Anti-Japanese Demonstration in China (voice from Japan)
Concerning Anti-Japanese sentiment and recent acts of Chinese people, everybody can tell this is not a simple black-and-white issue for both Chinese and Japanese. As long as accessible media resources are spreading diversity of opinions, specially in cyberspace where censorship can not dictate, we are entitled to be totally responsible where to stand. Rather than repeating well-worn cliche from what you have been conditioned to believe, it is time to let your mind free and learn other side of stories, then judge and decide what you are going to say next time you open your mouth. Now you can easily see what is going on about this issue through media, (TV news, newspaper, magazine, internet news, blog or whatever) and choice is ours not authority's, Thank Buddha for that. Well, global perspective says it seems "reasonable rage out of Chinese people against Japan's recent act" but domestically, I mean here in Japan, this is regarded as only an act of craze, "unacceptable violence of ignorant people in China" and it doesn't go any further than just focusing on how barbaric behavior Chinese are demonstrating, while frenzy contaminates ordinaly people just across the sea. What a gap between!, I would say. Seems both sides are frustrated without clear confrontation to each other.What is the motivation of Chinese for this nation-wide rage? and what is the excuses of Japanese to present themselves to be so indifference to neighbor's reaction and showing right-shifted national mood?Apparently Chinese motivation is based on their historical anger towards Japan since last occupation. And it was triggered by1) Recent Japan's approval of a history textbook called "新しい歴史教科書(New history textbook)" produced by "つくる会(Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform)" organization (http://www.tsukurukai.com/index.html) and "扶桑社(Fusosha)" publication company(http://www.fusosha.co.jp/) Which is criticized as whitewash its militant past during WWII.Omission of Japan's wartime atrocities such as 731部隊 (germ warfare experiments section), 従軍慰安婦(forced prostitution), and referring Nanjing massacre as an incident of a battle.Encouraging patriotic sentiment by explaining that the path to WWII of Japan was motivated by "self-preservation" and a desire to liberate Asia from Western colonialism exploitation.Referring Takeshima / Dokdo island as Japanese territory and was occupied by South Korea unlawfully. (not only in this "New history textbook" also in other few textbook as well)Context was not the issue, the point is the fact that "Japanese government has actually approved this textbook as a schoolbook" which Chinese and Korean take as Japan's official recognition of WWII.2) Recent Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council with vito right.3) Recent official announcement of drilling rights for natural resources in the East China Sea where dispute between Japan and Chinese raised last 30 years.4) Japanese prime minister's official visit to Yasukuni Shrine where war criminal worshiped.5) Uh, by the way, I think this is 60 years anniversary after defeat of Japanese aggression.Combine above all, quite simply Chinese people can figure out they have a right to stand up and shout Japan is war criminal country and caused horrendous harm to our country. Yet Japanese never apologize nor confess what they have done to us.To prove that, Yasukuni Shrine visit of prime minister never stop, government approved full-of-bollocks-whitewashing-the-past-like history textbook and they declare the right of stealing our territorial region for natural resources! Japan has been putting salt on our wounds!How come such a country dare to declare UN permanent seat ?Japanese seems changed their attitude to more nationalistic direction and we are afraid of Japanese military aggression again.Remember Nanjing massacre! Rape of Nanjing! 3.5 milions of sacrifice! we never forgive!Ambiguously Japanese sentiment towards last militant past has changed. Nothing like before. why is that?1) Fed up with continuous accusation from China and Korea when it can be used as a "last card" for any benefit of them after enough compensation, official apologies and peace treaties to pay off for WWII as a defeated.After San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951 for compensating to 48 countries with 65 billion of money and 11billion of asset, there were over 50 individual peace treaties to countries such as China, Korea, Burma, Swiss, Thailand, Denmark, Holland, Philippines, USSR, Spain, Poland, Chez, France, Sweden, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Italy, England, Greeks, Austria, Malaysia, Micronesia, Mongolia, Argentina etc.And Japan's ODA expenditure used to be meant of compensating WWII specially to China and Korea in last 40 years or more.Often mentioned that Japanese government never officially apologized to East Asian countries for WWII. But at least there were 34 official announces regarding WWII to regret own responsibility, specially to Chinese and Korea, from 1972 to the latest, Prime minister J. Koizumi on 15th August last year.Yasukuni Shrine has never been a place to praise war in the past nor to worshipping militarism. This is a place to pray for millions of souls of war dead who sacrificed to this country. A class war criminals had paid their price by Tokyo Tribunal Justification with their life. Crime against humanity can not be judged under the war battle circumstances. Unlike Nazi regime to wipe out certain race. 2) National sentiment has shifted from self-torturing mentality caused by well established war-guilt-programme to helpless urge for regaining self-pride to fulfill emptiness of the past decades. 3) Economic evolution and burst gave confidence to Japan after post-war period. Although being eligible to join the elite club such as G7 Japan still has to accept blames for donating huge sum of money to international disputes settlement, instead of deploying troops against own constitutional restriction. Self pride and low recognition dilemma?4) Simply regarding China as second or third class nation with their own human rights abuses, repression of information, own distortion of history and brutal act to Tibet, Muslim, Falun Gong and Taiwan.Wrapping up above, Japanese doesn't give a shit whatever China and Korea demonstrates. Because Japanese are subconsciously underestimating Chinese and Koreans. And to most of the claims, Japan has aldready got answeres to it, but never clearly spoken. Instead, sadly Japanese are preoccupied to appeal new-Japanese-with-strong-attitude to the world without making clear explanations. This ofcourse easily can be misunderstood.Well, after all I don't think Japan is ready to be a part of UN security council as long as Japanese stays in the mentality of expecting-to-be-understood-by-not-saying-anything-logical. Media is a great tool of propadanda, yet Japanese doesn't even know how to manipulate it.Faceless Japanese, same old story.