. I was not there. I acknowledge it's wrongness but deny responsibility. This is the way you must look at the world. The past must be just that, and we should, rather than dwelling on past, irrelevant conflicts, aim toward the futre, where each can live in peace. Don't worry, I'm not some evangelist dreamer, i'm a realist, who sees that the future should be the focus of life. If you see a white person do you kill them? If you see an asian person do you kill them? If you see an arabian person do you kill them? A slav? Where do you draw the line at whiteness? To me you seem to be nothing more than an arrogant, cowardly, unrealistic, vendetta-holding racist, who has far too much time on his hands. Afriend of mine pointed this site out to me, primarily because of your ongoing correspondence on it. Whilst my saying this is hypocritical, there is no other avenue for me to speak to you so; you use this site, intended to show the atrocity of war crimes, and exposing these crimes, and for people to reflect upon these events, with the (hopefully) purpose of realising that this sort of thing ca never happen agian. You use it as a forum to express your racist, supremacist thoughts. Show some respect to the dead mentioned on this page, by corresponding elsewhere. (I know I am as bad as you for doing this, but at least I recognise that). Also, you invite another writer to come to your country, and experience the entire wrath of your people. I am certain not all feel the same as you, and would much rather see a harmonic world than one dominated by hate like yours. I have white friends(English,French,Australian,American), Indonesian friends, Malaysian,Singaporean, Japanese, and South African friends, in addition to my black american, and Zambian firends. I am proud of the multicultural relationships in my life, and think nothing of the different races of my friends, they are simply my friends. I doubt very much whether my remarks or anyone else's will make you see the light as you seem, as most extremists do (left or right wing), extremely set in your ways. I do not know how old you are, but I will give you one last piece of information. Here in Australia at the moment, a political party called "one nation" is very much the focus of everyone's political attention. The party advocates the deportation of refugees, the abrupt ceasing of asian immigration and other, non-tolerant policies. They are supported primarily by the old, and the uneducated, particularly rural people. I collectively refer to these people as rednecks. The yoputh of Australia despise this party, they protest in theri thousands in the street, and i am certain that all will vote against her, once thay are legally of age to do so. I am 18, and will be voting one nation last. The point of this? The youth of the world despise racists and prejudice. They want peace, and want to avoid the mistakes made by their ancestors. Take a lesson from the youth of the world, who no longer care for your racist rantings. When the day of judgement comes, it will be those who have strived for a peaceful world who are rewarded, not those who look to kill those different to them. t offends me that you mention judgement day, the coming of the lord again, he who advocates peace between all races, in the same sentence as your wishes to kill all the "honkies". This is perhaps your most blatant hypocrisy. Concentrate on fixing your own country, making it a player in the world market, so that living standards and conditions can improve for your people. Dont waste your time with hate shit. I do not dislike or discriminate against any race, but I hate rednecks, and those who spread discriminatory hatred. Perhaps this is my most blatant hypocrisy, but I persist, in telling you that the only people I would willingly use force to remove are those who spread this sort of hate. By the way, my previous remarks regarding your writing + the football team were made for the benefit of an amused onlooker, Itake them back, and did not intend to diplay that, as it was not entirely complete, as you can see.
Japanese politicians' Denial Continues: From Kyodo NEWS (7/31/98 16:25 JST) http://home.kyodo.co.jp/cgi-bin/conciseStory#980731819 "Minister says comfort women not abducted, then retracts ------------------------------------------------------------ Newly appointed farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa retracted Friday his earlier remarks that it is not proven the wartime sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese Army were forcibly recruited for military brothels before and during World War II. Nakagawa made the remarks at a news conference held Friday morning, but he retracted it at a news conference before noon the same day."
Amazing! Add another one to the list.
"What Was That War All About?" -- Preface __________ The year 1995 marked a half century since the end of World War II. A number of large-scale commemorations of the war were held in Western countries, including the much publicized Pearl Harbor memorial ceremony. In Japan, too, many events were held to memorialize the war. Japan's National Diet (Parliament) passed a resolution "Renewing the determination for peace with history as a lesson." The media also had special programs to review the war from diverse angles. All these activities gave us another opportunity to reassess what that disastrous war meant to us. _____When Japan was defeated, I was one of the so-called "military boys," a child waiting to enter military service. Looking back at that abominable war 50 years afterward is tantamount to reviewing my entire life. I never dreamed, on the eve of Japan's defeat, that I would be a politician half a century later. The 50th anniversary since the end of the world war has forced me to reassess the past and contemplate what course Japan should take in the future. _____The following essays [excerpts] are my own interpretations and assessments of what World War II was all about and the lessons those events hold for my country and our people. It was originally written in Japanese for Japanese readers as a series during 1996. The translation was made to reach a broader number of people abroad. ________March 1997 --- Seiken Sugiura --- Member, The House of Representatives of Japan
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ On August 15, 1945, faced with the reality of the defeat, this "military boy" had two simple questions. One was why did we lose this war? We had been taught, and believed, that we could not possibly be defeated. Another was: what was that war all about? I believe virtually all of the people living through that moment, at least to some extent, must have asked themselves the latter question. Half a century later, having lived through the past 50 years, and now a mature citizen walking a political path, I look back on those events, sharply aware that the very core of the simple question I had as a boy remains deeply etched in my heart. _____The first question was answered not too long after the end of the war. The overwhelming difference in resources made it clear that the immense gap in national strength between Japan and its former enemies produced an inevitable defeat. Of course, we were destined to be defeated. But just as the first question was answered, it led to another auxiliary question: then, why, but why, had we started such a reckless and senseless war, knowing full well that we would lose? The ramifications of the first question's answer fused into my second question. _____Having canvassed most of stances and arguments about the war in 1955, I could not help but feel depressed and frustrated. No single answer to the question seemed to embody a national consensus. The question has remained heavy on my heart. I believe it essential that the Japanese nation, as we head into the future, should share a common understanding concerning the last war and pass it on to future generations. Because of this deep conviction, I have decided to confront the question in my own way. _____** The So-called "Diet Resolution" **___ In July 1995, the fiftieth year since World War II's end, a Diet resolution was passed. Since the Diet consists of the representatives elected by the people, its resolutions should reflect the will of the people as accurately as possible. Unfortunately, the substance of this resolution, again, did not answer my question. Since the resolution aptly shows how a national consensus was lacking, the entire text is quoted here: ___ "Resolution to Renew the Determination for Peace on the basis of Lessons Learned from History" House of Representatives, The National Diet of Japan ___ "On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, this House offers its sincere condolences to those who fell in action and the victims of wars and similar actions all over the world. ___ Solemnly reflecting upon many instances of colonial rule and acts of aggression in the modern history of the world, and recognizing that Japan carried out those acts in the past, inflicting pain and suffering upon the peoples of other countries, especially in Asia, the Members of this House express a sense of deep remorse. ___ We must transcend the differences over historical views of the past war and in all humility learn the lessons of history so as to build a peaceful international society. ___ This House expresses its resolve, under the banner of eternal peace enshrined in the Constitution of Japan, to join hands with other nations of the world in order to pave the way to a future that allows all human beings to live together." _____No one could dispute the latter part of the resolution on what should be our future orientation. Peace in the international community, international cooperation, coexistence of mankind are all the principles heartily aspired to by virtually every living person in the world. _____The problem lies in the first part of the resolution. Why did our nation opt for a path in the last war which violated these principles? Even if one accepts on face value that the purpose of the resolution is a re-examination of the past, the essential point of what lessons we should draw from history is missing. _____It is widely known that diverse and differing arguments of various political parties and factions were involved in the process of passing this resolution. The resolution is a product of compromise, as is clear from the passage of "transcending the difference of historical views." While that is understandable, what I find ill-starred is the division of public opinions as symbolized by this statement. Am I the only one who cannot rid himself of the apprehension that we might make the same mistake in the future if we were to leave this issue, so crucial to the nation, unanswered?
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ Immediately after the defeat, Japan was literally like the classic Chinese poem: "the defeated nation, yet mountains stand high and rivers flow." Not only the large cities, but also medium-sized and small towns, were in ashes. Not only military factories, but virtually all productive capacity was destroyed. An enormous number of people perished. _____Over a million soldiers died abroad. Several million civilians were killed in air-raids, nuclear bombings and as victims abroad. An even larger number were injured, with scores of millions homeless and jobless, due to air-raids and forced repatriation from abroad. Such human and material casualties cannot possibly be converted into monetary value, even if it were attempted. But were the attempt made, it would amount to an astronomical figure. The psychological aspects of defeat were also incalculable. World War II was abominable, indeed. _____That war was abominable not only for us Japanese, but more so for all the other people who were thrown into it. The people on the Korean Peninsula and of Taiwan, which had been forced to become Japanese through our "mergers," made sacrifices similar to our own. The human and material losses of the allied countries were also immeasurable. _____In particular, the victims in China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries which became the main theater of the war, must have far exceeded those of the countries actually fighting the war, including Japan. Myriad scars left as the military trod on innocent lives of people in their homelands; they were so grievious that they have not yet healed. Indeed, that was "abominable" for the victors and those on their side, too. _____Fifty years since its end, World War II has become part of world history. The question "what was that war all about?" can be restated, as "how is that war evaluated and positioned in the long history of our nation?" The answers can be diverse. After all, it differs through interpretation by individual historical perspective. _____I reject the conclusion that taking the path toward that war was correct, no matter which historical interpretation those who do justify it might take. It cannot be explained as an inevitable succession of events. The passage in the so-called Diet Resolution which states: "We must transcend the differences over historical views of the past war..." eloquently attests to my point. Today, I cannot but conclude that World War II and choosing the path toward it were wrong. _____Choosing to embark on such an abominable war was completely alien to the spiritual and cultural heritage of our nation. Throughout our history, Japan had dispatched soldiers abroad only twice before: once during the reign of Empress Jingu (late 4th Century) and once at the order of Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-1598, a warlord who invaded Korea after unifying Japan in long-drawn out civil wars in the 16th Century). In both cases, the adventures were brief and ended in defeat. In both cases, as soon as they saw their disadvantaged position, the leaders withdrew their soldiers quickly to minimize casualties. Neither war could be assessed to be as abominable as World War II yet Koreans still remember. _____Although warfare has been unceasing since the beginning of Japan's history, the samurai (warrior) class emerged in the 10th century. From this development, Bushido, the Japanese code of chivalry or a feudal military code of behavior, evolved. Bushido has become one of the main spiritual building blocks of Japanese culture. As I understand the spirit of the Bushido, it provides absolutely no basis by which a decision to begin such an abominable war could be justified. _____How would have Iyeyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1867) who sprang from my own locality, have dealt with the situation? Clearly, he would not have opted for the war. Iyeyasu would never have resorted to a war he knew he would be unable to win. He always thoroughly surveyed a situation, formulated strategies and fought only when he was sure of winning. Even in the only defeat he experienced, he had ensured that the enemy would not attack his own castle. _____He always paid great attention to minimizing any dissipation of his fighting capacity. He was well known for his efforts to save the lives of each and every soldier who joined his forces. It was a naturally accepted principle for warlords to avoid unnecessary battles and the squandering of their military strength. Soldiers were considered the warlords' treasure. To defend their territory and people, it was not unknown for a commander to surrender for peace, and some even offered the lord's head to the enemy. _____What about the soldiers of more recent history? General Maresuke Nogi (1849-1912) or Heihachiro Togo (1847-1934) in the Russo-Japanese War were the most admired soldiers in the Meiji Era. Their answer would have been the same. Until the early years of the Meiji Era, there never existed a spiritual and cultural tradition in Japan of foolishly opting for an abominable war, which was certain to be lost.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ Historical perspective is clearly indispensable, of course, to assessing what that war was all about. If opting for war was a mistake, many errors must have accumulated prior to that final decision. That war, the last four years of which were called World War II, did indeed involve the entire world. Therefore, it is essential to consider it in the context of modern world history. _____In socio-economic terms, "the modern era" in world history refers to the period when the capitalist economy was born and developed in Europe, and spread around the world. European colonial empires had earlier begun with the great navigators of Spain and Portugal, and they rapidly spread, fuelled by the industrial revolution which originated in Great Britain. The need arose to secure raw materials and markets for manufactured goods, in order to maintain and expand productive capacity, which had made a great technological leap forward. _____The dominance of world trade and colonialism shifted from Portugal and Spain to Great Britain. Wars to expand colonies intensified, and the Netherlands, Belgium and France came into the picture.The United States also joined the colonial competition. From the 16th to the 20th century, the Western powers were frantically fighting to acquire colonies. As a result, the Europeans colonized most of the non-Western regions of the world, Asia, Africa and Latin America. _____Politically speaking, these centuries were also an era in which "autocracy" was replaced by "democracy" in the West. Liberty, equality and fraternity were upheld as the spiritual precepts of the new era. Later on, in the early part of the 20th century, the Russian Revolution took place and communism spread to surrounding countries, only to collapse seven decades later. Initially, however, communism was a great idealistic experiment, aiming at thorough "equality" as an antithesis to capitalism. _____Until the mid-19th century Japan had remained isolated from these main currents of modern world history. The nation had been shut out from the flow of history for 250 years due to the isolation policy of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This policy had closed off all exchanges, not only with the Western powers but also with the Asian region with which active exchange had been conducted previously. _____Aided by Japan's geographical location on the eastern periphery of the Eurasian continent, the nation was able to maintain its independence during the period when parts of China, India, and other Asian countries were colonized by Western powers. But in the mid-19th century, Japan was abruptly exposed to the turbulence of the international community when foreign pressure pried open Japan, beginning with the visit in July 1853 of the U.S. naval ship under Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Feudalism ended and the Meiji Era began. _____The Government of Meiji replaced the Shogunate at Edo (the present Tokyo) and raced toward modernizing the nation with the slogans of "civilization and enlightenment" and "enrich the country and strengthen soldiers." Single-mindedly advancing toward these objectives, Japan achieved spectacular success in modernization and economic growth. Japan rapidly managed to build up a military strength that almost equalled that of the Western powers by the beginning of the 20th century. _____Because of this very success, however, Japan entered as a latecomer into the cutthroat competition of Western powers to acquire markets and colonies. A deplorabe consequence, the vitality of Japan's modernization surpassed its own territory, which eventually led to that abominable war. _____Some argue that World War II was a "fight with Western powers, justifiable since we tried to defend our own existence." It is a fact, however, that Japan allied with other late blooming capitalist countries, Italy and Germany, during the last four years of that abominable war to fight with the group of earlier established capitalist nations. Some Japanese right-wing even argue, "that war was a fight to liberate Asia from colonial power." _____But, how can that thesis explain Japan having annexed the Korean Peninsula, having sought hegemony over Manchuria and Mongolia and having militarily advanced from China down to French Indochina, under pretentious excuses? The peoples in the Korean Peninsula and China, where Japanese military boots trampled, will never buy such arguments. _____Why couldn't Japan's modernization be contained within its own national territory? Why could we not maintain an independent position from the ugly competition of the Western powers? Why could we not stay home? Why could we not, in solidarity with them, take the path of helping the liberalization and development of colonized and tormented Asians? It was not that Japan lacked discerning persons with foresight. Furthermore, we had several chances to avert the worst scenario of throwing ourselves into that abominable war. It is truly deplorable.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ By the time I had become conscious of my surroundings, Japan was already on the brink of starting the Pacific War, and the war mood singularly dominated our society. In retrospect, it appeared as though the entire nation was in a delirious, crazed frenzy. This mood reached its apex with the beginning of World War II on December 7, 1941, and continued until August 15, 1945, the day the war ended in our defeat. _____I was 11 when the war ended. My generation, without exception, had been taught that our objective in life was to become a good soldier to participate in the "holy war." We were thoroughly brainwashed into believing that dying for the Emperor was life with ultimate value. The brainwashing was so thorough and so complete that even in our young minds it became a strong conviction. I too studied diligently and trained my body so that I could eventually become an army or a naval officer. I was a serviceable enough "military boy." _____In retrospect the spirit and behavior of adults reflected in my young beliefs then were almost comical. Japan was a divine land, the Emperor reigned as god and the people existed to serve that god. Japanese nationals were children of god, superior to other nationals, and the allied countries were fiendish brutes who were violating the divine land. The war was a holy war and justified, since universal brotherhood was the objective. _____In those years, the Japanese were contemptuous of other Asians, calling Chinese "chankoros" and Koreans "chosen-pees." Even the objective of the "Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere," which was euphemized with the concept of "five nations in harmony," was founded on the discrimination of other nationals. Japan was to obtain hegemony and other Asians were to be subjugated, in effect, to Japan. This was the real meaning of the Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere. _____It was insane to enslave the great people of China and the Korean Peninsula; they had conveyed immeasurable benefits to Japan for nearly 2,000 years. These neighbors had taught us writing, the spiritual cultures of Buddhism and Confucianism, social and legal systems, and diverse industrial techniques, in addition to other values. _____It was also insane to instigate national hatred by calling the people of the outstanding Western civilization "fiendish brutes." After all, Japan had desperately tried to emulate them since the beginning of the Meiji Restoration. It was a schizophrenia of sorts -- a mixture of an inferiority complex vis-a-vis Westerners and a superiority complex vis-a-vis Asians -- which overtook virtually all Japanese in those days. It was nothing short of our spiritual and moral degradation. _____Ryotaro Shiba, a popular writer who penned numerous historical novels and passed away in 1996, wrote this memoir of the Emperor's broadcast, in his book The Form of This Country: _____"I thought what a foolish country I had been born into. I also thought 'but it must have been different in the past'." By "past," he meant the period until about the mid-Meiji Era. In the same book, he described the period between 1930 and 1945: "I had an impulse to smash an ashtray, and scream that such a period does not belong to Japan." Mr. Shiba deplored the fact that the military officers of Showa had committed a folly tantamount to betting the life of a whole nation itself in a gamble. I fully share his interpretation. _____Ryotaro Shiba pointed out that the victory in the Russo-Japanese war had placed Japan and the Japanese on this insane path. He was referring to the process of the General Staff Officers acquiring the supra-constitutional concept of the highest military commanding authority. Having won the Russo-Japanese War, Japan's laws were revised in 1908. This revision made the General Staff Office independent not only of the cabinet, but also from the Minister of Army. Japan annexed Korea two years later. Shiba's insight was truly acute. _____But I wonder whether the victory in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), a prelude to the Russo-Japanese War, in fact instigated the move toward this dangerous concept. Prior to the Sino-Japanese War, Japan had succeeded in extricating itself from the unfair extraterritorial treaties and had emerged from a quasi-colonial status. _____As a result of the victory in the Sino-Japanese war, Japan obtained from the Ching Dynasty the Liaotung Peninsula (which was later returned through a tri-national intervention) and Taiwan, as well as a massive reparation repayment of 320 million yen. This amount was equivalent to two and a half year's revenue of the Meiji Government. _____A social studies textbook for junior high school students describes Japan after the post-Sino-Japanese War as follows: ___"Through amending treaties and winning the Sino-Japanese War, Japan was able to emerge from its subjugation to Western countries and literally became an independent state. However, at the same time, Japan made Taiwan its territory and controlled Korea and areas across the channel of Taiwan within its sphere of influence. ___Thus, Japan built a foothold to join the Asian invasion by the Western powers. The Japanese people strengthened their sense of independence by winning over China, and began to acquire a superiority complex, despising Chinese and turning Korea into a tributary state. ___Once the tri-national intervention began, arguments for [increased] military strength, even at the expense of national livelihood were loudly echoed in newspapers. The government allocated most of the reparation money to the arms build-up." _____In fact, Japan began to build military strength with the colossal reparations from China and to work toward "a military state."
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ ** Sun Yat Sen (1866-1925) and Kaishu Katsu (1823-1899) ** _____Kaishu Katsu, an intellectual leader of the Meiji Restoration, and Sun Yat Sen, the Chinese leader who led the successful revolution against the Ching Dynasty, were among those alarmed by the course Japan began to take after the Sino-Japanese War. Both of them warned that changes were necessary. _____Kaishu Katsu's repeated warning to the Japanese, (who were euphoric over the victory in the Sino-Japanese War and increasingly contemptuous of the Chinese) came in his Tales of Hikawa, published first in 1887. Here are excerpts from that book: __** China is a Power, Chinese are Great People. **__ China is indeed a big power. The myopic Japanese could never match their patience and their grand scale. When Ting Liu Chang did not demand obedience while faced with death during the Sino-Japanese war, it was a proof of Chinese strength. Even though we won the last war, I can't help but worry about the future of Japan, as I contemplate the Chinese strength and our weakness. __** The Grand Scale of the Chinese. **__ The Chinese generally exist on a grand scale. The Japanese noisily celebrated the war victory. But the Chinese almost couldn't be bothered with whether an emperor changes, or the country is defeated. They are undisturbed and say, 'Is that so, the emperor has changed,' or 'So Japan has won.' __At any rate, if the Japanese are too arrogant about victory, we will eventually meet disaster. Even though we won the war militarily, the country will be in a serious plight if we lose an economic war. I secretly am worried that we Japanese are no match for the Chinese when it comes to economic warfare. __** Pay due recognition to China. **__ We knew from the very beginning that it would be to Japan's disadvantage to punish China. Some say that China will sooner or later disintegrate, due to the interference of Germany or Russia. That will never happen. They regard Jiaozhou Bay as probably less than a minuscule corner of my tiny garden. __Even if Germany occupied the Jiaozhou Bay, unlike us, the Chinese wouldn't make great noise. They'd probably drag the case on for years and let the invader pay reparations. Be it Shanghai, Singapore or Hong Kong, the actual power is in Chinese hands. So, even if Germany makes a little noise, it doesn't alarm them. _____The width, depth and accuracy of Katsu's perspective is astonishing, particularly given the time in which he was living. The path Japan took was exactly the course he feared. _____Sun Yat Sen made a speech in Kobe in 1924, a few months before his death, which became almost his final testament to the Japanese. The Kobe Chamber of Commerce and three newspaper companies organized the occasion, and he spoke to an audience of more than two thousand people. The speech was entitled "Greater Asianism." His conclusion became an important historical statement: _____"You, the Japanese nation, have an option: either to become a cat's paw of the Western rule of might, or a fortress for an Eastern rule of righteousness. It is up to the Japanese people to carefully choose which way you want to go." _____During the Meiji Era, many Chinese students came to Japan to study. Over 10,000 are reported to have studied here. The Meiji Era corresponded to the last decades of the Ching Dynasty. At the time, China was at the mercy of the Western powers, forced to concede considerable land and other interests to them, and falling into a semi-colonial status. Most of the Chinese students studying in Japan were inflamed with revolutionary passion, and joined the revolutionary movement upon returning home. _____Sun Yat Sen was one of them who became a well-known figure. He made Japan one of his organizational bases after 1902. Japan in those days, having come out of a feudal regime itself, established a centralized military regime and was rushing toward modernization. To the young Chinese, Japan might have had some attractive points to emulate. Sun Yat Sen, in the speech quoted earlier, stated: _____"Japan was but a colony of Europe 30 years ago. But it has rid itself of all the unequal treaties and has become the first independent nation in Asia." _____Thirty years earlier was around the time of the Sino-Japanese War. Emerging from the semi-colonial status was also the most important goal for the Chinese. Thus, Japan, having achieved this step and progressing into a modern society, might have appeared as a role model to them. Sun Yat Sen was considerate of his Japanese audience and abstained from referring to the Sino-Japanese War, or the Japanese enforcement of its infamous Twenty-one Demands on China. But the conclusion of his Kobe speech captured the apprehension that the Chinese students at the time must have had about Japan's future course. _____There is no need to remind the reader what happened to Japan thereafter.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ The historical tide that swept from the end of the feudal era to the Meiji Restoration was epitomized in the slogan "Revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians." The goal was to terminate Tokugawa Shogunate, open the country to the world, and restore imperial power. The Meiji Constitution emerged in 1889 from this historical tide. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration opted for a centralized government under the rule of the Emperor, in order to replace the feudal system and to accelerate Japan's modernization. _____Japan's modern history of 80 years, from the Meiji Restoration to the end of World War II, can be said to have been governed by the Meiji Constitution. In reassessing World War II, we cannot avoid examining the Meiji Constitution's significance. _____Earlier, I referred to Ryotaro Shiba's interpretation of the Russo-Japanese War victory as leading both Japan and its people down the wrong path. Mr. Shiba came to diagnose a supra-constitutional ideology of the "authority to command" in his book, The Form of This Nation. This concept led to the military's unilateral steps that dragged the nation into World War II. Mr. Shiba described the process in detail in this book. Here is a noteworthy section of his analysis: __"The Meiji Constitution, like the present one governing Japan, clearly started out with a division of powers into three branches of government. However, it began to be transformed at the onset of the Showa Era (1925), and the concept of "the authority to command" gradually acquired a kind of omnipotence and independence, above the three branches of government." _____Mr. Shiba concluded, "It can be said that the modern state which the Meiji people toiled to create was obliterated after 1935 by the commanding organ." _____I have no intention of disputing the basic premise of Mr. Shiba's thesis. But it is questionable whether the Meiji Constitution clearly divided powers into three branches. Moreover, concerning the "commanding authority," Article 11 of the Meiji Constitution stipulated that the Emperor commands the army and navy. This undeniably provided the rationale for the argument that assisting the Emperor in governing was outside the ministers' responsibility. My point is that the seed which drove the nation to the brink of destruction was originally planted in the Meiji Constitution. _____"The modern state of Japan was created by the toil of the people of Meiji Era," Mr. Shiba wrote, and I agree with that statement. We are here today because of the blood and sweat of our predecessors. But the proclamation of the Meiji Constitution had slightly different origins. _____Not until 1881, 14 years after Meiji Restoration began, did the Emperor issue the notice that convened the parliament in 1890. This action was in response to the rising clamor of public opinion that a parliament, reflecting the public will, and a constitution as the basic law of a nation, were necessary for a modern state. Responding to the imperial notice, the government prepared to proclaim the Meiji Constitution. _____It is a well-known fact that the Meiji Constitution was drafted based on the Constitution of Prussia, a country with a tradition of a particularly strong head of state. The Emperor proclaimed the Meiji Constitution in 1889, the year before the parliament's establishment, in the form of a gift from the ruler to his subjects. The effective date of the Meiji Constitution was set in its preamble as the date of the parliament's opening (November 29, 1890). The first general election was held and the first imperial parliament convened in 1890. By then, the Meiji Constitution had already gone into effect. There was neither debate on the document itself nor on the procedure for its approval. In our own time, rather strong views have been expressed that the Occupation Forces forced the present Constitution on the Japanese and that the Japanese therefore should proclaim our own constitution. _____However, the change from the Meiji Constitution to the present Constitution was made on the basis of the procedure for amendment as stipulated in Article 7 of the Meiji Constitution. Both the Meiji Constitution and the present Constitution were in effect forced on the public from the top down. But the crucial difference was whether the constitution was debated and approved in a parliament elected by the public. _____With the proclamation of the Meiji Constitution, Japan became the first constitutional power in Asia. The Constitution opened the way for the will of the public to be reflected in politics, in order to make progress toward a modern state. Despite the blood and sweat that it cost our forefathers, because of the political immaturity at that time, the Meiji Constitution had various fatal structural deficiencies. As a result of these flaws, the Constitution played an important part in the path that led to that abominable war.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ Quite apart from the academic argument of whether the old Imperial Constitution was based on a division of powers into three branches of government, it is not difficult to imagine that the Meiji leaders who proclaimed the Constitution had in mind a nation state based on the division of powers, like other Western societies. They viewed it as the future of Japan. The structure of three branches of government was clearly stated in Article 2 of the old Constitution. _____Since the proclamation of the Imperial Constitution, many of our forefathers made an effort to implement the division of powers in managing the affairs of the state. For example, the Imperial Diet gradually established the precedent of nominating the leader of the largest parliamentary party as the Prime Minister, a procedure that had not been covered in the Constitution. Another defect was the Emperor's power to dissolve the Diet. This flaw was corrected by allowing the Diet to express its will through a vote of non-confidence in the Prime Minister. It is a historical fact that through these improvements, constitutional rule appeared to become the norm for Japan in the 1920s. _____Nevertheless, I believe that the old Imperial Constitution launched Japan toward the point of obliteration through the abominable World War II. Article 1 defined the role of the Emperor, and from Article 1 to 17 stipulated that the Emperor was the ruler of Japan commanding not only the legislative, administrative and judiciary branches, but also possessing the ultimate military authority. This led to the distortion of the governance of our nation. The Constitution had placed the Imperial Household with no ability to govern at the apex of national power. _____Historically, whether in the East or West, the glories of exercising a monopoly on power never last long. Throughout history, many power manipulators faced a bloody end. Our Imperial Household might be the exception in world history in that it has continued, despite its earlier involvement with political power in one form or another. _____Looking carefully at our history, apart from ancient times, since the establishment of the rule of law in the 8th century when Japan became a nation state, the Imperial Household has entrusted political power to others and continued to exist by maintaining distance from power. Whenever the Emperor attempted to seize power, society was inevitably disturbed and the end of a political regime was accelerated. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration must have known this historical lesson. Why, then, did they opt for such a regime? There is no way of directly determining the reason. _____We therefore must hypothesize: I believe the leaders of Meiji had strong self-confidence and their own strong convictions. They were committed to resurrecting Japan as a modern state patterned after Western nations. Toward that goal, they risked their lives to topple the feudal regime and restore imperial power. After the restoration, they utilized the authority of the Emperor to propel modernization forward. Any major reform was executed in the name of the Emperor, although the actual political power of managing the state was in their hands. They pushed reforms under their own responsibility, but in the name of the Emperor. They were truly committed to their mission. Could we not say that the old Imperial Constitution was a transformed version of their confidence? _____While all powers were legally concentrated in the figure of the Emperor, the Emperor was actually not given power. Thus, a regime was born in which the legal form and actual practice were 180 degrees at odds. It was an incredibly irresponsible regime, one in which the Emperor who in actuality could not assume any responsibility legally, was given total responsibility. Obviously, the leaders of the Meiji Restoration were not bothered by this discrepancy. "We would take power into our hands and we would pursue the revolution with our own responsibility," was their method of operation. They even built into the Constitution a fortress of their own system, in the form of the Privy Council. _____Laws tend to take on their own momentum once they are proclaimed, independent of the intention of those who originated them. The old Imperial Constitution had the same fate. It was sound as long as the leaders of the Meiji Restoration were present. With their departure, one by one from the political stage, it became increasingly difficult to cover the deficiencies of the old Constitution. When the Meiji leaders became elderly statesmen and increasingly lost their political influence, Japan was transformed into a nation state where no one knew where responsibility lay. The leaders who transformed the nation, of course, did not know the great achievements of the Meiji Restoration. Eventually, the military replaced these senior statesmen and Japan was doomed to head toward destruction.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ In the first year of the Meiji Era, the new Meiji Government stipulated that Shintoism, the religion of the Imperial family, would be the state religion of Japan. This decision, coupled with the positioning of the Imperial family at the apex of Japan's power structure, was deeply intertwined with the strengthened nationalist color of Japanese history that ended in its defeat in World War II. _____I am not a student of Shintoism and thus, I am not qualified to discuss the subject in philosophical terms. My ancestors were Buddhists. As for most Japanese, however, Shintoism has been accepted as part of their culture, and its teachings of 800 divinities in all things have been highly revered. Was not Shintoism born from the ancient heartfelt wish for a bounty of foods taken from the seas or mountains which are the source of life for the people? This wish must have spread throughout the islands along with the dissemination of rice cultivation, gradually transforming itself into its present form. _____When I visited Malaysia 30 years ago, I was astonished by a museum exhibition. The clothes of ancient Malays who began rice cultivation were very similar to the garments of Shinto priests in Japan. Cultivation of rice, which had once grown wild in Southern China, spread to hot and humid East Asia long before the four major religions were born. It seems that, at that time, paying respects to nature in a similar manner to Shintoism must have spread widely along with rice cultivation. _____Shintoism had special forms of worship, such as the gateway and groves of the shrine. These are unknown in other regions. Shintoism is a unique religion rooted deeply in Japan's historical and cultural climate. Yet, Japan's Shintoism is only one of the countless numbers of indigenous religions rooted in various regions and peoples of the earth. _____Shintoism belongs to the category of religions with a pantheon of gods. Since the time of Prince Shotoku in the 8th century, Buddhism has been practiced in Japan, and the Imperial family was also converted. At one time, Buddhism attained the position of Japan's national religion, but Shintoism was not suppressed, nor did Shintoism reject Buddhism. Both have co-existed. Thereafter, other religions, including Christianity, were brought to Japan, but their relation with Shintoism was similar to that with Buddhism. _____My home village of Mikawa is in a region where Buddhism was popular. Shrines and temples stand side by side, worshipped by villagers. They pray for good harvests at Shinto shrines, and honor their ancestors at Buddhist temples. Temples and shrines have been the center of people's ceremonial occasions and the village functions and celebrations. When I was a child, grounds of shrines and temples were children's playgrounds, a social training place for a community life. This situation has changed lately. _____Shintoism became Japan's national religion at the time of the Meiji Restoration. The objective of Meiji leaders to make Shinto, rather than Buddhism, Japan's state religion was due to their belief that the national religion had to be compatible with their positioning of the Imperial family at the apex of Japan's system. However, aside from the initial phase of the Meiji Era, I believe the decision produced an effect that went far beyond the intentions of the Meiji Restoration's leaders during the period Japan headed toward destruction. _____Born in 1934, my earliest recollection is immediately before Japan went into the Pacific War. From that time until Japan lost the war, I only remember that the world around me was in more or less feverish mood as though everyone was mesmerized by evil spirits. _____Young men went to war from shrines where villagers bid them farewell, many of them never to return. Can we not say then that Shintoism played a central role in leading to an ultra-patriotism involving the entire nation? The sins of the war are not those of Shintoism itself, but of those who used it. Religion is deeply embedded in the hearts and minds of the people and their lives. _____From its innate nature, Shintoism has had a delicate relationship with politics in history and throughout the world. Recently in Japan, an apocalyptic religion called Aum emerged, and there is also the problem of the politicization of Soka Gakkai (the religious organization backing the former Clean Government Party which merged into the New Frontier Party). As we look to the future, there is no question that the problem of politics and religion is a major issue that will continue to preoccupy us.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ If we are to come to terms with our heritage from that abominable war, a number of problems should be re-examined, including our heritage as an immature democracy. Let me draw the balance sheet on what we should learn for our future from our history leading to Japan's defeat in World War II. ___** (1) Face up squarely to Japan's past blunders **___ __As our first lesson, we must accept the fact that the war was a major mistake, and this acceptance must become our new starting line. We can never escape the problem by attempting to place the responsibility solely on the military, or on the Emperor or on any other single specific person or group. And the younger generation's false logic of the rationalization that they were not involved is not legitimate in the eyes of the international community. _____The argument that the war was a noble cause for colonial liberation or a fight against unfair oppression by the powerful Western powers sounds empty, when faced with the truth. The truth is that not only did more than two million Japanese soldiers perish in the frontlines, a great numbers of Japanese civilians were killed, and massive national and private assets were obliterated. But more than the grievances, hardships, and sacrifices of our compatriots, the calamities and pain visited on the neighboring people of Korea, China and other Asian countries cannot even be enumerated nor will they be forgiven. Those transgressions will never be erased, no matter how much we beg for forgiveness. That war can absolutely never be justified in any sense of the word. ___** (2) A new search for ideals **___ __A wise saying warns that "A nation without ideals will perish." The ideals which we refer to here provide the overall direction of the nation, which the Japanese people must uphold together. _____National strength is not measured by military or economic strength, but by the Japanese people's unity of purpose. This saying posits that only outstanding ideals can generate that kind of unity. The wrong ideals united the Japanese people to recklessly launch themselves into a war that brought Japan to the edge of destruction. As Sun Yat Sen aptly warned, Japan ended up becoming the cat's paw of the principle of Western rule of might. _____After its defeat, Japan started anew from the ashes, with the new constitution upholding peace, democracy, basic human rights and internationalism. Those are high, noble, and universal values. Today, after half a century, Japan is one of the world's major economic powers. However, whether unity of the people exists under these noble ideals is open to question. Was I the only one who sensed that feeling so deeply when listening to the debate on World War II in 1995, the 50th year since the end of the war? I don't think so: I believe a general malaise, or a general apprehension was present. I believe the cause of this apprehension is that we Japanese have not squarely confronted the implications of that major blunder, that abominable war. _____Our booming international commercial exchange is a great achievement and a great asset for the nation. Japanese corporate advancement abroad, particularly the relocation of industrial production to other parts of the Asian region is spectacular. The activities not only of major corporations but also of medium- and small-enterprises are spreading around the world. _____That "globalization" in itself is a positive development, even though criticism is voiced constantly from various corners of Asia that Japanese corporations pursue only profits and neglect the interest of the host countries. That criticism also has been applied to economic and technical assistance to developing countries. We will have to consider it in any attempt to put together new national policies. ___** (3) Reform our cultural egocentrism **___ __While the number of Asian students studying in Japan has increased, the attitude of Japanese toward these students is generally cold and unsympathetic. We often hear that Asian students are refused housing, just because they are foreigners, particularly Asians. The spiritual bankruptcy of arrogant Japanese who have an ill-founded superiority complex toward other Asians is at the base of this whole problem. _____This has been a fundamental value judgement since the tradition of "Out of Asia and into Europe" was established as a Meiji Era motto, or to be more precise, since after the Sino-Japanese war. A large number of fair-minded Asians believe that the Japanese people have not yet truly re-examined that war and its implications for relations with the Asian continent. _____As we march into the future, we need to face humbly the international community by upholding the ideal of living with other nations based on our genuine remorse for the truly abominable war. That attitude must be founded on the universal ideals of mankind, peace, freedom, democracy and human rights. A truly healthy, open, cooperative relationship will emerge only after Japan -- from the government to the private sector to individuals -- achieves a face-to-face harmony based on an equal partnership with all nations. _____It is no exaggeration to say that whether Japan can become the "fortress of the Eastern rule of right" (as Sun Yat Sen hoped we would achieve) will depend on whether we re-examine our past wrong doings, and return to the original spirit of the Meiji Restoration.
"What Was That War All About?" --- S. Sugiura ________ In examining the historical process leading to Japan's defeat half a century ago, what we must clarify is that the basis of our national policy is that Japan's defense capability or military strength will never be used to invade other countries or inflict aggression upon other nations. Consecutive postwar governments have consistently taken this policy under the new Constitution. Japan's defense forces will be used only to defend the Japanese people and territory from enemies. _____But since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the communist bloc which had been perceived enemy, Japan's international influence has increased along with its growing economic strength. Parallel to these developments, international voices have recommended that Japan should become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. _____These changes have prompted the emergence of a view that Japan should "become an ordinary country." Some in Japan began to claim that in the case of a joint action based on the request of the international community, Japan's military strength could be used for peace-keeping purposes. _____I believe articulating the very basis of such a national policy hold a special significance. To be clear and more specific, I term it a "military isolation." This does not change our traditional policy. We, the Japanese people, should observe this principle as a lesson of our history and hand it down to the future generations. _____The Japanese people have failed in all past attempts to colonize foreign territories by force: Empress Jingu, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and that abominable World War. This fact is not unrelated to Japan's geographical location, across the sea from the Asian continent. The Japanese people have had conspicuously little opportunity to communicate with other nations. This situation inevitably results in the Japanese people possessing an extremely low degree of understanding of other nationals and cultures. _____A classic Chinese dictum of war strategy states that, "If one knows of oneself and his enemy, 100 wars should not be feared." The Japanese people do not know other nationalities and our ability to know them is essentially extremely low. On this point, Japan stands in a sharp contrast to the United States which consists of citizens of various ancestries and backgrounds. _____If I can say without fearing any misunderstanding, the United States possesses the qualification to become "the world's policeman," but Japan does not. _____On the other hand, Japan's ability to absorb different cultures is very high and we can be proud of having become an economic power, despite being a small island country. This success is the result of nurturing our own unique culture, by absorbing the Eastern cultures in the ancient times and the Western industrialized cultures in modern times. Our contribution to the international community must not be in military strength, but in being instrumental to the world with Japan's economic and cultural capabilities. _____It is only natural for the Japanese to defend the country in which we were born and raised from external invasions. The maintenance and deployment of our military capability for that purpose is only essential. Our present constitution does not stipulate territorial defense as a duty of the people (under the Meiji Constitution, military service was compulsory). _____Efforts to upgrade the public awareness through education must be enhanced. The smaller the military strength the better. It is important to strengthen the international security framework and endeavor to relax international tension, for the world to move toward arms reduction. _____It is crucial for Japan to clarify and respect its national policy of "military isolationism," while seeking to engage in the international community in economic and cultural areas. There have been few outlaw countries which attack other countries without reason. If we concentrate on only defense, and stay friendly and cooperative to others, it is virtually unthinkable for any country to illegally invade us. _____One is lost to find appropriate words to describe the abhorrent calamities inflicted upon Asian countries, particularly China and Korea, during that abominable war. Even the small-scale invasion of Korea by Hideyoshi Toyotomi remain deep in the hearts of the Korean people. The nightmare of World War II will be surely long handed down by the victims to posterity. That is the cross, the burden, that we the Japanese nationals must bear forever. _____Of course, some compensation can be reached through reparations. But it is unthinkable that the victims7bitterness will fade even if Japan maintains its military isolationism and undertakes all possible efforts. We, the Japanese, must accept the defeat of World War II and all the tragedies it created as a historical lesson. We must deal with them face to face, and hand them down to our posterity. We must pledge never to repeat the disaster in the future, and reflect the hearts of Asian victims into our mirror.
On July 25, 1997, Representative William O. Lipinski (D-3rd/IL) introduced legislation urging the Japanese government to extend a formal apology for its aggression in World War II and pay reparations to: _____ * US military and civilian prisoners of war. * The People of Guam. * Victims of the "Rape of Nanjing" * "Comfort Women", those sexual slaves of the Japanese military numbering in the hundreds of thousands. _____ Note: A resolution can not be passed on to the next session. Current 105th session ends in October. Unless it passes the House by October, the entire process will have to start over again. ___ In order to have this resolution discussed on the House floor it must first be brought to the following : * Asia and Pacific Subcommittee * International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the International Relations Committee ___ After passing these subcommittees separately through majority vote, it goes to the * International Relations Committee for discussions ___ After passing the International Relations Committee it finally goes to the House floor. ___ Before voting takes place, any subcommittee or committee may hold a hearing session where witnesses may be brought in for testimonies. Such hearings will attract the media, and will act to inform the general public. ___ Ordinarily the chairman, or the leader of each party in a committee or subcommittee has a strong influence on the (sub)committee members of his party. In the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee the Chairman Christopher H. Smith is the Republican Chairman, and Tom Lantos is the Democratic leader. Both have cosponsored the resolution. ___ On the other hand, in the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, neither Republican Chairman, Doug Bereuter, NE, nor Democratic leader Howard Berman of California, have given their sponsorships. ___ Likewise, Republican Chairman, Benjamin A. Gilman, and Democrat, Lee H. Hamilton members of the International Relations Committee, have yet to sign on in support of Lipinski's Resolution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Listed below are (sub)committee members and (Co)sponsers as of April 8,1998. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASIA AND THE PACIFIC SUBCOMMITTEE (*)Indicates Cosponsor ___ Doug Bereuter, NE; Chairman Howard L. Berman, CA; James A. Leach, IA; Eni F. H. Faleomavaega, AS; Dana Rohrabacher, CA; *Robert E. Andrews, NJ; Peter T. King, NY; Sherrod Brown, OH; *Jay Kim, CA; Matthew G. Martinez, CA; Matt Salmon, AZ; Alcee L. Hastings, FL; Jon D. Fox, PA; Robert Wexler, FL; John M. McHugh, NY; Donald A. Manzullo, IL; *Edward R. Royce, CA _____ INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEE (*)Indicates Cosponsor ___ *Christopher H. Smith, NJ; Chairman *Tom Lantos, CA; William F. Goodling, PA; Cynthia A. McKinney, GA; *Henry J. Hyde, IL; *Gary L. Ackerman, NY; Dan Burton, IN; Eni F. H. Faleomavaega, AS; Cass Ballenger, NC; *Donald M. Payne, NJ; *Peter T. King, NY; Earl F. Hilliard, AL; Matt Salmon, AZ; Robert Wexler, FL; Lindsey O. Graham, SC; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, FL _____ INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE (*)Indicates Cosponsor ___ Benjamin A. Gilman, NY; Chairman Lee H. Hamilton, IN; William F. Goodling, PA; Sam Gejdenson, CT; James A. Leach, IA; *Tom Lantos, CA; *Henry J. Hyde, IL; Howard L. Berman, CA; Doug Bereuter, NE; *Gary L. Ackerman, NY; *Christopher H. Smith, NJ; Eni F. H. Faleomavaega, AS; Dan Burton, IN; Matthew G. Martinez, CA; Elton Gallegly, CA; *Donald M. Payne, NJ; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, FL; *Robert E. Andrews, NJ; Cass Ballenger, NC; Robert Menendez, NJ; Dana Rohrabacher, CA; Sherrod Brown, OH; Donald A. Manzullo, IL; Cynthia A. McKinney, GA; *Edward R. Royce, CA; Alcee L. Hastings, FL; Peter T. King, NY; Pat Danner, MO; *Jay Kim, CA; Earl F. Hilliard, AL; Steve Chabot, OH; Brad Sherman, CA; Marshall "Mark" Sanford, SC; Robert Wexler, FL; Tom Campbell, CA; Steven R. Rothman, NJ; Jon D. Fox, PA; Bob Clement, TN; John M. McHugh, NY; Bill Luther, MN; Lindsey O. Graham, SC; Jim Davis, FL; Roy Blunt, MO; Kevin Brady, TX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ List of Cosponsors-sponsors as of 4/08/98: ___ Gary Ackerman (D-5th/NY), Robert Andrews (D-1st/NJ), Sherwood Boehlert (R-23rd/NY), David Bonior (D-10th/MI), Ken Calvert (R-43/CA), Tom Campbell (R-15th/CA), Michael "Mac" Collins (R-3rd/GA), Larry Combest (R-19th/TX), Merrill Cook (R-2nd/UT), Pat Danner (D-6th/MO), Tom Davis (R-11/VA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-21st/FL), John Duncan, Jr. (R-2nd/TN), Anna Eshoo (D-14th/CA), Bob Etheridge (D-2nd/NC), Michael Forbes (R-1st/NY), Rod Frelinghuysen (R-11th/NJ), Elizabeth Furse (D-1st/OR), Gene Green (D-29th/TX), Rick Hill (R-At Large/MT), Henry Hyde (R-6th/IL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-18th/TX), Jay Kim (R-41/CA), Peter King (R-3/NY), Ron Klink (D-4th/PA), Nick Lampson (D-9th/TX), Tom Lantos (D-12th/CA), William Lipinski (D-3rd/IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-16th/CA), Bill Luther (D-6h/MN), Bill McCollum (R-8th/FL), James McGovern(D-3rd/MA), Mike McNulty (D-21st/NY), Carolyn Maloney ((D-14th/NY), Dan Miller (R-13th/FL), Connie Morella (R-8th/MD), John Olver (D-1st/MA), Michael Pappas (R-12th/NJ), Donald Payne(D-10th/NJ), Collin Peterson (D-7th/MN), Thomas Petri (R-6th/WI), Joseph Pitts(R-16th/PA), Bill Redmond (R-3rd/NM), Dana Rohrabacher (R-45th/CA), Edward Royce (R-39th/CA), Joe Skeen (R-2nd/NM), Louise Slaughter (D-28th/NY), Chris Smith(R-4th/NJ), Gerald Solomon (R-22nd/NY), Pete Stark (D-13th/CA), Bob Stump (R-3rd/AZ), Gene Taylor (D-5th/MS), Edolphus Towns (D-10th/NY), Bob Underwood (D/Guam), Nydia Velazquez (D-12th/NY), Peter Visclosky (D-1st/IN), J. C. Watts (R-4th/OK), Sidney Yates (D-9th/IL), Bruce Vento (D-4th/MN), Don Young (R-At Large/AK) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lipinski Resolution 105TH CONGRESS H. CON. RES. 126 1ST SESSION ___ Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the war crimes committed by the Japanese military during World War II. ___ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES --- Mr. LIPINSKI (for himself, Mr. STUMP, Mrs. MORELLA, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. GREEN, Mr. HILL, Mr. ETHERTDGE, Mr. ACKCERMAN, and Mr. YATES) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations ___ CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the war crimes committed by the Japanese military during World War II. Whereas during World War II the Government of Japan deliberately ignored and flagrantly violated the Geneva and Hague Conventions and committed atrocious crimes against humanity; Whereas 33,587 members of the United States Armed Forces and 13,966 United States civilians were captured by the Japanese military in the Pacific Theater during World War II, confined in brutal prison camps, and subjected to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities; Whereas many of the United States military and civilian prisoners of the Japanese military during World War II were subjected to forced labor, starved and beaten to death, or summarily executed by beheading, firing squads, or immolation; Whereas almost all of the United States military and civilian prisoners who were rescued from the Japanese military at the end of World War II were afflicted with diseases caused by malnutrition and deprivation and have suffered from life-long illnesses, psychological and emotional trauma, and financial hardships as a result of their experience during the war; Whereas, of the United States prisoners held by the German military during World War II, 1.1 percent of the military prisoners and 3.5 percent of the civilian prisoners died during their imprisonment, but of the United States prisoners held by the Japanese military, 37.3 percent of the military prisoners and 11 percent of the civilian prisoners died during their imprisonment; Whereas on December 8, 1941, the Japanese military bombed and invaded the island of Guam and occupied the island until the liberation of Guam by the United States Armed Forces on July 21, 1944; Whereas the people of Guam were subjected to death, beheadings, rape and other violent acts, forced labor and marches, and imprisonment by the Japanese military during the occupation of Guam during World War II; Whereas at the Japanese biochemical warfare detachment in Mukden, Manchuria, commanded by Dr. Shiro Ishii, experiments were conducted on living prisoners of war that included infecting prisoners with deadly toxins, including plague, anthrax, typhoid, and cholera; Whereas at least 260 of the 1,500 United States prisoners believed to have been held at Mukden died during the first winter of their imprisonment and many of the 300 living survivors of Mukden claim to suffer from physical ailments resulting from their subjection to chemical and biological experiments; Whereas the Japanese military invaded Nanjing, China, from December, 1937, until February, 1938, during the period known as the "Rape of Nanjing", and brutally and systematically slaughtered more than 300,000 Chinese men, women, and children and raped more than 20,000 women; Whereas the Japanese military enslaved millions of Koreans during World War II and forced hundreds of thousands of women into sexual slavery for Japanese troops; Whereas international jurists in Geneva, Switzerland ruled in 1993 that women who were forced to be sexual slaves of the Japanese military during World War II (known by the Japanese military as "comfort women") deserve at least $40,000 each as compensation for their "extreme pain and suffering"; Whereas the Government of Germany has formally apologized to the victims of the Holocaust and gone to great lengths to provide financial compensation to the victims and to provide for their needs and recovery; and Whereas by contrast the Government of Japan has refused to fully acknowledge the crimes it committed during World War II and to provide reparations to its victims: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring, That it is the sense of Congress that the Government of Japan should (1) formally issue a clear and unambiguous apology for the atrocious war crimes committed by the Japanese military during World War II; and (2) immediately pay reparations to the victims of those crimes, including United States military and civilian prisoners of war, people of Guam who were subjected to violence and imprisonment, survivors of the "Rape of Nanjing" from December, 1937, until February, 1938, and the women who were forced into sexual slavery and known by the Japanese military as "comfort women". _____ HCON 126 IH
To all American readers, Please help support H. CON. RES. 126 as documented by s00dab8.ssa.gov above. Please write to your US House of Representative (Address can be found at http://www.house.gov/writerep/) to show your support for this resolution. You can find the full text at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.CON.RES.126: Thank you for your time and support.
all of you niggers and gooks and other mud-people should fall down at the feet of every white that you see and thank them for being such compassionate,superior beings. it is only by our forebearance and grace that any of you still exist. and as for the stupid little threats to "wipe out" all of us "honkies", wake up! we will defend ourselves and slaughter all of you non-white animals if you try.
KILL ALL NAZIS !!!!!!!! DIE, YOU INBRED FUCKERS !!!!!!!!!!
Co-Sponsors of HCON 126 IH, "Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the war crimes committed by the Japanese military during World War II", now totals 73. -------------------------------------------------- http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.CON.RES.126:
Support this resolution by writing to your House of Representative at -------------------------------------- http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Thank you for your support!
My what a fantastic site! I have done some study on Unit 731 myself. After learning about the Burma-Siam Railroad, the "Hell Ships", Changi, and of course the infamous "Unit 731" it is patently obvious that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were entirely justified! But for Gen MacAurther to have let the folks responsable off with no punishment was the real crime commited in my humble opinion. True many countries have commited their own atrocities too, but the lesson we should learn is not to justify the others but to punish all atrocities when they happen!! Jump down swiftly and hard!, to ensure for all to see that such things will never happen again. It saddens me to see folks say "who cares it happened a long time ago" We all should never forget, Forgetting only helps the guilty!
To sf-dnpqr-090.compuserve.net and 207.1.217.130: Thank you for ignoring the latest comments on racism. We've seen enough of those on this page...
As I was reading this page, I saw so much hatred in many peoples messages. Im an Asian American, and let me tell you how I felt about Japan. When I was in Taiwan, I used to hate Japanese because I learned about all the inhumane acts they committed in WWII. I mean, how can you not hate them? Most people who read about these crimes cant help being emotionally disturbed. But as I grew older, I began to understand that just because the current Japaneses ancestors committed such unspeakable crime, it doesnt mean the Japanese people now are evil. How unfair it would be for someone to blame you for what your father or grandfather did? As many people have mentioned before, many Japanese do not even know exactly what happened in WWII. The government has been hiding things from them, and all they know is other countries are seeking apologies for something they themselves have not done. Im sure it hurts their pride, and no one likes that. I think perhaps Japanese could learn more on the WWII history and Im sure if they all understand the history, being the people that cherish honor and pride, theyll know the right things to do. I think an official apology is needed from the Japanese government, partly because the victims who suffered in WWII need that peace of mind, and partly because I think the refusal to make an official apology has a negative implication on the future stability in Asia. As Ive said before, I used to hate Japanese for what they did in WWII and I know many people still have that same feelings. A 1997 poll of young people o China found that 84 percent associated Japan with the rape of Nanking and that only 49 percent associate it with consumer electronic goods. Well, you might say Japanese consumer electronics are not as ubiquitous in China as in other richer countries, but you have to agree 84 percent is a very high number. Some people argue that the Nanking Massacre is exaggerated. Well, so what if the Japanese army randomly killed 10,000 instead of 300,000? Does that mean what they did was ok then? The numbers dont necessarily reflect the "truth" that we have to understand. In conclusion, I just dont think this hatred between the two peoples is healthy for Asias, and the worlds, future stability. I also want to say for a second, lets not think about what "category" we belong to. You know, youre your own person. Why be racist? Why does it matter if youre black or white, Japanese or Chinese? If today all I do is doing all kinds of shit and have nothing to be proud of, can I say just because I belong to certain "category," it makes me a better person than someone else from another category? Are all college graduates smarter than the high school dropouts? Are all engineers better in math than lawyers? No! Id really like to see people stop hating each other because of the different circles theyre in. But anyway, this is just my three cents worth of thoughts. Im glad youre still reading. -HL
To everyone, every race, everywhere... I read the webpage...very horriable the torture these people went through. The racist remarks...show me it will happen again someday. I pray to God above that somehow, someday people will begin to see each other for what they are...PEOPLE. We're all human, the same species, sharing the same planet, fighting different battles, but all the same. Every race has seen horrors inflicted by other, as well as thier own races. Most every family has had someone who fought in a war, perhaps even died. Not every person stands behinds the ideas of thier country. Not all "American's" like the things America does. I am sure there are members of every nation that feel that way. We aren't all the same, you cannot classify a person by the color of thier skin, the slant of thier eyes, or the ground they were born on. We're all flesh and blood. It's what's in our hearts, minds, and souls that matter. Nothing else. No one controls govenment but politicians. They don't always do what's best for thier people, or even what thier people want them to do. People can be racist, and slander all they want to. But until it stops, and people look and see...we're all the same, that color doesn't matter...the wars will continue. People will die unjustly, for no real cause. Eventually we may even wipe out the entire human race. Look at what we do to ourelves by focusing on such menial things as color. Open your eyes, foucus on making things right instead of seeking revenge. Killing people will never be the answer. If everyone took the energy that is put in to hatred and used it for something constructive, like perhaps saving the rainforests (whose demise threatens the earths oxygen supply as well as adds to the extinction of animals and medicinal plants), or saving the earth which we as humans have almost succesfully obliterated, we could solve all the problems of the world. My only hope is that someday we can all coexist peacefully, so that history (such as the attrocities listed on this website) will not repeat itself again. Melody wikked@cdc.net
Most of the readers on this page do not think that "ALL JAPANESE SHOULD DIE!" It should never be and we should not allow us to degrade ourselves to the same level as the criminals we are here to condemn. This web page is not for us to feel good about ourselves either, there are more things more pleasant than looking at these horrible photographs. This web page is not about proving the superiority of one race or nationality over another, although some of our readers do not seem to understand this. Whether we like it or not, whether we would rather forget or not, there are real victims, both living and dead. For the dead, we can only hope they are resting in peace. But there are real people(victims) still fighting for their rights to be recognized, rights to be dignified with an apology before they pass away. Surely these people deserve a right to get an apology and compensation for the despicable crime they had to endure. Instead of getting compassion and sympathy, many of these victims are being portrayed as whores, profiteer, and liars by the Japanese Government. This is being done (by Japanese Government, Japanese Courts) in the name of fostering Japanese national PRIDE. This to me is what this page is all about and these actions should never be tolerated. The Germans have the dignity in admiting to their unfortunate past. They deserve our praised and respect. However, the Japanese Government has continued in denying their past. Until the day the victims receive a sincere apology, the real victims of these atrocities should receive our support.
Cheers and full agreement all around.
Source: Japan Times 8/14/98----------------------------------- Title: Green Cross founder tied to Unit 731 preservation----- The founder of Green Cross Corp., an Osaka-based pharmaceutical firm, played a major role shortly after World War II in preventing senior members of Unit 731 from being prosecuted as war criminals, it was learned Friday. Ryoichi Naito, a physician and key member of the unit, drafted a plan in which unit leaders would hand over to the U.S. military most of the information related to the unit's efforts to develop biological and chemical weapons. However, Naito said information concerning their planned germ warfare and vivisection should never be disclosed, according to recent discoveries in the documents. The documents, which are in the possession of Tsuneishi Keiichi, a professor at Kanagawa University, were confirmed to have been written by a senior member of Unit 731. General Headquarters claims it was unaware that the special unit was conducting research using prisoners of war from various countries, and gave the unit's leaders immunity from prosecution. Immunity was extended to the unit's senior officials after two years of questioning by the U.S. military because the military put priority on obtaining the information on biological and chemical weapons. Declassified documents at the Pentagon previously showed Naito as vowing to the U.S. Army in September 1945 that Unit 731 had never used humans as guinea pigs in experiments. Most of the top-echelon leaders of the special force, officially called the 731st Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Headquarters, avoided the gallows and continued in their medical careers after the war. After the unit was disbanded following the war's end in August 1945, Naito established the Japan Blood Bank, predecessor of Green Cross, in 1950. He died in July 1982. Green Cross, a leading supplier of blood products, is one of five drug firms named in lawsuits by hemophiliacs who contracted HIV through tainted blood products. Green Cross was ordered to pay damages in two suits, while others are ongoing.
fuck-japan....
The best site I've found on the textbooks issue: http://www.brokering.com/adv96/html/textbook.html
THE UNDENIABLE TRUTH VIA THE INTERNET(SPONSORED BY SIMON WIESENTAL CENTER): Live eyewitness testimony by former Japanese soldiers who participated in and witnessed atrocities during World War II in China and Manchuria against Chinese, American and other Allied prisoners of war. The conference will include a panel in Tokyo with eyewitnesses to the Nanjing massacre and the notorious medical and biological experiments of Unit 731; a former Japanese officer who trained recruits in and a former soldier who deposited typhus into the water supply in Manchuria. The event will be held on Sunday August 16, 1998 at the Center's Museum of Tolerance, at 5:00pm PST /9:00am, Monday, August 17th, JST. For more information, http://www.wiesenthal.com/testimony/index.html
The 'commentary' found on this page spans a wide range of opinion. However, the majority often reek of overtly hateful and malicious ignorance. I speak of the 'death to all
Very well done. I had heard very little, but I knew of the German crimes. Will future generations see our aborted children as our victims? They too, are dissected and incinerated. It is amazing that people can murder millions and have no remorse. Even more amazing that so many can welcome it. Keep up the good work.
It would be really funny if someone is trying to tell me that Japan did nothing wrong in this incident. By the same token, if someone tries to convince me that droping an atomic bomb was a right thing to do.
I'm white, have an uncle who spent time in a Japanese POW camp during world war 2, am a public servant in Japan, have a beautiful half-Japanese daughter, and have friends, lovers and enemies of all different races, ethnicities, creeds, and so forth. With that self-intro done with, I just want to say that Unit 731 and the incredible suffering that was caused there deserve publicity, so this Web site is clearly worth the bandwidth. Also, this "comments" section is a brilliant idea: reading some of the contributions definitely helps one understand how ideological crap can work its way into the mind and turn someone who once fed at the breast and played at school into something resembling a rabid dog.
I find it ironic that so many of the people who leave comments on this page are mearly showing their prejudices. By bashing other cultures and races either in defense of the Japenese, or by bashing the Japanese, it is doing the exact opposite of the intention of the web page. There is no culture on earth that is free of atrocities and prejudice, white, black, asian, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddest. The purpose of this page is to show the what has occurred, and to enlighten people so that it has less of a chance of occurring in the future.. With some of the comments, it seems that that education process is not having the desired effect. I also see the the problem with ignorence is that the people who have it are so willing to share it. The first step in becoming enlightened it to face the errors of the past headon, and learn from them.
Britain abandoned POW claims in '55 ------------------- Yuichi Shibata Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent ________ LONDON -- The British government decided in 1955 not to seek further reparations for former British prisoners of war from the Japanese government, despite knowing it had a right to demand them, according to declassified documents discovered at the British national archives recently. _____ In response to the discovery of the documents, an association of former British POWs protested to the British government and demanded that an investigation into the matter be carried out. _____ It is estimated that among 132,000 Allied forces soldiers held captive by the Japanese forces during World War II, about 50,000 were British soldiers. _____ On the basis of the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, the Japanese government paid reparations to former Allied POWs. Each British POW received 76. pounds _____ The Japanese government also paid reparations to former POWs from Southeast Asian countries and Switzerland after concluding bilateral peace treaties in 1955. _____ The documents discovered at the British national archives were exchanged between the British Foreign Office and the Treasury in 1955. _____ According to the documents, the Foreign Office concluded that the British government had a right to seek further reparations after studying the San Francisco Peace Treaty and Japan's bilateral peace treaties and reparations agreements with Burma, now known as Myanmar, and Switzerland. A Foreign Office report found that POWs from those countries had received higher compensation from Japan. _____ However, the prevailing opinion at the Foreign Office held that seeking further reparations from Japan would hamper the war-ravaged nation's reconstruction and act as a brake on the improvement of bilateral relations. _____ Therefore, in May 1955, the Foreign Office sent a memorandum to the Treasury in which it indicated it would give up the right to seek further reparations. In September of that year, the Treasury reported that it had arrived at the same conclusion. The Foreign Office and the Treasury agreed not to publicly disclose the decision to forfeit further reparations. _____ The Japanese Labor Camp Survivors Association, which organized protest demonstrations aimed at having the Emperor apologize when he visited Britain in May, wants the British government to launch an investigation. _____ According to Martin Day, an attorney representing the association, the association is asking the British government to investigate in detail the circumstances surrounding the decision not to seek further reparations. _____ He said the documents made it clear that the British government had a right to seek reparations retroactively. _____ Day said British Prime Minster Tony Blair had promised to study the issue. _____ But the Japanese government has refused to consider any negotiations on reparations, saying that this issue was settled under the San Francisco Peace Treaty. --------------------
I am glad that China is finally getting its act together and beginning to build a strong economy to support its people. China seeks to become a world superpower in perhaps one hundred years. I do not doubt that this will happen. Even though China is still a poor, agarian nation, it is rapidly beginning programs to reduce its unmanagably large population and starting to show some signs of limited freedoms. It is my hope that within time, the Chinese people will begin to want their nation to seek revenge for atrocities committed during World War II
"Victims of violence have toughened boundaries of mistrust. No wonder healing takes so long. We can return to our resentment as to a pile of our vomit and usually find reason to make an addition. Eventually, fresh air and the earth will know when we have befriended them, but who ever befriends their own vomit?" [RAMBLE #20. from the Emperor of the Ultimate Reality: emperor78@hotmail.com]
Title: Crime and confession on the Net --------------------------------- Banned from entering North America, two Japanese veterans admit their `crimes against humanity' in China via satellite and the Internet. By PETER McGILL and ROY K. AKAGAWA --------------------------------------------------------------------- Asahi Evening News, August 23, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was an image nightmare for the Government and without doubt the harbinger of worse to come: Four Japanese veterans of World War II confessing in Tokyo to horrific atrocities in China, before a global Internet audience and over a satellite video link to panelists at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. As an ultra-nationalist student visiting from Kokushikan University in Tokyo, Hakudo Nagatomi said he had witnessed part of the six weeks of slaughter from late 1937 to early 1938 at Nanking, when soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army showed him a pile of Chinese corpses in a tent and offered him the chance to join in the execution of a fresh batch of prisoners. Later, as a member of the Imperial Army's tokumu kikan (intelligence force) in China, he had "burned to death" two children inside their house, a crime for which their mother confronted him at a trial in China after the war. "I am so sorry," said Nagatomi, weeping. "I would like a judge to punish me. That is the only way I can repent." Two of the other Japanese veterans at the KDD Hall in Tokyo's Otemachi for the satellite conference, Shiro Azuma and Yoshio Shinozuka, had both been denied entry in June to the United States and Canada for their suspected involvement in "crimes against humanity." This action against Japanese, which has caused consternation in government circles in Tokyo, had given rise to the idea among supporters of Azuma and Shinozuka of holding a Japan-U.S. satellite conference, since they were unable to testify in North America to their part in war crimes. Banned from North America The U.S. "watch list" against suspected war criminals was largely the result of lobbying by the L.A.-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, named after the famous Nazi hunter who devoted his life to bringing justice to those responsible for the Holocaust (in which 5.7 million Jews died), and other Nazi atrocities. The 1979 "Holtzman Amendment" to the U.S. Immigration Statute bars from entry anyone whom the U.S. government "has a reasonable basis to suspect assisted or otherwise participated in acts of Axis-sponsored persecution between 1933 and 1945." Until December 1996, however, the U.S. "watch list" of suspected war criminals did not contain the names of any Japanese. Eli M. Rosenbaum, director of the Office of Special Investigations at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C., told Asahi Evening News that the prior omission of Japanese was solely owing to lack of information. Japanese would have been added to the list "in 1980," said Rosenbaum, "but we were stymied in receiving necessary data. We couldn't get information about Japanese perpetrators. We need evidence, including names and dates of birth," Rosenbaum explained. His office had requested such information from the Justice Ministry in Tokyo, but he declined to reveal whether any help had been forthcoming. The number of barred Japanese war criminals "is now growing," Rosenbaum added. A spokeswoman for the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo said that the Immigration Act of Canada has a similar clause that enables the government "to refuse entry when we have reasonable grounds to believe someone may have been involved in crimes against humanity." Although Canada has no such "watch list" as the U.S., it invoked this provision to bar entry to Canada to Azuma and Shinozuka, she said. Azuma has become well-known in Japan for publishing a diary he kept as a soldier in Nanking that details atrocities. He has since been threatened many times by rightists in Japan, and accused of libel and fabrication by other Army veterans, including his former platoon commander, who are suing him in court. "Although some people thank me for describing what happened during the war, others have criticized me, saying `You are disgracing the Army,'" Azuma told the satellite conference. Bayonetted `like potatoes' One month after joining the Imperial Army in August 1937, before the capture of Nanking, Azuma said he had personally bayonetted to death 37 Chinese civilians, "old men and women, some cradling children in their arms, just like potatoes on a skewer." Azuma said his unit had entered Nanking on Dec. 13, 1937 and taken 7,000 prisoners. "Although I was not directly involved, I heard a rumor that these POWs were divided up into groups of 200 or 300 and all were killed." At the time, he added, "chankoro, inukoro, ishikoro kettobase" (kick aside the Chinks, dogs and pebbles on the road), was a popular saying, and demonstrated how the Army had dehumanized the Chinese people. Shinozuka was a member of the Imperial Army's infamous "Unit 731" in Pingfan, a village outside Harbin in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, where biological warfare experiments on human prisoners were conducted. Recruited in 1939 when he was sixteen, Shinozuka first met Gen. Shiro Ishii, the founder and leader of Japan's secret BW program, on April 1, 1939 at its headquarters in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, the innocuously named "Boeki Kenkyushitsu (Epidemic Prevention Laboratory)" of the Imperial Army Medical College. Soon after arrival in Pingfan, he escorted a consignment of deadly germs by train to the border with the Soviet Union for use in the Nomonhan attack against the Red Army in the summer of 1939. Inside the Unit 731 complex, Shinozuka said he took part in the mass cultivation of fleas to carry bubonic plague, and of typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, plague and anthrax germs. He also took part in the live vivisection of five Chinese prisoners who had been infected with plague germs to test their deadly efficacy. At Unit 731, Shinozuka and his colleagues would dismissively refer to these guinea pigs by their code name--"maruta" (logs). Shinozuka was joined at the satellite conference by a former co-member of the Unit 731 "youth corps," Kanetoshi Tsuruta, who had joined in May 1938. Tsuruta said he also took part in the Nomonhan offensive, dumping liquid from an oil drum into a river upstream of Red Army troops. When he later discovered that the leader of the operation had died of typhoid, he realized that the dumped liquid had been laced with typhoid bacilli. "After the Nomonhan Incident, several of us from the youth corps were called before Gen. Ishii. He asked if anyone had gone to Nomonhan, so I raised my hand and said yes. He asked me what I thought of war. I said that I thought it was better not to wage war. After I returned to my base, I was not directly criticized, so I thought I was not in trouble, but later I was ordered to raise lice. I placed them on my skin so the lice could suck my blood. Later, I thought that the lice were used to carry germs, so I thought that it was part of a challenge to me by Unit 731." Sickened by such experiences, Tsuruta said he quit the Ishii unit in October 1939. `10,000-12,000 exterminated' Sheldon Harris, professor emeritus of history at California State University and author of the book, "Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare 1932-45 and the American Cover-up," stressed the enormous scale of Japan's top-secret biological warfare (BW) effort and of the atrocities committed in the process. "My calculation, which is very conservative, and based on incomplete sources as the major archives are still closed, is that 10,000 to 12,000 human beings were exterminated in lab experiments. Most were wiped out in four to six weeks, but sometimes it took 6 months," Harris told the satellite conference. In addition, BW "field tests were carried out all over China and Manchuria," in which "a quarter of a million innocent people were wiped out," he added. "This was a massive undertaking by the entire Japanese scientific community of the time," Harris told the global audience. "The finest scientists were given unlimited sums of money" to research BW, and besides Japan and Manchukuo, there were BW laboratories "in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanking, Singapore, Rangoon and Bangkok," he said. Harris did not shrink from outlining the responsibility shared by the United States and other Allies in the subsequent coverup, which allowed senior members of Japan's BW program to pursue "distinguished careers" after World War II, "and were never prosecuted for their work from 1930 to 1945." "The U.S. was very anxious to obtain human experimental data" from Japan's BW research, and U.S. intelligence officers negotiated with Ishii and others of his team from Sept. 1945 to June 1948, "around the time" that the International Military Tribunal for the Far East ("Tokyo Trial") was concluded. "The end result was immunity. Under any definition, they were `Class A' war criminals, but were never prosecuted," said Harris. "Of course, the U.S. government is as culpable for inaction as Japan, and the Canadian, British, Dutch and Australian governments knew about it." The Soviets, who tried in Khabarovsk a number of captured Japanese BW scientists and published the trial record in 1950 for a disbelieving West caught up in the Cold War, "were not innocent either, and were willing to move heaven and earth" to obtain the Japanese BW data that fell into U.S. hands. For the Soviet Union, "it was unfortunate that Japan was controlled by the U.S.," Harris added. While the United States "bears a major responsibility" for the coverup of Unit 731, "the greater responsibility lies with Japanese" to seek the truth, Harris stressed. "After all, it was their leadership" that sanctioned the activities of Unit 731, he said. Harris also mentioned testimony in 1986 by John Hatcher, chief archivist of the U.S. Army, before a U.S. Congressional subcommittee hearing into allegations of Unit 731 experiments on American POWs. Hatcher had effectively shifted the burden of proof or denial to the Japanese government by stating that official Japanese documents seized by the United States "in the months following Japan's surrender" in 1945 had subsequently been "boxed up" and returned to Tokyo, as most were in Japanese and hard to understand. (Among questions put to the Japanese Foreign Ministry for this report, Asahi Evening News asked the whereabouts in Tokyo of still classified documents relating to Unit 731, but no official from the Foreign Ministry was available for interview.) Interviewed by telephone after the satellite conference, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told Asahi Evening News that "the information brought forward by Prof. Harris is an outrage, a stain on American democracy and history and demands action." Rabbi Cooper likened U.S. complicity in the cover-up of Unit 731 war crimes, some of which have been ranked beside those of Adolf Eichmann, to that of the Nazis. "A blanket amnesty for `Class A' war criminals is not only an indictment against postwar U.S. policy, but further proof that the only real victors of the Cold War were former criminals in Asia and Europe, who should have been put on trial," he said. The amnesty given to Unit 731 butchers in exchange for their research findings reminded of the "bidding war" between the U.S. and British governments for the "alleged expertise in intelligence" of Klaus Barbie, the Nazi "Butcher of Lyon," and the "rat line" that enabled Nazi war criminals to escape to Latin America after World War II. "These cynical decisions make a mockery of the suffering of millions of innocent people," he said. CROSSLINE: Fifty years after the conclusion of the "Tokyo Trial," the Japanese government was constantly berated and pilloried by participants in the satellite conference for failing to address Japan's wartime responsibility for "crimes against humanity." Michael Parks, executive editor of the Los Angeles Times and a member of the panel at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in L.A., said that he was "astounded" that the Japanese government is "so devoid of compassion 50 years after the events (sic) that it can't acknowledge them." Parks added that as a correspondent in Beijing, he had "written about Unit 731 in 1982, and about the Nanking Massacre even earlier." Tokyo panelist Koken Tsuchiya, the chief lawyer for 108 Chinese victims and relatives of victims of Japanese biological warfare, who are demanding in Tokyo court an official apology from the Japanese government and 10 million yen each in damages, said, "I am embarrassed as a Japanese by the attitude of the Japanese government of not revealing, on its own, information about BW activity and issuing an apology." Akira Fujiwara, emeritus professor of history at Hitotsubashi University, added, "There are still politicians in Japan today who deny that the Imperial Army committed atrocities in Nanking. Those who speak out against the atrocities at Nanking receive threatening letters from rightists. However, not all Japanese think that way. Many want to uncover the truth and apologise for such deeds ... Like Auschwitz symbolizes the atrocities committed during the war by the Nazis, so does Nanking symbolize the worst atrocities committed by the Imperial Army ... I also feel that behind those denials of the Nanking Massacre are those who want to revive Japanese militarism by saying the war was not a war of invasion, but that it was a just war." From the Internet audience, e-mail questions were received from the United States, the Netherlands, China and Japan. One asked, "Did anyone question orders, and if so, what happened?" Azuma replied, "Orders had to be obeyed immediately. We were told that orders from superiors were the emperor's orders, so it was unthinkable to disobey." Several questioners wanted to know "If there is something about Japanese culture that makes it difficult to apologize." Fujiwara replied, "It is not cultural, but political. If the government apologizes, it would acknowledge guilt, and would incur a huge payment burden for compensation." CROSSLINE: The satellite conference took place amid mounting international criticism of Japan over the "war guilt" issue. The Justice Ministry told Asahi Evening News that it has lost count of the number of law suits underway against the government. To name a few, these range from former "comfort women" sex slaves of the Imperial Army, and ex-POWs and civilian internees of the British Commonwealth, the United States and the Netherlands, to Korean and Chinese forced laborers, and Chinese victims of atrocities and biological and chemical warfare. The government strategy of avoiding official acknowledgement of the claims by "comfort women" by offering "private" settlements is now in tatters. The government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is demanding a halt to such "hush-money" handouts. Instead, it proposes that the money be spent on official memorials and monuments, which the Japanese government is loathe to accept. Statements by politicians of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and by conservative Japanese media constantly undermine the perceived sincerity behind the government's indirect form of redress. In January 1997, Seiroku Kajiyama, a recent LDP contender for the premiership, claimed that "comfort women" had provided sex to Japanese troops "for money." On July 31 this year, newly appointed Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa also cast doubt on whether the women had been "forced" to provide sex. On Aug. 11, the editorial of the Yomiuri Shimbun blasted a critical report to a U.N. human rights subcommittee on the "comfort women" issue, and questioned why Japan should be "singled out" when Nazi troops had forced women in occupied areas to provide sex, and "hundreds of thousands" of Japanese had been taken to Siberia after World War II to work as slave laborers. For good measure, the Yomiuri also pointed out that the government had established brothels in Japan "for officers of the Allied forces" after surrender in 1945. (The Yomiuri editorial was cited during the satellite conference by Tam Yue-him, professor of history at Macalester College, Minnesota, and executive vice-president of the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of World War II in Asia, as an example of the "opportune use ...of the deteriorating economy in Japan" made by "the revisionists and right-wing clique in Japan to realize their agenda.") As for Unit 731, in spite of the coverage it has received in Japan and around the world, the Japanese government has not officially advanced beyond a reluctant acknowledgement of its past existence. The fate of more than 100 human bones, some of them with saw-tooth marks and bullet holes, that were dug up nine years ago during construction of the new National Institute of Health (NIH) on the very site of Gen. Ishii's Epidemic Prevention Laboratory in Shinjuku Ward's Toyama district, has come to epitomise official paralysis in the face of incriminating history. Cremation of the bones, that would have obliterated all evidence, was halted by an injunction suit filed by citizens in 1993. Two lower courts ruled against the plaintiffs, and upheld the right of Shinjuku Ward to burn the bones, and the case is now before the Supreme Court. The bones remain in the custody of Shinjuku Ward in a Shinjuku Ward funeral home. Meanwhile, a plan to turn the site of the Imperial Army Medical College, near to the present NIH, into a playing field has been thrown into turmoil by suspicion voiced that it too may contain the remains of corpses from Gen. Ishii's diabolical research. But it is the Nanking Massacre that continues to stoke the most controversy, and in recent months the flames have reached a new peak with publication of "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II" by Iris Chang, a young American scholar of Chinese descent. Unexpectedly, Chang's book became a bestseller and received favorable reviews in major U.S. newspapers and magazines. Since then, hardly a week goes by without some new attack on Chang appearing in print in Japan. After Kunihiko Saito, Japan's ambassador to Washington, had publicly criticized Chang's book as being "inaccurate," "erroneous" and "distorted," Rabbi Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote a protest letter to Saito for failing to provide "any specific details to back up your serious allegations." "Mr. Ambassador, this is a unique time in history when people and nations across the globe are finally taking stock of errors, misdeeds, and crimes against humanity during the World War II era," Rabbi Cooper's letter continued. "Indeed, I recently met in Tokyo with a group of repentant Japanese war criminals who publicly recounted their grisly crimes against innocent people which they carried out in the name of their emperor and nation. It is a sad state of affairs that the Japanese government lacks the vision and commitment to do the same." In his April 28 reply to the rabbi's letter, Saito merely quoted from the war apology read by then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on Aug. 15, 1995, adding that "we are now teaching our younger generation, through our textbooks, about the tremendous damage and suffering inflicted on people in the said countries." Examples of such Japanese textbook treatments are given at the end of an article headed "The Nanking Massacre: Fact and Fable" by Ikuhiko Hata, professor of Nihon University, that savages Chang's book for its "shortcomings" and is carried in the August issue of "Japan Echo," a magazine for foreigners that is sponsored by Japan's Foreign Ministry. Unfortunately, the passages cited by Japan Echo only underline the extreme sensitivity shown by the government, which screens all textbooks used in Japan, to any mention of the Nanking Massacre. "Shosetsu: Nihonshi Kaiteiban" (A detailed exposition of Japanese history), that Japan Echo says is "used by 38 percent of high schools," relegates any suggestion of a massacre to a footnote to the Imperial Army's "occupation" of Nanking. "On this occasion the Japanese forces killed many Chinese, including noncombatants, and after Japan's defeat this (the Nanking Incident) became a major issue at the Tokyo Trial." ----------------------------------------------------------- CROSSLINE: For observers in Japan, perhaps the most startling feature of the satellite conference last week was the coalition of opinion now arraigned against the Japanese government for its handling of war responsibility. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has been in the forefront of the highly successful campaign for restitution of Jewish financial assets held by Swiss banks and other institutions since the Holocaust. An investigation into these and other "looted" assets was headed by Stuart Eizenstat, an under secretary of state of the U.S. government. Last week, Assicurazioni Generali SpA, an Italian insurance company, became the latest to pay up, saying that it would contribute $100 million (14.5 billion yen) to settle a class action suit brought by Jewish policy holders. Rabbi Cooper said that the main reason why the center had decided to take up Japanese war crimes was their "moral equivalency" with the crimes against humanity "and possibly genocide" committed by the Nazis. Moreover, the laws and rules by which Japanese counterparts were tried in Tokyo after World War II "came as a result of the Nuremburg Trial" of Nazi war criminals, he pointed out. Chalmers Johnson, head of the Japan Policy Research Institute in San Diego, California, which also co-sponsored a recent conference in San Francisco titled "Japan's War Memories: Amnesia or Concealment?", points out the "growing confidence and political awareness of Americans of Chinese ancestry, often highly educated" in North America, especially in California. Iris Chang alludes to the same phenomenon in the introduction to her book on the Nanking Massacre. Even more fundamental in the rising tide of criticism against Japan is the way the end of the Cold War is loosening anchors of the Japan-U.S. relationship. As Johnson puts it, "Any number of fundamental issues were covered up by a tidal wave when the U.S. decided to reflate Japan after World War II, to make Japan its most important Cold War satellite. Now that the tide has receded, the rocks are all exposed again."
There are other war crimes for which the Japanese have not yet accepted responsibility: "Foreigners had been mistreated in Japan as far back as anyone could remember, and Japan's attitude toward non-Japanese had always been hostile and jingoistic, but there is scant record of its mistreatment of civilians and POWs in the Russo-Japanese War. WW II, however, was to be different. Japan's need to dominate Asia, the Pacific, their resources and peoples, made it necessary to humiliate before all Asia the Dutch, British, Americans, French, and Australians, and any non-whites who sided with them. A policy of brutality to all who fell into their hands was required. "Bushido", the code of the Samurai warrior, was deliberately perverted. The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the Geneva Conventions setting minimum standards for the protection of the wounded, civilians and POWs were to be ignored. POWs and civilians, Americans, Dutch, British, Australians, and their Asian allies, were despised, treated as slaves, and beheaded, raped, shot, starved, tortured, strangled, drowned, torn apart, suffocated, burned, chloroformed, and dissected alive. Women were dragged through the streets naked behind trucks and torn apart. In 1937 the whole world saw the Rape of Nanking in newsreels - a gruesome game played, babies tossed into the air and then caught on the end of bayonets, two hundred thousand (200,000) people slaughtered, and the world concluded the Japanese had gone mad. In 1942 the Rape of Nanking was repeated at on Christmas day at St. Stephens College - all wounded prisoners were bayoneted to death in their beads, officers or nurse who tried to interfere were killed, nurses were raped all day and night - they could not remember how many times they had been raped; the rape of Nanking was repeated in Hong Kong and at a hospital in Alexandra - patients were bayoneted on the operating table, and elsewhere in Asia and the Pacific. The cruelties heaped upon the Chinese residents of Nanking and Hong Kong and the systematic humiliation of Europeans had a common origin, Japanese racial hatred for all foreigners; but the Japanese reserved an especial hatred for white foreigners, and the mistreatment, torture, and murder of the British, Americans, Dutch, Australian, and French men and women and their Asian allies was cynically calculated to bring them down in the eyes of other Asians. After the fall of Corregidor, thousands of American and Philippine soldiers, many of them wounded, died during the Bataan Death March from officially encouraged brutality, by the bullet, the club, and the bayonet. Of 12,000 captured, 3000 survived. Colonel Tsuji had five thousand Chinese executed for "supporting British colonialism" and convinced other officers that this was a racial war and that all prisoners in the Philippines should be executed, Americans because they were white colonists and Filipinos because they had betrayed their fellow Asians. . . . 17,000 Allied POWs and 90,000 natives died in slavery building the 250 mile Burma Railway for Japan. In April 1942, American planes bombed Tokyo and landed or crashed in China. Over two hundred thousand (200,000) Chinese who lived in the areas where the planes may have crashed, were slaughtered in revenge and as a warning. Nefarious experiments were conducted on unwilling subjects to further Japan's zeal to lead the world in biological warfare research . . . its goal was to introduce anthrax, cholera, and bubonic plague in the United States. The infamous Unit 731 conducted inhumane and frequently lethal pseudo-medical experiments on thousands of POWs and civilians, including mass dissections without anesthesia of living humans. In "medical experiments" at Truk in 1944 American POWs were murdered by, among other things, injecting them with streptococcus bacteria. A Japanese rear admiral was responsible for the murder of 98 Pan American airline employees on Wake Island in 1943. The Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police and the most feared police organization in all of Asia, combined the worst elements of the Gestapo and the KNVD; they were notorious famous for their brutality; fatal beatings, beheadings, even poisoning of prisoners were commonplace in the Kempeitai cells. In the few POW camps to which the International Red Cross was permitted access, Red Cross employees who did their work well were often beaten, imprisoned, or killed. The mortality rate in German POW camps was 1.9%, in Japanese POW camps it was 40%. Two hundred thousand (200,000) women from the Netherlands, Korea, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Burma, and what is now Indonesia were confined, raped, beaten, starved, and their babies threatened with death, in order to force them into being prostitutes to the Japanese army; later they were denied treatment for rampant venereal disease. White civilians found in the Pacific were no problem - "starvation would take care of the situation." Australian trials of Japanese war criminals revealed the depths of depravity to which the Japanese sometimes sank, and these included cannibalism and crucifixion of POWs. The Japanese commander of Chi Chi Jima was convicted of having eaten the liver of POWs on that island, and George Bush, president-to-be, who was shot down over Chichi Jima in a bombing attack on a radio station, considered himself extremely fortunate to have escaped capture. Vice admiral Miciaki Kamada was responsible for the execution of 1500 Borneo natives; 2000 Dutch prisoners died from brutality on Flores Island, and in Indonesia 5,000 Indonesian forced laborers, 500 Allied POWs, and 1000 civilians died from maltreatment. As the Allies closed in on Japan, the Japanese took their POWs with them as they retreated, so as not to lose them as laborers and hostages. Later in the war, Field Marshall Terauchi and General Hideiki Tojo would order that all 400,000 POWs and civilian detainees in Japan's custody be executed as soon as the invasion of the Japan had began. Even after the Emperor announced surrender, the atrocities continued; in one final indulgence of hatred for white westerners and their Asian allies, hundreds of POWs were chopped to death, strangled, shot, beheaded, and chloroformed. In all 17,000,000 soldiers and civilians died at the hands of the Japanese." bra@hal-pc.org
What I am understanding from this page so far, is that we have not learned from our mistakes. The blatent attacks not to mention the severe racist comments from both sides, only shows me that just because these horrible acts occurred so long ago, doesn't necessarily remove us from them. We are so living in a time that it could be even more easier now to kill; the technology is just better. We appear to be at crossroads....hate ever so prevalent. Those of us who haven't stood back and really analyzed what true killing is all about, may still find it hard that a war would ever happen. Just picture it. Killing on your soil, in your hometown, those who have experienced this know what I am talking about. The 90's doesn't give us a greater standard of living unless what truly want that. FOR THE SAVING OF OUR SOULS, WE MUST PAY ATTENTION. THE TIME IS NOW For those who have died in the pursuit peace and for those who undeservedly lost their lives in war times, we honor you and will meet sometime in the future. For all those who cannot see the conscious waste of precious life and for those who have killed for unjust causes, may your maker have mercy on your soul. I say this not as a harrasment, but merely as an eyeopener. May you rest your head in peace, all human lives, forever. (For those wishing to experience utter awakening fear and wish to set their lives straight. Please visit www.artbell.com and listen to "the sounds from hell" clip. Read description, listen to clip, and judge yourself. Godspeed
We have to keep in mind that all these war-time atrocities happened during a time when no such thing as Human Rights even existed. You can't point fingers at modern Germans and call them Nazis, you can't hate Americans only because they bombed the residential area of Hiroshima rather than the military-industrial. "Human Rights" were non-exisent during the pre-nuremberg 20th century. The Americans, on the other hand, with their vile foreign policy, devastated the lives of millions abroad, mainly in South America and Southeast Asia. They murdered people by the hundreds, and have recently been doing so in Guatemala. They sponsored terrorists who killed innocent people, they sponsored murderous drug dealers, the supported brutal oppressive military junta-regimes, all in the name of cementing America's status as King of the Hill and Ruthless Opressor of the world. They rule there own country like a bunch of idiots, causing suffering among their own citizens, as we have seen with the "War on Drugs", the lack of gun control, etc. Maybe the oh-so-holy Americans should come up with an apology, before demanding foreign nations to apologize for historical crimes, rather than recent ones.
The Chinese are all too familiar with the horror stories. But, except for the more well-read, people outside China and parts of Asia probably know little about the way Japanese troops slaughtered innocents in the city of Nanking (now Nanjing) in 1937. The Rape of Nanking (Basic Books, New York, 304 pages, $25) should change that. Despite the somber topic, Iris Chang's new book has been a success in the U.S. (it made the New York Times best-seller list), fueled in part by interest in matters Chinese. A little controversy did not hurt either. Saito Kunihiko, the Japanese ambassador to Washington, was provoked enough to attack the work as biased and inaccurate.
The Rape of Nanking promises to put Japan's brutal occupation of the Chinese wartime capital into 20th-century world perspective. It fails to deliver that, but it is nevertheless a rare English-language account of one of the most shameful episodes in Asia's war history. Chang, a Chinese-American journalist, has the good taste not to pile on grisly descriptions of rape and torture. Backed by 52 pages of source notes, her book is based primarily on existing information - accounts by Western missionaries, press reports, interviews with survivors and testimony from the Tokyo war trials. She breaks new ground, though, by unearthing a German businessman's account of the killings. The diary of John Rabe, an admirer of Hitler who ends up trying to save Chinese civilians, adds credibility to charges of systematic extermination. But Chang's journalism is patchy, and sometimes wavers between meticulous research and thoughtless stereotyping.
The difficulty with picking your way through accounts of any disputed event is that they are often self-serving. Influential groups in Japan still deny that the slaughter ever happened. Some claim it was a Chinese fabrication designed to win world sympathy, and that the lies persisted after the war as an ugly form of justice. On the Chinese side, the massacre is generally presented as yet another example of ruthless foreigners raping the motherland. Some Chinese figures can only be exaggeration. One mainland historian was recently quoted as saying 52,000 people were killed at a mass execution in a stadium. Surely such a horrific event should exist in more than one memory.
But what is clear is that Japanese troops ran amok in Nanjing in six weeks of carnage starting December 13, 1937. The soldiers had marched into an open city - Chinese forces left it undefended - so the victims had not been combatants. Citizens died in an insane orgy of death by bayonet, small firearms and gasoline-soaked burnings. Estimates of the number of Chinese civilians and unarmed deserters killed range between 150,000 and 300,000.
The book makes constant comparisons to the Nazi pogrom against the Jews - starting with the subtitle (The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II) and continuing with a foreword by a Harvard academic and references to the movie Schindler's List. But while the deaths in Nanjing were appalling, the toll does not approach the millions exterminated in Nazi death camps. Put another way, the number of lives lost in the Nanjing massacre were about 1% of the number killed in Asia during the war, conservatively estimated by the Japanese Ministry of Education at 20 million.
Chang is undeniably outraged at Japan's continuing denial of the slaughter. But in a few telling passages, she reveals what may well be the main purpose behind writing the book - that Washington has to bear some responsibility for the atrocities. The U.S., she argues, "contributed to Japanese censorship of the truth" by not revealing what it had learned from cracking Japan's diplomatic codes. Some intercepted messages detailed Japanese foreign officials' protests to Tokyo about the excesses of the imperial army.
The United States is also faulted for not holding vigorous enough war-crimes trials after the Japanese surrender. Chang argues that Allied purges of wartime leaders were criminally negligent because some war criminals rose to political power after the U.S. occupation of Japan ended. American novelists and historians are castigated for ignoring this appalling episode. So is the Hollywood dream machine: it "has not produced a mainstream movie about the massacre - even though the story contains dramatic elements similar to those of Schindler's List."
For all its research, what The Rape of Nanking boils down to is a polemic against Euro-centrism in the U.S. That may be true. But the world will need better information than Chang has offered here if those awful events of 1937 are to be placed in their correct historic perspective.
Bayoung@uswest.net I believe that the Japanese Government and Japanese schools should stop teaching thier people this denial of the truth and apologize to the nations they think they're diceiving. We know about Unit 731. We are not deceived Hey tc.6-149Tokyo Chill out! I think on behalf of most of us, we have "zero tolerance" for you!
The entire Japanese system is chock-full of agents and charactistics which make it almost impossible for civilized behavior to occur-- namely, an apology for what the Japanese military did. Japan committed unbeliavable atrocities and the world thinks Japan is a full-fledged member of the world community. If not for all their money... The US, after this B.C. scandal's gone, should bring this up to Japan. Japan was just as bad as Nazi Germany.
It's about time for Japan to apologize for their war crimes. In a country like Japan where symbolism plays an important part of society. An unambiguous apology by the Japanese Emperor, which symbolize the Japanese State, is required.
I think that what the Japanese did to American POWs and others is horrible. I think that too much time has really passed for anything to be done about it. However, I think that it is extremely important that these experiences are taken seriously when it comes to history. My grandfather was a POW under the Japanese for 2 years, and the U.S. military believed him to be dead. After reading his account on what happened while he was a prisoner, I was very horrified. People should be educated about what happened there, and about the horrors of war.
Here is an example British compassion and humanity. I will also remind the world of American crimes like MY LAI Vietnam. We are all nasty bastards. Every fuckin' one of us. Too bad we have the intelligence to split atoms. Vincent Bramley, published his book Excursion to Hell in 1991, the two governments were forced to respond. In the book, Bramley describes an incident in which British troops murdered Argentinian soldiers whom they had taken prisoner, evidence which was later confirmed by Tony Mason, at that time a captain with the 3rd Parachute Battalion. An investigation was launched by the army itself in June 1991. By August 1992 the matter was in the hands of Scotland Yard. One of its most senior men, Detective Superintendent Alec Edwards, spearheaded an 18-month inquiry. The allegations indicate widespread abuses by British troops. The main charges are murder, attempted murder, using prisoners for dangerous tasks and the execution of wounded during combat. All these are abuses of the Geneva Convention of 1949. Many of the allegations focus on events around the battle of Mount Longdon on 12 June 1982. British soldiers are said to have shot Argentinian prisoners and dumped them into open graves, both during the battle and on the morning after. These include the cases witnessed by Bramley and Mason and the case of Corporal Josi Carrizo, who survived after being shot in the head with a machine-gun by the British troops who were holding him prisoner. This was witnessed by Santiago Lionel Mambrmn. Also at Mount Longdon, Nstor Flores reports seeing British troops murder privates Quintana, Graminni and Delgado. Corporal Gustavo Osvaldo Pedamonte witnessed the murder of privates Ferreyra, Mosconi, Petruccelli and Maldana by British soldiers. To this must be added the confession of a British former Lance Corporal in 3 Para, who described how he and a colleague had machine-gunned three prisoners they believed to be American mercenaries (who were probably US-educated Argentinians). Ex-Captain Mason says that he told a colonel about the killings at the time. Nothing was done and the colonel has since been promoted tomajor-general. Similarly, Lucas Morales of Argentina's fifth marine battalion describes being shot at by British troops after surrendering after the battle of Mount William. One British soldier killed during the battle was even found to have a bag full of severed Argentinian ears, indicating the prevalence of atrocities before Mount Longdon. The butchery did not stop with the end of the war. British soldiers seemed oblivious to the surrender of the Argentinians, and carried on killing regardless. Epifanio Casimiro Benmtez testified to further executions of wounded prisoners on 16 July 1982 after the total surrender of Argentinian troops in the Malvinas Islands. Captain Horatio Alberto Bicain claims that he saw British troops kill Captain Artuso after his submarine Sante Fe had been captured. He was shot in the back. Cold-blooded executions and using prisoners to clear minefields are not considered war crimes if British troops are behind it all. After all, as Margaret Thatcher insisted again on a recent trip to Latin America, Britain was doing the Argentinians a favour in the Falklands War by bringing them democracy. Unlike British policemen, it seems that Argentinian veterans cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Even British newspaper editors agree that Argentinians are liars. Recent attempts to place articles in the press containing the allegations detailed here were met by a wall of indifference and mistrust. 'They would say that', said one news desk editor, 'they're Argentinians'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 'We saw corporal Josi Carrizo, crouched down, with his rifle in his hands and his head down. The English hit him on the head, stopped him, disarmed him, and took off his jacket, while they talked among themselves. One made a gesture of drawing his thumb across his throat and the other shot Carrizo with a burst of four or five shots. We thought he was dead.' Santiago Dionel Mambrmn, after the battle of Mount Longdon 'We received the order to collect the mines, missiles, detonators, grenades and projectiles. They made us walk through mined areas. The corpses of the Argentinian soldiers were put in bags and I didn't see them again.' Luis Alberto Gsmez, 12th regiment 'Despite the fact that we were wounded, we had to jog alongside the platoon. With another two soldiers we were left under guard. The rest carried on. Straight away we heard machine gun fire. We did not see them again.' Epifanio Casimiro Benmtez, after the total surrender of Argentinian troops.
I think that everyone should try to understand what young Japanese attitude towards Japanese war crimes. Pls see http://www:centurychina.com/wiihist/japdeny/japsay.htm. Japanese young people know little about what their previous generation did in WWII. Censorship of the WWII crime in Japan is very strict. What the young generation understand from their text book is the Comander Matsui and Minitary conselor Ishihara "deamed for democracy of Asia, so did a large number of soldiers". Some Japanese even believe their "went into" Asian countries is just the same as the US army fought in Vietnam for democratic movement. Neither Vietnam War or Japanese Invasion do I believe is for democracy but for their own national interest. Nationalism is is a bomb to Asian countries so as to the world. Do we see what Japan economic invasion and protectionism today. If a criminal (Japan government) doesn't admit he has commited crime before & feel sorry for what they has ever done, will they committed crime again? Will the history repeats? Japan Military force is no.3 strong in the world. Why don't Japan government let the young Japanese generation know the truth of what their previous generation did. This is not for blaming anyone but blaming the cruel history and prevent it from happening anymore! Is there anyone who can help to break throught the Japanese Government censorship on the real history by creating a Japanese version netpage?
I am tire of Japanese saying they suffer in the American concentration camp during the war. What America did to the Indians and Afrians can't be compare to what those fucking Japanese did to the Chinese. They raped over 80,000 women then killed most of them. Over 190,000 men were shot to death in group, and 150,000 men were killed seperately. Stalin killed over 40 millions Russians. Hilter killed 6 millions Jews. But those deathes were occure over many years, the Nanking Masscare happen in few weeks! The German publicly apology for what they did were wrong,but the dickless Japanese deny what they did, because they don;t have the guts to face what happen. They might try to forget how many wonmen they raped and how many children and men they killed. They will have nightmares that will haunt them for life. I wish the Americans would drop hundreds of Atomic Bomb to wipe out all the Japanese!
I've never heard anyone calling the detention of "Japanese in concentration camps" an atrocity. It was an injustice in the sense that it violated their rights as citizens, most of whom were Americans or Canadians. Japanese-Americans fought and died for the US, in both Europe and the Pacific. They were commended by Harry Truman, the same man who decided to "drop atomic bombs and wipe out Japanese". True, the suffering of Japanese-Americans does not compare with the more terrible suffering of Chinese, Koreans, and Allied POWs, at the hands of the Japanese Imperialists; the victims of Nanking, the comfort women, the victims of Unit 731, etc. deserve much more compensation than Japanese-Americans received.
Please read "The Rape of Nanking -The Forgotten Holocaust of WW II" by Iris Chang.
Well, what can one say. I guess every country is to blame. You can't just point a finger and say: Bad Japanese or Bad Russian or even Bad American. Every country has done something or things that they are trying to hide, eventually it will pop up. So the finger to point is towards all the leaders of this world!
This is a humbling page. It makes me question my own morals. I guess we can all be ignorant or cruel, often without realizing it, not wanting to admit it, or worse, thinking that it's OK.
The idea that a country is expected to apologize for war is a fairly modern one. Usually, the losing country would have to give up territory and other reparations, but were not expected to give apologies. But since World War II, there seems to be a trend for the winners to try to help the losers get their act together after the defeat. And in return, the country is expected to apologize.
- Melissa Chaiken's Saburo Ienaga and the Japanese Government's Reluctance to Confront Its History
"The cliche is that the Japanese are not contrite and not apologetic and the Germans are, but it's simplistic and not true."
- Ian Buruma, author of Wages of Guilt, in Japan, Germany: Same war, different legacies
BEIJING -- An apology from Japan for wartime atrocities in China would be a welcome step, but would not lay history to rest, a Chinese newspaper said Thursday.
"This new stand is certainly welcome," an editorial in the China Daily said. "However, we cannot afford the luxury of expecting the apology to settle historical records once and for all.
"For one thing, it is truly thought-provoking that it has taken Japan so long to take an action that might be unprecedented for itself but so minimal for the countries so brutally victimized."
Dear Zero Tolerance, I find this page very helpful in the Report I am doing for extra credit. It is my belief that the Japanese should pay for this and their other atrocities during World War II. We have to remember though that the U.S. put Japanese-Americans in Concentration (or as they called them Internment) camps. Until we can stop being racist ourselves we must stop looking at others racism and work on our own problem.
Dear Zero Tolerance, I find this page very helpful in the Report I am doing for extra credit. It is my belief that the Japanese should pay for this and their other atrocities during World War II. We have to remember though that the U.S. put Japanese-Americans in Concentration (or as they called them Internment) camps. Until we can stop being racist ourselves we must stop looking at others racism and work on our own problem.
this page is way to dammn long
your page is too damn long
to long
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I keep having problems with this page, Delete some of the old messages
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Physician needed to evaluate case of sexual torture and nonconsensual medical experimentation in Maryland. Please contact: tvjohn@erols.com
Hi, I'm a visting professor at one of Japan's elite universities (Waseda University). I have also taught at The University of Tokyo. At both universities the ignorance of historical facts is astounding: even the brightest students tell me that they have never heard about Japanese atrocities. But that is actually the way the Japanese Government wishes it to be. Monbusho, the Ministry of Education, is still in a time-warp. One of the finest Japanologists, Dr Reischauer, has called Japan the most parochial country in the world. The mind-forged manacles are well in place here, and discrimination at all levels is endemic. I have no question whatever that what is highly unlikely in the case of Germany, e.g. the kind of mindset that led to the Holocaust, is very much possible with the Japanese, alas. There are some wonderful Japanese people, but those who are too sensitive are invariably crushed by a feudal and deeply fascist system that has no degree of self-reflexiveness. It is a shame: Japan is soulless, and whatever 'heart' there remains is progressively lost. Dr Walter Tonetto, Bungakubu, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan tonetto@mn.waseda.ac.jp AND concentus@mailcity.com
I was so lucky not to be born during the Japanese invasion in China. I can4t believe that Japaneses were able to do things thousands times worth than animals!!
#1 To all the white American and British imbeciles who talk about how evil monsters the Japanese are and how we should bomb all the gooks and how the United States rules: you're all full of shit. #2 To all the black idiots who talk about the honkie bastards and evil bwana and "euro-trash": you're all full of shit. Explanation for #1: Neo-colonialist U.S.A has offered support every kind of miserable military oppressor, dictator, or torturer to protect the interests of U.S. investors. Read "What Uncle Sam Really Wants" by Noam Chomsky, according to the New York Times "arguably the most important intellectual alive". Or do a search on Noam Chomsky at Yahoo and find the e-text of that book. Then proceed to read every fucking word of it. Most American kids believe that U.S. intervention has saved millions of lives, which is contrary to anything barely resembling a fact. But they believe it. Talk all you want about atrocities in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua,Dominica, Panama, all supported by the yankee establishment under the guise of Americanism, but the kids refuse to listen. Or they will harp about "aid" to Somalia (a photo opportunity to make the Pentagon look good) (30.000 heavily armed soldiers to handle a bunch of starving teenagers) (not to mention U.S. support for Siad Barre up to 1990, Siad being the brutal military dictator who tore the country apart in the first place and is responsible for the mass starvation there) or they will sink so low as to say "Yeah, but we're the best in basketball and football, and we invented t.v." (the latter remark not even being wholly true). If you talk about U.S. totalitarian client states, propaganda, pro-American military juntas, or U.S. sponsored atrocities, it's like science fiction to them. The spark of intelligence American youth in the 60's had once possesed has totally vanished. It is no secret that the united states has always brutally opposed any emerging manifestation of democracy in Latin America. AMERICANISM = FASCISM Here's a tiny example: In the fifies, the people of the Dominican Republic elected a popular social-democrat (I repeat, SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY, that is, similar to the systems of Western Europe, NOT communist,)by the name of Bosch, who, once in office, immediatley started fixing the economy, raising living standards, jailing police criminals, establishing social saftey nets, and demorcatic porcesses and fair courts, and establishing a national-based economy,(i.e., all the tings U.S.exploiters HATE.) U.S. land-owners started complaining about those pesky agrarian reforms, and after some bureauratic squabbling in Washington Lyndon Jhonson decided to send 23000 heavily armed american soldiers to tear down the fresh democracy Bosch had built and bring about a bloody coup that installed a client-state junta of military dictators who immediatley began to devastate the economy, use huge amounts of torture, eliminate fair trails, set up death squads, disrupt unions, and give power back to U.S. investors. Faster than you could say "propaganda" the New York Times and the rest of the mainstream meida were all applauding Lyndon Johnson for sending 23000 troopers "to seek peace" as the headlines put it. They still speak of "Johnson's swift,decisive,succesful takeovr of the Dominican republic in 1965" Today, American kids are taught in school that in 1965 Lyndon Jhonson sent those troops to "restore democracy" in the Dominican republic. Consider that for a moment. In Japanese schools, the Nan'king war crimes is a topic that is willingly avoided. In U.S. schools, American students are deliberately indoctrinated with outright lies and total distortion of historical fact. Does thwe word "hypocrisy" ring a bell? A lot of ignorant assholes (pardon my french but that seems to be the most appropriate word) who smear their stupid commentary on this page say that what the British did everywhere and waht the Americans did in Vietnam (since that's only case of American neo-colonialist evil [out of hundreds of other cases] that these yankees are aware of) is "not half as bad as what those slimy Japanese did to the Chinese". I must say I refuse to swallow this tissue of tertiary horseshit. The military/fascist client states America strongly supported throughout Latin America (as well as in Greece,Iran, Africa, and SouthEast Asia) employed far worse toture such as: 1. live rats being shoved up victims' asses 2.Victims being forced to watch as their genitals were mutilated and their bowels extracted (often these procedures were carried out in basement where an American CIA or Pentagon agent was present)3. Womens' faces being peeled back with knives, their bodies set on fire with gasoline, while they were alive, of course. The U.S. trains and equips it's client states to torture their population. Suharto, Indonesia's dictator, is responsible for the genocide in East Timor, proportionately the largest genocide since the Jewish holocaust of WW2. Uncle Sam was his main support. As a result, Aerican media never even mentioned the genocide, at least not until Suharto was out of office and most of the damage was done. expanationfor #2: The Amercicans also intalled the now-gone military dictatorship in Greece which terrorized the population- a WHITE population. THe CIA equipped the fundamentalist revolution in Iran of the 70's, and the Iranians, by anthropological standards, are considered a white, aryan race. Europe has the highest culture of the world, (While America has a trash culture), and the Africans can complain all they want about black supremacy, but no black man ever painted the equivalent of the cistine chapel. Of course, the profound lack of materialism among African tribes compensated for that, I must say, despite the fact that many slave-salesman were renegade black tribesmen, although that was a considerable minority. The materialist-conqueror culture was never limited to the white "honky" race alone. China, Mongolia, Japan were always fuedalist, materialist, and war-mad. Take Genghis Kahn or Sun Tze, or the Shoguns of fuedal Japan. Had other races had the advancements in navigation technology and the invention of pistol, before the Europeans and Byzantines did during the renaissance, then those races may have become colonialists, invaders and victimizers to the West. A lot of these atrocites, coming form the west, can be blamed on the dogma of church dogma, both Catholic and Lutheran. Don't forget that Christendom and Islam were formed in the Middle East and Northern Africa, NOT the West. Many of these atrocities would never have existed had it not been for the dogma of Islam and Christendom. The Western PAgan religions were much more tolerant and peaceful. One of the victims of Yankee Neo-Colonialism is Argentina. I am an Argentinean. The Argentinean people are descended from the Italian and Spansish immigrants. They are not meztizos or indigenous peoples, save for the gaucho 1 percent minority. They are WHITE. Yet the have suffered, and are still suffering, at the hand of Americanism. Some of the greatest liberators of indigenous peoples throguh South America, were white Argentineans, idealists like San Martin and Che Guevara. Lets also not forget of the atrocties of Chinese Maoism, for example what they did in tibet. These atrocities can all be traced, not to any race, but to their defective systems, i.e. fascism, American monopoly capitalism, communism, maoism, marxism, the money system, fundamentalism etc, as well monotheistic dogmatic religions and their institutions.
I apologize for my typos. Fifies=fifties. how evil monsters= what evil monsters. meida=media Jhonson=Johnson throguh=through, the are still suffering=they are still suffering
Fucking agreed, Argentinian. Black idiots...(LOL)
I find japan's atrocity act unforgivable and beastily.It's very hard to believe that their behaviour is even worse than an animal.Worst of all,they show no remorse at all.The people in Japan were not told of their cruel by their soldiers.The Japanese Goverment need to apologise on their behaviour.