Comments on: Never Ending Textbook Controversy

By: Keigo Matsubara

Keigo Matsubara — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:41:24 +0000

In my post and the counter post from Tom, we are discussing about if the Korea peninsula was occupied by the Russians as the laucher to attack Japan.

We didn’t discuss about the possibility the Koreans would have invaded Japan.

By: Keigo Matsubara

Keigo Matsubara — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:40:59 +0000

Tom, my comments are for the two GI Korea’s sentecenses. I was arguing those specific histroic events; yes those dicisions are just history now. I wouldn’t say all of the issues you pointed out were self-defence activities.

Although I didn’t mean to address those issues you listed, let me summarize my point in this way. Assuming you decide to across a line, very important one which is very hard to break through. Once you made it, there would be no retreat, since you had to sacrifice your families or friend for it.

After occupying, because the Japanese leaders and military afraid of losing the peninsulla, they invaded Manchuria (by the way, did you know western countries including USA asked Japan to send troop to China just after the WW I?). Later, most industrized countries including Japan needed stable oil supplies, however western countries (UK, France, Netherlands, USA) dominated most oil fields (they threatened Japan to stop oil supplies). So they invaded Malaysia, and so on continuing to the final end. So, unfortunately, those Asian countries besides Japan were just a playing field for big players for the game. Apparently not wise, if we think about those dicisions *now*.

That’s what happend. Of course, eventually it turned out a catastrophe for many nationals, not only for Chineses, Koreans, but also for Japaneses; US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese soil to end the war once for all.

Tom, that was the game rule in the Imeperial-era; All or Nothing. Yes, Japan lost the game in the final stage.

We see many resembling cases in history, not only in Eastern Asia, but also in Europe. Winners are always applaused, loosers are always get contempt. This is also a part of the rule.

It’s hard to predict who across the line next time; however, in my opinion, Iraq hardly had a qualification to do it. Let us see who plays next.

P.S. please note that we Japanese are not in a mood to think about for playing the same game again. It was a hard lesson we do not want to take once more.

By: Are you kidding?

Are you kidding? — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:20:12 +0000

Hello(Annyon),everyone!

>Let’s say Japanese were really afraid of attack from Korea so they colonized it

Are you kidding??
Please look at these photos.

Before japanese annexation.
?http://koreaphoto.hp.infoseek.co.jp/other.html

During Japanese annexation
?http://www.geocities.com/eastasianissues/

Why were japanese pepole in those days afraid of attack from Korea ?
Thus,those who say such an idiot thing are …

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:19:19 +0000

Let’s say Japanese were really afraid of attack from Korea so they colonized it. Let’s accept that as a sake of argument. Now can you explain Japan’s attack on China, attack on Philippines, attack on Indochina, attack on Pearl Harbor, alliance with Hitler (bloodiest dictator known to mankind), and near attacks and threats on India and Australia? Were those self defense too? Please, I’m getting a little tired of the Japan as the victim mentality, when they themselves were the aggressors.

By: Keigo Matsubara

Keigo Matsubara — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:07:45 +0000

About your comment “In my opinion I don’t think Russia ever had any intentions of invading Japan ….”, after the Russians forced China (Shin-Dynasty) to release the cession (the the Maritime Territory) in 1860, it was a histrical fact that many Russians were in the Korean peninsula and actively worked to get approval from the Korean aristocracy in order to establish “commercial bases” in there (like they had in southern Alaska before they sold the land to US).
Like you wrote, we never know whether or not the Russian Czar actually had an intensions to invade Japan (at least there is no document left to prove this). However, many Japanese leadrers (founders of modernized Japan) believed so from their hearts and they were really got frightened by the bad dream having the peninsula occupied by the Russians (there are many documents left including their diaries to prove this). This fear triggered them to order Japanese Imperial Army and Navy to invade and occupy the peninsula and resulted in the Japan’s victory of the Japanese-Russian war later. Of course, this was no good for people living there, and also turned out very bad for Japan’s own people after about 40 years.
About your comment “Plus how does being an island nation make you more vulnerable to attack? ….”, you could be right from the pure military stand point (I have never served to any military service. So, I honor your knowledge about the military technologies). However, there only two cases had been known about the foreigners’ attack to four Japanese main isldands untill the WWII(I excluded the US occupation of Japan after the WWII, since the text book is discussing about the era before the Japanese-Russian war). In both cases, known as “Genkou” (the Mongol Invasions of 1274 and 1281), the Mongolians used the peninsula as a base to attack Japan. Qubilai Khaan, the descendan of brutal Chingis Khaan, ordered Koreans to build as many ships as they could (in fact, this order ruined the mountains in the Korean peninsula) to transport their troop. However a strong typhoon sank their fleet which loaded over 14,000 Mongolian and Korean soldiers. This historical fact made a well-known word “Kamikaze” (means “God Wind”).
Anyway, assuming you were a leader of Japan at that time, you couldn’t have avoided to have the same bad dream — If the peninsula occupied by another Mongolians, what would happen to Japan?
At least, we cannot erase the historical fact (the strong fear to the Russians) and should not judge the decision (to occupy the penninslla before the Russians) from the 21st century standpoint. The decisions made by those Japanese leaders should be discussed and addressed only in the correct historical context — before the WWII, the world was in the Imperialism-era. What I do mean is that it is too easy just blaming them (because we all know what happens after all), but not wise.

By: Silly Sally

Silly Sally — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:05:52 +0000

Do you really allow yourself to get distracted by Asian finger-pointing and bickering?

All North-East Asian societies are tribal: tribalism values the survival and gratification of the tribe above any abstract notion of “truth”.

Each Asian society instinctively creates a face-saving self-image. Attempting to influence their self-image towards truth and justice is like trying to reason with a paranoid schizophrenic. You are only accepted if you share the same delusion — otherwise, you are part of the conspiracy.

What I am trying to establish in your brain, is that Asian societies are a fundamentally different civilization from the West — devoid of idealism Americans cherish.

They are bad allies — because of an innate pragmatism that makes them seductive, yet treacherous friends.

Now, tell me — why are you ready to die for them? Are you a saint — a sacrificial lamb?

Oh, I get it — dutiful cannon fodder for Lt. Gen Charlene Campbell’s girlish sentimentality.

Quit focusing on Asian pettiness and understand what is important.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:05:34 +0000

“that only .04% of Japanese schools ”

0.04% now, but do you think it would stay that way if there wasn’t such outcry about Japanese textbooks? I think not. If there was no checks and balances, that 0.04% would have easily been 40%.