Never enough
Mr. Koizumi has apologized again for Japan’s actions during the war, as described in this article in The Scotsman.
But that’s still not enough for the Chinese, as this report suggests.
No big surprise there. Of course it’s not enough. It’s never going to be enough. That’s because it’s not really about apologies any more.
Some quick thoughts: As for the “ambiguous language”, the excerpts I read in the first article suggest the language of formal, public apologies given in Japan, even in domestic matters. The Chinese diplomat should be aware of this.
Then there’s the photo in The Scotsman. The caption reads, “Marchers in Tokyo protest…” over a Yasukuni Shrine visit. I wonder how many people in Scotland realize that the woman yelling in the photo is wearing Chinese-style clothing. (I’m sure there are some, but will there be many?)
Of course she could be Japanese with a taste for traditional Chinese fashion, but as there are two Caucasion women appearing among the handful of other people shown, I have my doubts.
Finally, there’s the statement that Japan is becoming “an increasingly conservative society”. Why did they choose someone who knows next to nothing about Japanese society to write an article about Japan?
“Then there’s the photo in The Scotsman. The caption reads, “Marchers in Tokyo protest…” over a Yasukuni Shrine visit. I wonder how many people in Scotland realize that the woman yelling in the photo is wearing Chinese-style clothing. (I’m sure there are some, but will there be many?)
Of course she could be Japanese with a taste for traditional Chinese fashion, but as there are two Caucasion women appearing among the handful of other people shown, I have my doubts.”
What exactly are you getting at?
April 23rd, 2005 at 4:31 pmWould you agree that the lack of information in the caption is misleading? (Especially for a newspaper.) I’d think there is a substantial difference between a large demonstration in Tokyo consisting mostly of Japanese and a small demonstration of mostly foreigners. The former would be important news because it might mean popular dissatisfaction with the government. The latter is so what.
By saying that it took place in Tokyo, they suggest the former. Perhaps clarity is too much to ask for from a newspaper.
Of course, it is not possible to determine the size and composition of the demonstration from this photo alone. We do know, however, that the media likes to run close-up images for small demonstrations to make them seem larger than they are. If this had been a larger demonstration, they’d probably have run a photo that showed a lot more people. If there had been a lot of Japanese, I suspect we would have seen them.
On the other hand, it is possible that the editors at The Scotsman simply thought a picture of an Asian woman in an exotic dress hollering her head off would be an arresting sight.
April 23rd, 2005 at 5:00 pmOOhhhhh… I gotcha.
April 23rd, 2005 at 5:17 pmShe’s Japanese. Or at least, I’d bet $100 on it. I’d bet another $100 that she hasn’t a clue about history, but is simply being “trendy.”
April 23rd, 2005 at 8:45 pmOne of the main points of contention in this long-standing dispute (I think) is that the Japanese say one thing for international consumption, then say another (the accusation being “two-faced” behavior) among themselves.
Does the Japanese Media also make the same report in the same vein and tone?
I admittedly have some prior suspicions of the Scotsman article’s veracity.
That said, I’d like to look at some of the Japanese articles on this matter if you have them. Not the on-line English versions. The Japanese DO consider them for foreign consumption. Could you scan me the printed, Japanese articles from the major circulations in Japan which deal with this particular apology by President Koizumi. I’d love to have the complete papers from an entire week’s interval if anyone can provide them. I have some friends who can translate them clearly (in the proper cultural context) when they get back from business trips.
I’ll disclose an alternate E-mail address if anyone is willing to indulge my pesky curiosity.
Thank you.
April 23rd, 2005 at 11:28 pm“Could you scan me the printed, Japanese articles from the major circulations in Japan which deal with this particular apology by President Koizumi.”
The Asahi and Yomiuri have online websites: why not visit them and do your own homework?
April 24th, 2005 at 5:00 pmHi japundit,
Here is Kyodo article about the march.
http://flash24.kyodo.co.jp/?MID=RANDOM&PG=STORY&NGID=soci&NWID=2005042201001247
The march was organized by Peaceboat.
http://www.peaceboat.org/info/news/2005/050421.html
Peaceboat is extreme left organization founded by former Shaminto member Tsujimoto Kiyomi who was arrested for scamming tax money.
She is mistress of Kitagawa Akira who was a member of Japan Red Army.
Japan Red Army was terrorism group in 70’s.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/WallStreet/5517/tsujimoto/indexs.htm
Both are currently marked as Chukakuha 中核派 by Police agency.
The activity of Peacebost is traveling all over the world with the boat and exchange local people, they say.
However, peaceboat’s true purpose is to recruit young people to their pro-pyongyang organization.
Peaceboat is also called Pinkboat:oops:, around the world with the small boat is extremely boring, it always ended up sex orgy.
Attendants say that condoms get sold out in the shop all the time.
“Relationship between Peaceboat and Yakuza and North Korea”
April 24th, 2005 at 10:30 pmhttp://society3.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/giin/1072175568/
[...] red peace treaty for Japan’s caustic nationalism of the 20th century. Interesting. Japundit explains why this recent apology by PM Koizumi for Japan’s war crimes isn [...]
April 25th, 2005 at 12:38 am