My visit to Yasukuni Shrine

[gssq]

Re: My visit to Yasukuni Shrine III

Err, no.

I did not say you said Japan should be excused.

I said you said that I said that: "Like trying to imply that hey Japan may behave like this but so does China and sort of making light of the attrocities committed by the Japs"

"I don't know where you got this idea from" means I don't know where you got the idea that I said we should excuse the Japs from.

 

[myjohnson]

Re: My visit to Yasukuni Shrine III

A Jap will always be a Jap is my cumulative assessment of their mindset from history books and personal interaction with them in my work. Although I may be guilty of generalising here, personally I stand not far from the mark. Like all humans, they are innately racist, more so than most. The exception is that they are always polite about it. My personal opinion.

 

[gssq]

Re: My visit to Yasukuni Shrine III

That I will agree with. Racism in Japan is well-documented.

There is a difference between the "Gaijin must die" sort of racism and the "Gaijin are strange. Stay away from them" sort though.

 

[myjohnson]

I learnt that Yasukuni was not financed by the Japanese government. Till date, its upkeep has been paid for by donations. None of the Emperors since Hirohito has visited Yasukini....

History is always written by those who wants their side of the story told. Nobody can be totally objective.

Please say that to Lky's face!

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Re: My visit to Yasukuni Shrine III

Err, no.

I did not say you said Japan should be excused.

I said you said that I said that: "Like trying to imply that hey Japan may behave like this but so does China and sort of making light of the attrocities committed by the Japs"

"I don't know where you got this idea from" means I don't know where you got the idea that I said we should excuse the Japs from.

I suggest u re read what i wrote again before putting words in my mouth.



Seriously u mean from this: Like trying to imply that hey Japan may behave like this but so does China and sort of making light of the attrocities committed by the Japs" means that i made what the japs committed as less serious. OMG someone needs an english lesson.

 

[GoldenBellShield]

I am not about to start boycotting Japanese goods just because I visited Yushukan at Yasukuni. I don't blame the new generations of Japanese for not knowing what their leaders did 60 years ago because I know very well the power of whitewashing history and filling minds with self serving propaganda and doctrines.

Hitler did it, Mao did it, and no prize for guessing who else does it day after day till date.

gssq, I know what you mean when you brought up China and its cultural revolution. I have only spent 6 days in Japan and didn't have the opportunity to discuss the war with the Japanese I saw. Can you tell us more about what the rest of Japan knew and felt about WWII?

 

[GoldenBellShield]

Re: My visit to Yasukuni Shrine III

I suggest u re read what i wrote again before putting words in my mouth.



Seriously u mean from this: Like trying to imply that hey Japan may behave like this but so does China and sort of making light of the attrocities committed by the Japs" means that i made what the japs committed as less serious. OMG someone needs an english lesson.

Hi, if you read gssq's blog about his visit to Yasukuni, you will understand what his views were. Look at what he signed off in the Yushukan before he left.

I wish that book was still there when I went. I would have signed off some of my thoughts too.

 

[gssq]

gssq, I know what you mean when you brought up China and its cultural revolution. I have only spent 6 days in Japan and didn't have the opportunity to discuss the war with the Japanese I saw. Can you tell us more about what the rest of Japan knew and felt about WWII?

Erm. Due to the language barrier and the nature of my trip (backpacking holiday, not cultural exchange/immersion) I didn't broach such topics with the Japanese I talked to.

I considered replying, when people asked me where I was from, "Syonan-to", but I didn't want to get stabbed with a katana :P

I wish that book was still there when I went. I would have signed off some of my thoughts too.

OMG, you mean they removed it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[GoldenBellShield]

Erm. Due to the language barrier and the nature of my trip (backpacking holiday, not cultural exchange/immersion) I didn't broach such topics with the Japanese I talked to.

I considered replying, when people asked me where I was from, "Syonan-to", but I didn't want to get stabbed with a katana :P



OMG, you mean they removed it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I don't know man... I had to finish the entire Yushukan in 30 minutes. My wife wasn't the least interested in Yasukini and was waiting at the cafe. I scanned the place for somewhere to pen my thoughts but couldn't find any. I believed that they removed it.

When I visited Toul Sleng prison in Phnom Penh last year, there was a couple of places to write. I flipped through the book and got emotional...

 

[Wuwei]

Many mainland Chinese even in today world still believe their government past lies that the Chinese communists were the main fighting force against the Japanese while the Chinese nationalists only played a supporting role.

It's always hard to admit and face your past mistakes

I found it almost laughable that - the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing massacre (2007) was honored and remembered by the mainland Chinese. Yet they have all forgotten about their WWII leader - generalissimo Chiang who remained unburied in Taipei and unable to return home to rest in peace.

You have overated the Nationalist and Chiang.Chiang made many critical mistakes during his rule.

Speaking of WW2, Chiang sneak attacked the Chinese Communist troops in the pretext of alliance against the Japs and have this internal strife has always caused the Japs to be on the upper hand.And he let Japs walk in Manchuria without a fight.WWII Leader?He is just lucky to have american frds.

 

[gssq]

I don't know man... I had to finish the entire Yushukan in 30 minutes. My wife wasn't the least interested in Yasukini and was waiting at the cafe. I scanned the place for somewhere to pen my thoughts but couldn't find any. I believed that they removed it.

You should just have left her at Shibuya. But then that might've cost more :P

You have overated the Nationalist and Chiang.Chiang made many critical mistakes during his rule.

Speaking of WW2, Chiang sneak attacked the Chinese Communist troops in the pretext of alliance against the Japs and have this internal strife has always caused the Japs to be on the upper hand.And he let Japs walk in Manchuria without a fight.WWII Leader?He is just lucky to have american frds.

The Communists had a lot of help from the Soviets, and they let the Nationalists take the brunt of the Japanese attacks for a long time, while they consolidated their position.

 

[GoldenBellShield]

Yushukan finished describing the Rape of Nanking in English in just a paragraph. From your research, what do you think was the death toll at Nanking?

 

[gssq]

They didn't even acknowledge it was a massacre.

Not sure.

 

[myjohnson]

Yushukan finished describing the Rape of Nanking in English in just a paragraph. From your research, what do you think was the death toll at Nanking?

If we want to dig deeper and expand the subject, how about the rape of Manila?
By the way, isn't there a statue of a Kamikaze suicide pilot at the entrance
to the museum?

 

[sleaguepunter]

Chiang Kai Shek never wanted a war with Japan at least not until the Communists were destroyed. He would have given the Japanese Manchuria and part of Northern China concessions if that could delay the inevitable war.

It was the Russians who wanted China to fight with Japan. Stalin made use of the Chinese Communists who plotted the Xi-an incident and the rest is history.

The part on chiang kai shik i agree but the part where Stalin use the CCP to kidnap Chiang is not true. Chiang was "house arrested" by KMT "young marshal" Zhang so as to force chiang into united front with the CCP against the Imperial Japanese Army. Upon his release from Xian, "young marshal" zhang escort Chiang back to Nanking to show his good will, where chiang in turn house arrested zhang upon landing at Nanking airport. Even when KMT withdrew to Taiwan, Chiang made sure Zhang follow him to Taiwan.

 

[Ramseth]

Chiang Kai-shek was strategically right. The Japanese couldn't take China away from him, the CCP could. But he sucked at tactics and admin. 众叛亲离。