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Japan News for April 23, 2007

This morning’s Japan-related news links:

Election results: A candidate backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito won in Sunday’s House of Councillors by-election in Okinawa Prefecture, while another running on the ticket of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan won the Fukushima Prefecture race. [Link]
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Sunday to raise the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea when he meets US President George W. Bush at Camp David this week. [Link]
The arrested gangster charged with shooting Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito on Tuesday had repeatedly ordered colleagues in his gangster group to kill the mayor, telling them to “get Itcho” before the shooting incident, it has been revealed. [Link]
Police said Sunday they have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of raping a woman aboard a train last year. [Link]
Two Japanese citizens who survived a kidnapping ordeal that garnered wide attention in their homeland have thanked those who worked for their safe release. [Link]
Yasutaro Sawayama, who opposes a plan to begin the first stages of research on construction of a high-level radioactive waste repository in Toyocho, Kochi Prefecture, won the Toyocho mayoral election Sunday, beating the former mayor who had pursued the plan. [Link]
A couple held their wedding ceremony on the 51st-floor of Nagoya’s JR Central Towers in mid-April, the first to do so on the top floor since it opened in March last year. [Link]
The Defense Ministry is considering buying a combination of F-22A stealth fighters and F-15FX fighters from the United States in two stages starting in fiscal 2009 to replace the aging F-4EJ fighters to be scrapped from fiscal 2008, sources close to the matter said Sunday. [Link]
Japan defeated South Korea 82-0 in the final qualifying round in November for the Rugby World Cup on Sunday. [Link]
Prince Albert II of Monaco arrived in Japan on Sunday for a three-day visit to attend a travelling exhibition of memorabilia of his late mother, Hollywood star Grace Kelly. [Link]
News on Japan reports on a Japanese-Korean blogger who said that the Virginia Tech gunman should have done his rampage in a Japanese university to be a real hero. [Link]
A draft for a bill to revise Japan’s Domestic Violence Prevention Law calls for verbal and other threats to be classed as domestic violence, from which victims should be protected by law under a court order. [Link]
ROK Drop wonders if the international media will once again ignore/downplay Japan’s latest comfort women apology in favor of the popular views of Japan’s apologies being not “sincere enough.” [Link]
Thinking of hosting a Japan-themed cocktail party? The Tennessean has an article on just how to do that. [Link]

Afternoon Update:

Anthony Bianchi, originally from Brooklyn, New York, was reelected Sunday as an assembly member in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture. [Link]
Five people including a man who previously belonged to the elite French Foreign Legion have been arrested for illegal possession and sale of smuggled firearms. [Link]
Tomihisa Taue, a former city office employee, won Sunday’s Nagasaki mayoral election that was overshadowed by Wednesday’s death of gunned-down incumbent Mayor Itcho Ito, according to election returns. [Link]
An unusually large number of invalid votes were recorded in Sunday’s mayoral election in Nagasaki City and the city’s election management committee said many voted for Itcho Ito, the former mayor seeking a reelection but gunned down during campaigning. A total of 14,018 votes were judged invalid. Many were votes for the no-longer-living Itcho Ito, while some invalid ballots also had entries such as “son of mayor” or “successor to mayor” or entries mixing up the first and last names of the two candidates. [Link]
The two guns confiscated at the apartment of a gangster where he had holed himself up for about 15 hours in Machida, western Tokyo, have been identified as Makarovs, a military-grade pistol used by the former Soviet Union. [Link]
An American man and a woman from Japan won grand champion awards Saturday at the International Whistlers Convention. [Link]
A study has found that Japan’s suicide rate is the third highest among the 30 member countries of the OECD. [Link]
Two candidates who received the same number of votes in a town assembly election in Aichi Prefecture on Sunday drew lots to decide who would join the group. [Link]
Two Brazilians living in Nagano Prefecture have been arrested on suspicion of illegally copying U.S. Walt Disney television programs onto DVDs and selling the pirated discs. [Link]
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”, the fifth installment of the hugely popular movie series, will be the latest Hollywood blockbuster to have its world premiere in Tokyo this year. [Link]
Two trains on the JR Takasaki Line were cancelled and two other trains were delayed after a driver slept in and failed to show up on time this morning. [Link]
Seven & I Holdings Co started electronic payment services called “nanaco” at some 1,500 Seven-Eleven convenience stores in Tokyo on Monday, becoming the first retailer to issue e-money. [Link]

17 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - April 23, 2007 at 3:20 pm

Categories: General Japan Tags:

madne0

“The Defense Ministry is considering buying a combination of F-22A stealth fighters and F-15FX fighters from the United States”

Good luck with that. The US has repeatedly stated it does not intend to sell the F22. In fact, i believe the sale is even prohibited by federal law. Only a severely “watered-down” version might be sold…and even then the sale would have to be approved by the Pentagon, State Department and Congress.
Annie

“ROK Drop wonders if the international media will once again ignore/downplay Japan’s latest comfort women apology in favor of the popular views of Japan’s apologies being not “sincere enough.” [Link] ”

It doesn’t matter how many times Japan apologized, ROK and China will never accept it. Life goes on.
Random Korea

Heres what abe said “As Japan’s prime minister, I am extremely sorry that they were made to endure such pain. We feel responsible over the situation in which the women had to exist as ‘comfort women’ and endure such hardship,”

He had to apologize for denying military coercion of comfort women. The apology in this case isnt really sincere either. He never mentions them as sex slaves nor does he mention military coercion despite the evidence. Hes only doing this to save face. In fact this apology is flat out denying military coercion of comfort women.

Quote “in which the women had to exist as comfort women”.

A better apology would have been ” in which we forced women into sexual slavery”.

ponta

So when will Korean president set up the fund and apologize to the Vietnamese local wife Korean soldiers left after Vietnam War, and Korean comfort women victimized by Korean society during Korean War , around A-town　in which Korean women were forced and women, Koreans and other nationalities, trafficked by Korean brokers about which Korean government tacitly approved?

Random Korea

Why must the Korean government apologize for something like this? I bet youre the kind of person who believes that the Korean government should apologize for Cho Seung Hui.

The Japanese government and military forced women into sexual slavery. The Korean government on the other hand did not order their troops to marry Vietnamese women. The Korean government never approved or trafficked women. They did hire prostitutes for troops but they never forced women into sex slavery. The Japanese government however did and Abes recent “apology” isnt really an apology. Its nothing more then another case of denial.

ponta

Hey what does Choe have to do with it? It could be a crazy Japanese or anybody.
Are you saying Korean government order to massacre American students？

Japan legalized the brothels. There was no policy to recruit women forcibly. but she fail to sufficiently control it. Though the police regulated illegal brokers and brothels, it is a fact many comfort women had to endure painful experience.

In view of that, Japan set up the fund and apologized.

However, “Despite the financial generosity of the South Korean government’s own fund for former comfort women, the South Korean government and NGOs used it and other means as instruments of pressure and intimidation against Korean women who otherwise would have sought assistance from the Asian Women’s Fund.”(U.S. Congressional Research Service on the issue of comfort women/April 10, 2006 )

Face the fact;

During the Koryo Dynasty , Korea sent tribute women to China as a slave.

During Chosun period, Korea institutionalize kisaeng or kinyo who were slave status, and ” kisaeng became synonymous with courtesans and whores. “(Soh, Chung-Hee
Women’s Sexual Labor and State in Korean History)

Under Japanese rule, Korean brokers and the head of village deceived and forced Korean women into the brothels. (Most of brokers were supposedly Koreans)

During Korean War, “..the South Korean army also operated its own “military comfort system” during and until immediately after the Korean War, from 1951 to 1954″(Soh, Chung-Hee
Women’s Sexual Labor and State in Korean History) Women were registered for comfort women by Korean local government.

Around A-town, [U.S. military-oriented prostitution in Korea]….is a system that is sponsored and regulated by two governments, Korean and American (through the U.S. military) ….The”debt bondage system” is the most prominent manifestation of exploitation. ( Sex Among Allies
by Katharine H. S. Moon ) The women have been despised and ignored by Korean society.

During Vietnam, Korean soldiers left 5000 or 30000 Laitaihan, children between Korean soldiers and Vietnamese local wife.

“South Korea is primarily a country of destination, but it is also a country of origin and transit for trafficking in women and children”(www.protectionproject.org/sko.doc.)

……Korea has never set up the fund, never apologized.

Random Korea

James, dont delete this because this is on topic.

Cho doesnt have anything to do it. Im just point out the fact that you think the Korean government is somehow responsible for whatever happens in Korea-Vietnamese marriages. If bad stuff did happen during these marriages then how exactly can you place blame on the Korean government? My car has a tiny dent due to my poor driving skills, I guess its the governments fault *rolls eyes*. Sorry to disappoint you Ponta but there was a policy to forcibly recruit(a better word would be kidnap) women into sexual slavery. That policy being supported by documents and testimony.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_on_re_as/japan_sex_slaves

The Japanese government ordered agents and the military police to kidnap women. They would threaten, arrest or simply take women by force and throw them into sexual slavery. Do you have anything else to say on this matter? The problem with the fund is that the Japanese government does not contribute towards it. Its funded by public donations, which is another way for the Japanese government to avoid direct responsibility. If someone does something to me, then I want that person to apologize to me. Not his uncle nor his best friend nor his cousins roommates girlfriends grandmothers bingo buddy. The Japanese government is by no means poor, im pretty sure they could set up a fund without having people donate their own money.

You mention Koreans during the Koryo and Chosun dynasty many centuries ago of having slaves and prostitutes. Big whoop, want me to mention the fact that Japan also used slaves and had a large number of prostitutes? Or the fact that just about every single country in the world had slaves? Or the fact that Japanese pirates(woku) kidnapped hundreds of Koreans a year. Since the Japanese government kidnapped thousands of people during imperial times(as well as the kidnappings done by the woku) I guess that means the Japanese government has absolutely no right to point fingers at North Korea and demand abductees to be returned. Correct? If we use your logic, then Megumi Yokotas parents are selfish and hypocrites for wanting their daughter returned. Correct?

The world doesnt work that way and thank goodness Justice isnt administered in such a way. Koryo/Chosun prostitutes and the coercion of women by the Japanese military has as much to do with each other as Japanese pirates and the North Korean abduction issue. If I murder Oklahoma bomber Timothy Mcveighs cousin for no reason then I will obviously go to jail. I cant use the excuse “but his cousin bombed an office building”. Btw the South Korean government doesnt need to apologize for something it hasnt done. The Korean government didnt order their troops to marry Vietnamese women, nor did they force women into sexual slavery. Yes prostitutes were despised but atleast the Korean government didnt invade a foreign country and forced them into sex slavery.

ponta

Please don’t make up your tale.

The fact is Japanese government didn’t order Korean brokers to kidnap women. on the contrary, Japanese police arrested Korean brokers who kidnapped women

The rest of your story is also off the mark.

What I showed is that Japan faced its dark past, apologized and compensated .

Korea has been ignoring its own crimes, sacrificing , suppressing women while nitpicking Japanese apology to the women, demanding more apology they have no intention to accept.

Some people say Korea is the culture of the internalized hatred.

Random Korea

Hmmm it seems that you have nothing better to say or to prove so you cut your post very short and didnt bother replying to 99% of it. Im not making up any tale. That would be something more akin to the Japanese side. Documents prove that the Japanese government ordered troops or police officers to kidnap,arrest(phony charges) or trick women into sexual slavery. Its so obvious now that the Japanese government was behind one of the largest rape episodes the world has ever seen. If Japan actually took the proper steps to apologize and compensate then there wouldnt be such a big mess. The rest of my story isnt off mark. It was right on target and thats why you cant counter any of it. Youre the one who brought up completely irrelevent issues(prostitution that occured centuries ago or Korean soldiers marrying Vietnamese women).

“Korea has been ignoring its own crimes, sacrificing , suppressing women while nitpicking Japanese apology to the women, demanding more apology they have no intention to accept.”

Japan has yet to apologize for the kidnappings of thousands of Korean civillians by the Woku. I guess that means the Japanese have no right to criticize North Korea on the abduction of less then 30 Japanese nationals correct? I told you earlier, the world doesnt work that way and the justice system doesnt work that way either. Let me also remind you that whatever you are accusing Koreans of the Japanese have also done(and in most cases much more severely). Speaking of apologies, if you plan on apologizing then make it a sincere one. Sincere being one that actually admits guilt and one that you dont contradict a few days later. You dont apologize to someone first about slapping their daughter, then smacking their daughter a few minutes later and telling the cops that you already apologized. Are you really surprised that Koreans do not approve of J-politicians white washing history?

http://www.japanprobe.com James

Random Korean:

Could you give me a link or some information on those documents showing Japanese government orders for troops or police officers to kidnap,arrest(phony charges) or trick women into sexual slavery?
ponta

I also want you to present evidences that Japanese government ordered Japanese troop to kidnap woman to make them prostitutes as you say if you are not making up your tales without evidences.

And I am afraid you missed my point. My first question was when Korean President wouldl apologize to Korean women victimized by Korean society, Korean government, Vietnamese women and kids left by Korean soldiers?

Korea has never apologized and set up the fund for them.

Random Korea

James

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_on_re_as/japan_sex_slaves
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/403507

Ponta I did not miss your point. Your point is to excuse Japanese war crimes and defending phony or offensive apologies by claiming that Korean troops married Vietnamese women or that prostitution existed in Korea centuries ago. The Korean government didnt force these marriages. I dont know why you think the Korean government is somehow responsible for unstable marriages.

Should the Japanese government apologize to all Japanese women whenever some perverted salaryman gropes a young lass? Should the South Korean government apologize to the US because of what Cho did on April 16? So why on earth should the South Korean government(which is less then 65 years old) apologize for failed marriages and some oppressed prostitute who lived 800 years ago when Korea was still a monarchy.

http://www.japanprobe.com James

Random Korean:

I saw that article earlier in the week week, but I think that those who support Abe’s stance would probably point out that those documents only depict the actions of a local Japanese commander, and not a systematic or official policy of the Japanese government. If I understand his position correctly, Abe is not denying that there were incidents such as the one described in that document. To him it would be an isolated incident that was not in any way authorized by that commander’s superiors in Tokyo.

ponta

Hayashi showed the case of Dutch brothel. The brothel was closed by the military on suspicion that the women was forced.

And you still miss my point.

Japan acknowledged it was wrong; hence, set up the fund and apologized.

I hold that someone is morally inconsistent when he holds an action A is wrong in one case, and A is not wrong in his case.
I hold further someone is morally corrupt when he keeps blaming the one who apologized for committing A while he himself has been committing A.

Japan apologized. and set up the fund.

Korean has never apologized, never set up the fund regardless of the fact that historians point out Korea had the same kind of comfort women system during Korean war, Korea had left the debt bondage system in which women are exploited in the same way they were exploited under Japanese rule.

Korea keeps blaming Japan who apologized while ignoring the same kind of her own crime, hiding the fact to her people, to the world.

Random Korea

James

I guess the Rape of Nanking isnt the Japanese governments fault. It was the fault of a single Japanese commander.

You cant place all blame on a single person. You should realize that responsibility lies within that government. The Japanese government coerced women the article even confirms that he was given orders to coerce women into prostitution by the government or military.

“have set up the brothel on instruction from Japanese occupation authorities, documents on the ruling showed Wednesday.”

“Aochi received the instruction from the military headquarters administrating occupied Jakarta on June 2, 1943″

First quote mentions that he recieved orders from the Japanese occupation authorities and the second mentions him receiving instructions from the military themselves. If you dont consider this proof then I dont know what is.

http://www.japanprobe.com James

The Japanese government has acknowledged that such incidents ultimately their responsibility. I’m not exactly sure what you’re trying to argue. When the Japanese government and Abe apologize for the war/comfort women, they are acknowledging that it was ultimately Japan’s fault.

“military headquarters administrating occupied Jakarta” and “occupation authorities” sound like two words for the same thing. It doesn’t conclusively prove that kidnapping/abducting/tricking women into prostitution was an systematic policy of the higher ups in the Japanese government. I believe that the South Korean government is looking for Abe to make an admission that Tokyo had been ordering the military to carry out similar acts of forcing women into prostitution throughout Asia (and in Korea). The Japanese government has acknowledged that it was responsible for the events that occurred and paid compensation / set up the Asian Women’s Fund. All that is in dispute is whether the wartime Japanese government made forced prostitution an official policy on, and whether forced prostitution existed on the scale the South Korean government currently claims it did.
ponta

There is nothing new in what you mentioned.
Japan legalized brothels, and Japanese troop had the private citizens run the brothel. Is asked private brokers to recruit women and set up the brothels. In case of korea, most brokers were supposedly Korean. Japan
didn’t asked them to recruite women by force nor by deception. Japanese police regulated such illegal brokers;nontherless, there were cases where women were deceieved by the brokers.

As a side note, in case of Korea, Soh, Chung-Hee, a feminist notes,

“Some, however, chose to leave home, not out of economic necessity but in search of independence and freedom from domestic violence against and gendered mistreatment of daughters”

Aochi was in Indonesia.

“Awochi initially recruited women to be staff at the restaurant or bar without revealing his brothel operation. Then, once they were hired, he gave them a choice: work as a prostitute in his brothel or be turned over to the Japanese police for imprisonment, deportation or beatings.
Awochi argued that his mistress, Lies Beerhorst, actually ran the brothel and issued the threats that forced these women into prostitution.The court-martial found that Awochi’s financial interest and profits were too great, and his relationship with Beerhorst too close, for him to be unaware of the compelled nature of the prostitution. Despite Awochi’s additional argument that he was compelled to conduct this business at the order of the Japanese government, the court-martial found Awochi guilty of the war crime of “enforced prostitution” and sentenced him to ten years’ imprisonment”

Hayashi just took a look at his testimony and didn’t take the court judgement into account.

The truth is that there was a guideline to the effect that women work of their own will, women sign the paper to prove it , women get medical check. In Indonesia, some brothels and military officers, and private citizens went against it.
http://www.awf.or.jp/program/pdf/p107_141.pdf

That is why the brothel was closed after Japanese military officer for Tokyo who visited there to investigate arrived.
The people concerned were tried and executed in the war tribunal.

As a side note, in 1994, Dutch government concluded that out of 200 to 300 Dutch women at least 65 women were victim of forced prostitution. Note that it means it is possible the other women were working of their own will.

There is always a journalist who claims he discovered new document when the news is not new at all as when a journalist claimed he discovered a new document on No guri massacre in Korean War.

So to get back to my first question, when will Korean President apologize
and set up the fund for the women victimized by Korean government?

Japan News for April 23, 2007

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