Archive for March, 2011

DPJ Lawmaker Visits Korea, Signs Statement Denouncing Japanese Territorial Claims

Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Ryuichi Doi is under fire after it came to light that he signed a statement demanding that the Japanese government withdraw its territorial claim to the Liancourt Rocks:

Ryuichi Doi signed a declaration that Japan should immediately give up sovereignty claims over disputed islets known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, during his visit to South Korea in February, he admitted Wednesday.

The House of Representatives member signed it during a one-day visit to the country for an exchange among Christian-affiliated lawmakers on Feb. 27, when a memorial event for an independence movement in 1919 against Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula took place.

Ever since South Korea took the rocks by military force in the 1950′s, Japan has repeatedly proposed a peaceful resolution of the dispute via the International Court of Justice. The DPJ, the LDP, and the Komeito party all support this policy. Doi’s actions have drawn harsh criticism from all three parties. There is even talk of asking him to withdraw his membership in the DPJ.

According to Wikipedia, when the story first broke on March 9th, Doi was asked to comment and said that he couldn’t really say that the rocks were Japanese territory. After the story was picked up by more media outlets, Doi changed his tune, saying that he actually thought the rocks were Japanese territory, but that there should be more discussion regarding the matter. He also claims that he wasn’t fully aware of the one-sided nature of the statement he signed.

Update: While I was preparing this post, it was reported that Doi had resigned from his position as chairman of the Lower House Deliberative Council on Political Ethics.

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Japanese Foreign Minister is the Great-great-grandson of Ito Hirobumi

South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper has an article up this morning that focuses on how Japan’s new Foreign Minister is the great-great-grandson of Ito Hirobumi, one of the founding fathers of modern Japan (who also happened to be the Resident General of Korea from 1905 to 1909):

Matsumoto’s mother is Hirobumi’s great-granddaughter. Although he is not a direct descendant, Matsumoto’s family ties to Hirobumi, considered by Koreans a major symbol of the brutal colonial occupation, could ruffle some feathers. Matsumoto is aware of the fact and has apparently asked whether it would be better for him to admit that he is related to Hirobumi when meeting Korean government officials.

With a law degree from Tokyo University, Matsumoto was first elected to the lower chamber of the Diet in 2000. His appointment is being viewed as atypical due to his short track record as a politician. He is apparently a centrist and opposed to paying homage to Japan’s war dead at the militarist Yasukuni Shrine, which houses the remains of convicted war criminals.*

The Joongang Daily has pointed out that Matsumoto has been supportive of Korean requests for information about the burial place of the assassin who gunned down Ito:

During his time as a legislator, Matsumoto offered to uncover information about Ahn Jung-geun – a Korean independence activist who assassinated Hirobumi in 1909 – and share it with Korea.

Whether he will follow up on his words will have to be seen because Matsumoto has plenty of work to do as foreign minister.

The focus on the actions of distant ancestors may seem absurd, but such issues are still relevant in South Korea. Last year, the South Korean government took action to punish descendants of people who cooperated with Ito Hirobumi and the Japanese, confiscating their property on the basis of “crimes” that occurred over 100 years ago.

[Note: The Chosun Ilbo is incorrect about the "remains" of war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine only "houses" the intangible spirits of people who have been enshrined there. There are no physical remains.]

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Japanese Cops vs. Slasher

Police in Tokyo put on a public training exercise to demonstrate that they are prepared to deal with violent criminals:

The drill shows cops responding to an attack by man with a long-bladed knife or short sword. It seems to be an attempt to show that the next time somebody tries an Akihabara-style knife rampage, police will know what to do.

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Tokyo Sky Tree Observation Deck

NTV news casters appear inside a computer-generated Tokyo Sky Tree to introduce a story about how the observation deck of the structure has been completed:

At a height of 350-meters, it is the highest observation deck in Japan (Tokyo Tower = 250-meters / Yokohama Landmark Tower = 273 meters). It won’t be open to the general public until the rest of the structure is complete, but the media were allowed to get a sneak peak at the view. The structure is so tall that one will be able to look down on the annual Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival, which shoots its fireworks 180-meters into the sky.

When one compares maps of Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree sightings, the Sky Tree’s superior height is evident. On clear days, it can even be seen from the Pacific coast areas of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures.

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Goya Crop Failure in Okinawa

This year’s crop of goya (bitter melon) is particularly bad, as this FTV news report shows:

It’s not because Okinawans are “too lazy” to grow the fruit. The crop failure is a result of this year’s abnormally cold and cloudy weather.

A visit to an Okinawan goya farm reveals a lot of tiny and misshapen fruit, none of which will grow to proper maturity. The harvest will only be about 10% of the amount harvested last year. As a result, goya prices have skyrocketed, making the fruit “more expensive than steak.” This means that many Okinawan restaurants will have to raise their prices or drop goya dishes from their menus.

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Potechi no Te (Potato Chips Hand)

FTV shows fifteen random foreigners a “Potechi no Te” (Potato Chips Hand) and asks them what they think it is used for:

None of them are able to correctly identify it as a product that helps one eat potato chips without getting one’s hands dirty. A few seem amused when they are told its purpose, although I doubt any of them would actually consider buying one for 699 yen.

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