By This is not the first time I have heard about old World War II war trophies being returned to their Japanese owners, but it is still always good to see happen:
A lot of things need to line up for something to come full circle after 60 years.
A Japanese family here now has in its possession a reminder of that.
During a ceremony Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, members of the Kosakadani family were presented a Japanese flag that belonged to Cpl. Masayuki Kosakadani, who died during World War II.
The flag was brought to Japan by Air Force Col. Charles Eastman, who is in Japan with members of the Air War College in Alabama, where he is an instructor. Eastman got the flag from Casey Breslin, a friend who says the colonel is the only servicemember she knows, Eastman said after the ceremony..
Breslin is the granddaughter of Army Maj. Hugh Breslin Jr., who had possession of the flag for a short time until his death last year. Hugh Breslin had received it from Army Col. John H. Blair, who served with Breslin and who had kept the flag for more than 60 years. According to a fact sheet released by the U.S. Embassy, the exact circumstances relating to how Blair obtained the flag are unknown.
The Breslin family wanted the flag to go to the Kosakadani family, so Eastman sought the help of a Japan Air Self-Defense Force member at the college, who worked with the Japanese government to find them.
“He told me very early on that the outcome could be questionable,” Eastman said. “Even if they found the family, they might decide that it was too hurtful to them and, actually, that it might bring back pain rather than honor.”
Eastman said after the ceremony that he couldn’t have pictured a better ending. “It’s just absolutely perfect. I was honored to be part of it,” he said.
“I’ve been in very close contact with the family by e-mail, and they’re just absolutely thrilled that it has culminated with the return home of the flag here to Japan and the family.”
The family members were visibly appreciative.
“I am deeply moved that it was kept well and warmly for a long time and returned the way it is,” said Yoshio Kosakadani, 67, son of Masayuki Kosakadani’s older brother, Kousa. “It was returned by the efforts of many warm people. I’d like to thank everyone.”
The family hopes to write letters to the Americans who helped return the flag, which is destined for a place at the family altar in their Toyama prefecture home. [Stars & Stripes]
When you think abouty it, it is incredible to see the reconciliation between the two countries that has taken place in the last 60 years to make such a thing possible in the first place.
It would be nice to see such reconciliation take place between Japan and Korea one day as well.
2:42 am on March 18th, 2009 1
"When you think about (sic) it, it is incredible to see the reconciliation between the two countries that has taken place in the last 60 years to make such a thing possible in the first place.
It would be nice to see such reconciliation take place between Japan and Korea one day as well."
Actually, if you think about it a bit harder GI, this so-called "reconciliation" that you're talking about isn't really reconciliation at all. I'm sure you'll go on over to dictionary.com to give us an anodyne, semantically disingenuous, cop-out definition of what reconciliation means, but to most reconciliation has deeply embedded within a recognition of equality between the two parties. The US-Japan relationship is nothing like that. Japan, under the auspices of postwar conservative politicians and bureaucrats, subordinated Japan under the American security and hegemonic umbrella. That's how "reconciliation" occurred. Japan abrogates its sovereignty, brings back conservative wartime leaders, embarks on policies of economic growth; all while the US gets its archipelago of bases in the Pacific. As an added bonus, neither Japan or the US feels any compunction to interrogate seriously the acts each side committed during the war. Japan continues to get to say it was the victim and only meant to liberate Asia, while the US continues to be able to entertain the canard that the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki was justified. (Note, in the case of Hiroshima I see more gray areas and the reasons for or against the initial dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima more complicated).
Long post short, reconciliation does not come via suppression under a hegemonic structure. Ever.
3:00 am on March 18th, 2009 2
Come on dude, this is a good event with a positive atmosphere. Lets not mar it up with rhetoric (from either side).
Fact is, regardless of how it happened, Japan is one of the largest most successful economies in the world. In fact, so is Germany and South Korea. The Japanese don't hate us, we don't hate them, we buy their stuff, they buy our stuff, nuff said.
3:36 am on March 18th, 2009 3
Maybe if Koreans stop teaching their kids racism/hate in school they could reconcile, but considering they think nothing of putting young students anti-Japanese art up in subway underground areas, that won't happen anytime soon.
I don't know how many times I've heard middle-school students go on about how they hate and want to kill the Japanese for what they did to their country.
And Koreans say Americans are racist.
The Japanese aren't completely innocent, but I've never seen crap like that in Japan either. I only lived there a year, so I will admit I could be nieve, but not as nieve as a Korean who hasn't.
4:30 am on March 18th, 2009 4
I disagree with most comments saying that Korean educational system teach hatred and racism toward Japan.
Korean’s bad feeling about Japan comes from Japanese colonialism ended 60 year ago, not because of some actions perpetrated by government to raise Japan heaters kids in Korea.
Japanese colonialism is just history now and that’s what korean schools teach to our kids, which by the way, is a sad history and still makes people to get emotional when teaching and listening this part of Korean history.
Reconciliation between Japan and Korea will (and has to) happen in the future, but not anytime soon. Time cures wounds. Just give time to time.
7:44 am on March 18th, 2009 5
"The Japanese don’t hate us, we don’t hate them, we buy their stuff, they buy our stuff, nuff said."
Sorry, but this is a bold if highly one-sided spin on things. You're right to say that the US harbors no ill feelings towards the Japanese. But such sentiments are highly contingent on whether Japan toes the US line. Let's consider the economic/trade realm you brought up. Yes the US doesn't "hate" Japan when it does well. In fact it actively encouraged Japanese economic development during the Cold War. But that encouragement is conditioned on the fact that Japan does well while not butting in on America's economic superiority. How else to explain the drivel in Michael Crichton's "Rising Sun". (Caveat: while I was not a fan of "Rising Sung", I am a HUGE fan of other Crichton works)
Also, consider what would happen if the Japanese people elected a government that wanted all US military personnel of Okinawa and other areas of Japanese sovereignty? Do you think that US wouldn't "hate" the Japanese then?
As for "marring" the good atmosphere with rhetoric, I'll just say I prefer the truth rather than feel good, hallow rhetoric.
7:47 am on March 18th, 2009 6
"The Japanese aren’t completely innocent, but I’ve never seen crap like that in Japan either."
My suggestion is that you go to the museum next to the Yasukuni Shrine or read some of the comics of Yoshinori Kobayashi. Then we can talk if Koreans are really the ones with out of whack views.
8:20 am on March 18th, 2009 7
#4 Dr. Yu there is numerous photographic and video evidence online showing Korea's educational system teaching hatred of Japan, both north and south Korea. Images showing kids stepping on Japan's flag and drawing the islands sinking into the sea does not project a pretty image of Korea internationally. Using the colonial excuse makes Korea look weak and whiny. Many other cultures suffered from various injustices under coloniasm yet they have gotten over it. Korea seems to think somehow they were treated so far worse than any other country on Earth under Japanese imperial rule.
8:27 am on March 18th, 2009 8
Ok.