Families of Japanese 9/11 Victims React to News of Bin Laden’s Death
Yesterday, I posted some translations of Japanese netizen reactions to the death of Osama Bin Laden and the celebrations that were taking place in the United States. Here are some reactions from Japanese people who lost family members in the 9/11 attacks.
Some translations from a Mainichi article:
殺すよりも逮捕して、なぜ事件を起こしたのか、彼らには彼らの主張があったはずだ。それを明らかにしてほしかったが、死人に口なしだ
“Rather than killing him, they should have arrested him. I wanted to find out why he did it. Dead people can’t talk.” – 73-year-old mother of a Fuji Bank employee who died in the 9/11 attacks.
ほっとしているが、彼（ビンラディン容疑者）をとらえても彼に続く者がいるのではないかと心配だ。いまだに息子の遺体も見つかっておらず、悔しさをどこにぶつけていいか分からないまま、懸命に生きてきた。あのような悲劇は二度と起こしてはならない
“I’m relieved, but even though the got Bin Laden, I worry about somebody taking over where he left off. My son’s remains have not been found, and up until now I’ve been struggling to carry on and deal with the anguish. Such a terrible tragedy should never be repeated.” – 80-year-old Mother of a bank employee who died in the 9/11 attacks.
ビンラディン容疑者が死んでも息子は帰ってくるわけではない。これまでも死亡したという不確定な情報が流れたこともあり、特別な感情はわかない
“Even if Bin Laden is dead, it won’t bring back my son. There have been false reports of Bin Laden’s death in the past, so I don’t have any special feelings about this news.” – 68-year-old mother of a Nishi-Nippon City Bank employee who died in the 9/11 attacks
Here is an excerpt from the Yomiuri, which translated its 9/11 family article into English:
“I don’t know what to say. I’m so surprised,” Mari Sumiyama, 71, said at her house in Meguro Ward, Tokyo. Sumiyama is the mother of Yoichi Sugiyama, an official of the now-defunct Fuji Bank who died at the age of 34 in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
Sumiyama said she feels terrible because bin Laden died without revealing the truth behind the terrorist attack.
“So many innocent people died. I wanted [bin Laden] to explain why he did such a thing. I want to know what he thought about human life,” she said.
Sumiyama’s family still celebrates Yoichi’s birthday on Aug. 17 every year because she does not want to accept that he has died, Sumiyama said.
“I wanted [bin Laden] to tell the truth. I don’t know how to sort out my feelings,” said Yoichi’s 73-year-old father, Kazusada.
[...]
Tsugio Ito, 76, of Hiroshima, lost his 35-year-old son Kazushige, a Fuji Bank employee, in the terrorist attack.
“For the United States and international society, [bin Laden's death] may be the end of one chapter,” Ito said. “But for bereaved families who have not recovered the bodies [of their loved ones], their anger and grief will never end.”
“I hope the death of the leader will help reduce terrorism even a little, and that [the world] will take steps toward peace,” he said.
Satsuko Anai, 78, of Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, learned of the news Monday while watching TV. Her son Kazuhiro was 42 when he died in the 9/11 attack in New York, where he was the assistant manager of the local bureau of Nishi-Nippon Bank Ltd. (now Nishi-Nippon City Bank).
“Right after the attack, I felt hatred whenever I heard the name [bin Laden]. I feel a bit of relief now, knowing he’s dead,” Satsuko said.
“I’d like to sit in front of the Buddhist altar [in my home] and tell my son about the news,” she said. “I’d always relied on my son, and was extremely sorry to lose him.”
[hat tip to Ponta]
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Categories: General Japan
Japanese Netizens React to Scenes of Americans Celebrating the Death of Bin Laden
As many of you already know, the United States announced earlier today that its forces had killed terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. The news prompted a spontaneous street party in front of the White House, with college students waving flags, chanting, and expressing nationalistic joy at the death of America’s #1 enemy.
Most Japanese tv channels used scenes of the celebration when reporting about Bin Laden’s death. Footage of Americans chanting “USA! USA! USA!” seemed to be particularly popular.
What do Japanese people think about the celebration? I can’t say for sure, but I can at least translate a few interesting internet comments. Here are a few quick and dirty translations of Japanese netizens’ comments, from a 2channel thread about the celebrations:
いくら大犯罪者だとしても殺害の報道でここまで喜べるって言うのは
なんか日本人とは感覚が少し違う気がするなあ～俺が平和ボケしてるだけかもしれないが
Even though he was a terrible criminal, they’re celebrating so much about the news of a person being killed. It seems a bit different from the way Japanese people would react. But maybe I’m just too used to peace…
人を殺して喜ぶとかホント馬鹿だな
It’s truly idiotic to be happy about killing a person.
野蛮人VS野蛮人
Savages vs. Savages
これで支持率が下がってたオバマは復活。
管は誰を殺せば復活するんだろうかw
Obama’s sagging approval ratings should improve after this.
Maybe Kan can achieve the same if he killed somebody..lol
憎たらしいのは分かるけど人殺してこんな大々的喜ぶってなんかおかしい
I understand that they hate him, but it’s really strange to see such a huge joy over the killing of a person.
日本だとこういう時どういう歓声がいいの？
「ニッポンﾁｬﾁｬﾁｬ」とか絶対やめてほしいよね
「大日本帝国万歳」とか「天皇陛下万歳」？
In Japan, what should we chant when something like this happens?
I really want people to stop saying “Nippon-cha-cha-cha.”
How about “Dai Nippon Teikoku, Banzai!” (Long Live the Japanese Empire) or “Tenno Heika Banzai!” (Long Live the Emperor)?
マジでこんなノリだな
It’s totally like that.
日本人はルーズベルトが病死したときに日の丸掲げて歓喜したんだけどなあ
敵の死を喜ぶ習慣はあるよ
Japanese also waved the flag and celebrated when FDR died.
It’s the custom of being happy about the death of an enemy.
日本を早く併合してください
僕もUSA!USA!したいです
Hurry up and annex Japan!
I want also want to shout “USA! USA!”
ビンラディンを擁護するつもりはないが、
アメリカのこういうナショナリズムは大っ嫌いだわ
気持ち悪い
I’m not defending Bin Laden, but I really hate this kind of American nationalism.
It’s disgusting.
4chan見てたけどなんとなく理解した
ビンラディンが死んでどうこうというよりも、あれはただの祭りだ
After checking out 4chan, I kind of understand what’s going on.
It’s not so much because of Bin Laden’s death. They’re just partying.
福島原発テロの首謀者が殺されたら日本人は赤飯でも炊くのかな
If the ringleaders of the Fukushima nuclear terror were killed, maybe Japanese people would cook up some sekihan.
Related image: Not from Japan, but still relevant (and maybe not real).
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Categories: General Japan
City in Iwate Prefecture Rejects Calls to Preserve Rooftop Boat
More than 160 academics have called for the preservation of the above-pictured sightseeing boat, which was left stranded on top of a building in Kamaishi city in Iwate prefecture after the March 11th tsunami. They thought it would be good if the boat could be left in its current position so it could serve as a reminder of the disaster.
However, local authorities have decided to reject the requests. The boat will be destroyed:
Mayor Takenori Noda said he was concerned not only about preservation costs but also about the possibility of the boat falling off its perch.
“I don’t think citizens would look favorably on a decision to preserve this boat 20 to 30 years from now,” Noda said.
The prefectural government initially told city officials to hold off demolition work after the academics made their plea, but it eventually gave the go-ahead to take down the vessel.
Work to demolish the boat is expected to begin in early May.
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Categories: Odd / Strange
Toxic Yakiniku Kills 2 Children
Two children have died and many people have suffered from food poisoning after eating at Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu, an ultra-cheap barbeque chain:
The Toyama Prefectural Government determined the same day that a raw beef dish served at one of the chain’s outlets in Tonami, where the first boy dined on April 21, was inedible. The dish is suspected as being the cause of the food-poisonings.
The boy in Fukui, meanwhile, was found to be infected with a highly toxic strain of E. coli bacteria known as O-111. This strain was also found in the boy in Toyama, who began vomiting April 24 and died Friday at a hospital, the officials said.
The tally of food-poisoning complaints tied to the chain is at 38, including people who ate at another of the chain’s outlets in the Toyama city of Takaoka, the prefectural government said late Saturday.
The kids had apparently eaten Yukhoe, a Korean dish made from raw beef.
One of the most-viewed videos on YouTube Japan today is a clip from an NTV program that praised and recommended Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu to viewers:
The restaurant chain is described as serving high quality meat for a very low price. After hearing the description of the restaurant chain, a panel of celebrities unanimously decided that it sounded good.
At the end of the clip, Shinsuke Shimada, the host of the program, makes a remark implying that the meat served at the restaurant is low quality. He quickly retracts his remark, telling viewers he didn’t really mean to say that.
A few user comments from YouTube, with some rough translations:
へ～、こんなに安いんだ。お店もスタイリッシュだし、
何より日テレがこれだけプッシュしてるんだからいい店なんだろうな！
日テレが嘘をつくわけないもんね！
今度子供を連れて行ってくるよ！
Wow, it’s so cheap. And the restaurant is stylish! If NTV is recommending it, it’s gotta be good! NTV wouldn’t lie! Let’s take the kids to that restaurant!
この放送見て食べに行ってたとしたら可哀想だなぁ
I feel sorry for those who saw this and then went out to eat there.
最近番組内で宣伝しすぎだろ、制作者いくらもらってんだよ。
TV shows these days are too much like advertisements. I wonder how much money the producers were paid to make this.
ペイドパブリシティーは規制しろ
日本のテレビはもう駄目だ
Let’s put some restrictions on this kind of paid publicity. Japanese TV is crap!
ふざけんなよ…ただの宣伝。
これは日テレの責任もあるよ。
What the hell is this! It’s just like an advertisement!
NTV is responsible for this.
4月18日にこの放送があって、食中毒の発生は21日～23日ですから、
当然この番組にも責任があるんじゃないですかね・・・
これは完全に番組を使った宣伝ですからね。
This aired on April 18th. The food poisoning incident took place between the 21st and 23rd. Because the show was nothing more than an advertisement for the restaurant, the TV program should be held responsible.
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Categories: Japanese Food, Japanese TV
Japanese Government Cool Biz Campaign Begins / Most Cabinet Ministers Still Wear Neckties
The Japanese government began an official Cool Biz campaign yesterday, but as this video shows, the Prime Minister and most of the members of his cabinet did not follow through with the suggested change in business attire:
With energy conservation in mind, the Japanese government had decided to set air conditioners at degrees Celsius instead of the normal 25 degrees. To help survive the heat, neckties were to removed in favor of Cool Biz summer wear.
Yesterday marked the beginning of the Cool Biz campaign. Only 7 of the 17 cabinet ministers ditched their neckties. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano wore no tie, but Prime Minister Kan wore a suit and tie.
Because the weather was rather cool yesterday ( 21 degrees Celsius ), there was no need to turn on the air conditioners in the Diet building. Cool Biz attire wasn’t exactly necessary, so most seem to have stuck to their normal suits.
Related Article: The Asahi reports that retailers are expecting to sell a lot of Cool Biz products this summer.
In what has been dubbed the “power-conserving biz” campaign, many companies plan to conserve energy during the peak summer period in light of expected power shortages caused by the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Air conditioning is one of their first targets.
In recent years, the “Cool Biz” campaign to cut down on electricity usage created a trend among the public to wear lighter clothes in the office.
Although some formal wear retailers fear a decline in profits amid the summer heat, retailers of casual clothing expect a spike in sales of “power-conserving biz” clothing.
Uniqlo Co. on April 21 set up a special store in JR Ikebukuro Station for “power conserving biz” items, including Sara Fine and Silky Dry undershirts, both of which absorb sweat and dry quickly.
The clothing giant expects to sell about 36 million of these undershirts, double from a year ago.
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Categories: Politics
Japan Tsunami: A CGI Hoax?
There are a lot of conspiracy theories about the March 11th earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident floating around the internet, but few are quite as outlandish at this one:
Yes, that’s right: this lunatic thinks that all the tsunami footage we’ve been seeing on television is an elaborate computer animated hoax:
“The videos we all saw on the news on 3/11/11 of Japan’s coastline being swept away were elaborate computer generated images. Understand that we live in an age of sophisticated Media Fakery and cannot simply believe things are happening because we see realistic videos on the news.
Everyone in the fake “truth” media is not questioning this, and is instead trying to scare the crap out of people about the nuclear radiation crisis which is also fake.”
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Categories: Odd / Strange