A real Aso
Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Aso has suggested that Japan’s Emperor should visit Yasukuni Shrine.
Both China and Korea go absolutely off the wall whenever any Japanese official mentions Yasukuni, because they say that worshiping there glorifies the Japanese military and Class A war criminals who are enshrined there, criticism that was rejected by Aso.
Aso, who recently angered Beijing by calling China a threat, said the communist government’s opposition to Koizumi’s shrine visits only increased one’s desire to go.
“It’s just like when you’re told, ‘Don’t smoke cigarettes,” Kyodo quoted Aso as saying. “It actually makes you want to smoke. It’s best (for China) to keep quiet.”
He also said he hoped Emperor Akihito would visit the shrine.
“The war dead shouted ‘Banzai!’ for the Emperor, not the prime minister,” Kyodo quoted Aso as saying. “A visit by the Emperor would be best.”
The last time the reigning Japanese Emperor appeared at Yasukuni was in 1975, with a visit by the late Emperor Hirohito.
Aso is the son of Takakichi Aso, chairman of the Aso Cement Company. The Aso Family also owned Aso Mining in Kyushu, which most probably used Korean slave labor during World War II.
The emporer, thank goodness, understands what an abomination Yasukuni is and not only has he not visited, he’s denounced the site and the inclusion of war criminals.
Aso needs to put down the crack pipe and see, with open eyes, just what kind of place his is supporting and advocating.
January 30th, 2006 at 1:25 amOh come on, it has 2.5million people dead there and several war criminals. Of the 2.5million almost all of them were simply soliders following orders. I think its fair enough if people want to pray for them.
January 30th, 2006 at 2:01 amChildish little? His example is that if you tell me not to, it means that I should.
January 30th, 2006 at 3:42 am[...] , 2006 by Adamu
There was a very interesting part of Aso’s speech calling for the emperor to visit Yasukuni that didn’t make it into English reporting s [...]
January 30th, 2006 at 6:22 amDoes anyone know where I can get a copy of his speech? His racism and oversimplifications scare the crap out of me.
January 30th, 2006 at 6:24 am“It’s just like when you’re told, ‘Don’t smoke cigarettes,” Kyodo quoted Aso as saying. “It actually makes you want to smoke. It’s best (for China) to keep quiet.”
This guy would make Metternich proud. What a master of diplomacy.
January 30th, 2006 at 9:18 amCould there be anyone less suitable to the job of Foreign Minister? This fool shouldn’t be allowed to speak.
January 30th, 2006 at 9:55 amOh come on, it has 2.5million people dead there and several war criminals. Of the 2.5million almost all of them were simply soliders following orders. I think its fair enough if people want to pray for them.
..
Well that’s the thing then, isn’t it? Why secretly put in the war criminals in the 70s as the priests did.
January 30th, 2006 at 10:04 amWhat an embarassing little twit. His rational is along the lines of ‘We have America as our ally, so we can be
January 30th, 2006 at 10:05 amas offensive and inconsiderate as we like.’ Way to keep Japan’s bad image alive, moron. A real Aso, indeed.
Aso’s grandfather is more interesting than his father–he was Shigeru Yoshida, Japan’s most prominent prime minister during the period of Allied occupation after WWII.
January 30th, 2006 at 10:34 am“..it has 2.5million people dead there and several war criminals…”
There are no dead people there, war criminals or veterans or otherwise. Their “spirits” are enshrined there.
January 30th, 2006 at 10:36 amSlightly off — see Darin’s post here — Aso has not said the Emperor should visit the Shrine.
January 30th, 2006 at 11:58 amSeeing as how the above piece is not about the BBC report, Curzon, it is hard to understand what you are talking about. Aso may have not used the word “must” or “should” in his statements, but he did say that it would be “best” if the Emperor visited Yasukuni instead of the Prime Minister, because the war dead sacrificed there lives for the Emperor, not for the Prime Minister. In other words, he wants the Emperor to visit Yasukuni.
Lawyer it any way you want. What Aso was trying to say was quite clear.
January 30th, 2006 at 12:39 pmJapan’s whale meat surplus
The Japan Times reports that, despite my best efforts, whale meat is piling up in Japan because people …
January 30th, 2006 at 2:08 pmThe Japanese “media” calls Aso a “political thoroughbred” because his ancestors were all Jiminto thugs. I’d be more inclined to call him a political inbred.
January 30th, 2006 at 5:14 pmThe Asahi shimbun (generally a hate Japan newspaper due to it’s contract with China to do so) seems to take a different look on what he’s saying. (Perhaps I’m missunderstanding them, it’s probably pretty likely.. so check me on this one) Take a look at this:
http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/0129/002.html
Aso says “どうすれば解決するかという話にすれば、答えはいくつか出てくる” asahi says “天皇の靖国参拝は７５年１１月の昭和天皇が最後。同神社には、７８年にＡ級戦犯が合祀（ごうし）されている。外相の発言は、こうした経緯を踏まえ、天皇が参拝できる方策を検討すべきだとの考えを示したとみられる。”
Aso says that there are plenty of solutions available as to solving this problem…
January 30th, 2006 at 5:46 pmAsahi seems to look at ‘this problem’ as being the emperor not visiting Yasukuni anymore.. so they think Aso means that things need to be done so that the emperor can once again visit the shrine.. they point out that no emperor has visited since the a-class 14 were enshrined.. do they mean to imply that aso means to have the 14 removed from yasukuni??? based on his other comments, i doubt that’s what he means, but is that what asahi is trying to say??
sorry to post two in a row, especially answering my own question..
but i asked a couple of friends and they think i’m wrong.. they say that the article (and aso) are saying that there must be a solution out there that makes everyone happy, and that the search must go on for that solution.
but i still have my doubts… however since i’m outnumbered and not a native speaker, i have to concede
January 30th, 2006 at 6:04 pmWhy shouldn’t he???
I think it is about time that Japanese people stopped worrying so much about what Chinese and Koreans think about the Yasukuni issue…
It is an internal issue, neither foreign nationals nor Japanese politician goes there.
Even looking at it from a HUGE amount of aid since 1972, without which the country wouldn’t be the force it is today…You Chinese students here in Japan on FULL RIDE scholarships at the expense of the Japanese tax payers please remember that before you whine about the PM going to Yasukuni in an absolutely private capacity…
China is like a huge, spoilt kid…trying to dictate every aspect of the Sino-Japan relationship…that’s what it boils down to. If Japan gives in on this issue, China will simply find some other issue with which to gain the upper hand in relations with Japan.
Sorry if my comments offend anybody, but that’s my opinion.
January 30th, 2006 at 11:46 pmWow silly me Dermot, and all this time I thought China’s recent economic growth was due to jettisoning the communist command economy. Pfew, thanks for setting me straight there.
January 31st, 2006 at 1:55 amUpdate?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4664534.stm
January 31st, 2006 at 3:34 pm“Wah wah wah, Japan is evil, boo hoo hoo…”
What else is new?
January 31st, 2006 at 3:36 pmTriangle man, triangle man
February 1st, 2006 at 2:58 amTriangle man hates particle man
They have a fight, triangle wins
Triangle man
In other news, Aso is an avowed fan of manga and reads Rozen Maiden. I think that it’s a good manga, but maybe the idea of a prime minster who reads comics about cursed dolls walking around isn’t for the best.
September 17th, 2007 at 3:24 pmyes, but his Bogart impersonation is outstanding!.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcYpjXpQzQY
(*_*)
September 17th, 2007 at 3:52 pm