Posted on 11/20/2005 7:55:12 PM PST by neverdem
TOKYO, Nov. 14 - A young Japanese woman in the comic book "Hating the Korean Wave" exclaims, "It's not an exaggeration to say that Japan built the South Korea of today!" In another passage the book states that "there is nothing at all in Korean culture to be proud of."
In another comic book, "Introduction to China," which portrays the Chinese as a depraved people obsessed with cannibalism, a woman of Japanese origin says: "Take the China of today, its principles, thought, literature, art, science, institutions. There's nothing attractive."
The two comic books, portraying Chinese and Koreans as base peoples and advocating confrontation with them, have become runaway best sellers in Japan in the last four months.
In their graphic and unflattering drawings of Japan's fellow Asians and in the unapologetic, often offensive contents of their speech bubbles, the books reveal some of the sentiments underlying Japan's worsening relations with the rest of Asia.
They also point to Japan's longstanding unease with the rest of Asia and its own sense of identity, which is akin to Britain's apartness from the Continent. Much of Japan's history in the last century and a half has been guided by the goal of becoming more like the West and less like Asia. Today, China and South Korea's rise to challenge Japan's position as Asia's economic, diplomatic and cultural leader is inspiring renewed xenophobia against them here.
Kanji Nishio, a scholar of German literature, is honorary chairman of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, the nationalist organization that has pushed to have references to the country's wartime atrocities eliminated from junior high school textbooks.
Mr. Nishio is blunt about how Japan should deal with its neighbors, saying nothing has changed since 1885, when one of modern Japan's most influential intellectuals, Yukichi Fukuzawa, said Japan...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
NY Times criticises Kenkanryu by taking the text out of context and distorting the content.
http://www.occidentalism.org/
VIKING KITTENS RULE!!!
I don't need atonement. Confession would suffice. It's kinda creepy the way the Japanese have portrayed themselves as victims.
House of Flying Daggers was the most beautiful film I have ever seen. That director also made the blatantly anti-communist, pro-individual movie of all time "To Live". He also had another one where the local commie slapped a woman's husband . She kept going to the top demanding an apology and finally got one-very inspiring movie. I was surprised the Chicomms let either film make it to the big screen, but they did. I'll look up the name of the movie later.
It really staggers the mind to realize how your analogy so perfectly captures the cultural mindset of Japan, its society, its history, its people. its smug, unmitigating arrogance in the face of its millenium-long sordid, savage legacy.
Huh???? You must have replied to the WRONG person dude.
Never mind, I see what you're referring to :)
Yeah, i mean, i can't imagine if German chancellor is going to a temple worshipping Hitler's goons, but that's exactly what the leaders (and lots of them) of Japan have done repeatedly. yet, it's somehow tolerated.
We're not talking about some fringe element of the society, but the leader of their government + the majority of the parliament... so this is somewhat scary in the long term.
I though tthe same director did Hero, which is viewed in the west as conforming to communist rule (i.e. the guy scarificed himself in order to protect the empire).
(But the movie Hero speaks to the Chinese in greater volumes than Flying Dagger, it's more central to the historical culture of China (i.e. collective is greater than the individual)).
It was the same director.
Sorry. Post got cut off. The director of both movies was Zhang Yi Mou (sp?). "To Live" and "The Story of Qu" (I'm going on memory on that title) were both very anti-communist, especially considering the time it was made.
Basic Position of the Government of Japan
Regarding Prime Minister Koizumi's Visits to Yasukuni Shrine
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/postwar/yasukuni/position.html
In re Japanese xenophobia and racism.
Sure sure sure. Yeah right, that's why he goes there. Pure propaganda.
You don't see the Germans enshrining class A war criminals with their war dead, do you? They don't even have a temple for their war dead. They don't worship WWII, unlike the Japanese.
To do what Kozuimi does would mean a German chancellor going to a temple that houses the bodies of Himmler, Goering, etc. and the same outrage should be shown to Koizuimi every time he does that. The only reason he's getting away with it in American politics is because China is a communist country.
Yes, those movies are and some are banned from China, some are not. However, they have never bar him from making movies in general. He has, however, turned a nationalistic tone in recent years.
Still, i never get what the fascination was with Zhang Ziyi - i can understand Gong Li, but Ziyi is really not comparable to the great Gong Li.
Did you ever see this post?
**FR Exclusive** KUCINICH SOLICITS FOREIGN MONEY FOR 2004 ON FOREIGN WEBSITE (JAPANESE) [VIOLATION?]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/953876/posts
And did you know that Japan has been investing in Iran?
(snip)
JAPAN TO EXPAND ENERGY COOPERATION WITH IRAN
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC NEWS AGENCY (IRNA)
November 29, 2004
Japanese Ambassador to Tehran Hideaki Domichi here on Monday expressed his country`s readiness to boost energy cooperation with Iran. He referred to Iran as a rich country with valuable natural gas reserves, saying Japan is to bolster bilateral cooperation with Iran in the fields of investment and sharing scientific experiences. Alluding to the Iran`s high energy potentials, he urged further efforts to be made by two sides in this regard. "The volume of Iran-Japan trade exchanges stands at 85 million dollars," he said, adding that Iran provides most of the Japanese energy sources.
Domichi called on two sides` officials to exchange scientific and research delegations to share related experiences. The Japanese ambassador arrived in Tabriz on Sunday to inaugurate the national training center for energy management of water and electricity industry. The center has been established by relying on the know-how and technology of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A total of two billion rials plus two million dollars has been invested for implementation of this project. The volume of energy consumption will be decreased by 10 percent following the implementation of this project
One thing disturbed me recently. I was watching a good Chinese Triad movie lately ("Infernal Affairs") when all of a sudden I noticed how modern and pristine the city was. Very advanced-the Chicomms are catching up quickly.
I saw all of them. Raise the Red Lantern is one of Gong Li's best works.
The triad movie, that is based in Hong Kong anyway. Besides, Shanghai has eclipsed Hong Kong as the financial center already.
To propaganda what?
I stand corrected.
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