“MacArthur has plenty of admirers in Japan. “
How do you know that?
This is not a hostile question, just an inquiry, a question to satisfy my curiousity.
I met a few Japanese citizens and some loved us and others wanted me to engage in self hari-kiri.
Speaking of sepuku, I could never understand how slitting your gut, rather than fighting the enemy to the end, was somehow “honorable.” Looks to me that was the cluck-cluck end for a chicken.
Consider, the patriots at the Alamo didn’t disembowel themselves.
If someome here has lived the Zen satori life-style of Dr. Suzuki ( a WWII contemporary) or can explain the warrior culture of the bushido (Both Suzuki and Bushido, logically considered, are completely incompatible), that would help.
Just trying to bridge the vast cultural gap in my head...
I think the other poster is correct. There are many Japanese, especially the older generation who remember and understand.
I would not be surprised to hear that many younger Japanese view him much differently.
Just goes to prove there are jerks where ever you go.
Speaking of sepuku, I could never understand how slitting your gut, rather than fighting the enemy to the end, was somehow “honorable.” Looks to me that was the cluck-cluck end for a chicken. Consider, the patriots at the Alamo didn’t disembowel themselves.
I agree with you 100%. Either surrender or go down fighting. The suicide thing doesn't make sense. In the Samurai tradition, the Samurai understood that they might have to die in battle, so they tried to prepare themselves for that sacrifice. That much makes sense. Twisting that into the willingness to commit suicide does not, however.
I don't believe suicide is justifiable, but here's some background. Sometimes the suicide thing was like the captain going down with his ship. He had failed, and took his life after the failure.
What is presented to us Westerners is probably conditioned by an incident in the late 1800’s in which a group of Japanese soldiers massacred French sailors who had hopped ashore at a closed Japanese village. The French government blustered about it, and some timid Japanese bureaucrats decided to execute a number of the soldiers in order to appease the French. The execution was to take place in front of of a French representatives, and the men being executed had voluntarily taken responsibility for the massacre. The Japanese soldiers were former peasants and asked if they could commit suicide, like samurai, rather than be executed. Their request was granted by their superiors. The French were intimidated by the show, and their main guy vomited. Anti-foreign resentment was running high among the onlookers, and the French made a run for their ships after a few of the men had killed themselves. Most of the men waiting to commit suicide never had to go through with it, and were granted a reprieve. These men were considered heroes who had stood up to foreign belligerents. This incident suggested to the Japanese that foreigners could be intimidated by an intense commitment to race and country that would lead Japanese to die rather than submit to foreigners. At the end of the day, however, in WWII it was the Germans who fought to the last house, whereas the Japanese surrendered prior to an invasion, so the suicide thing should be taken with a grain of salt.
If someone here has lived the Zen satori life-style of Dr. Suzuki ( a WWII contemporary) or can explain the warrior culture of the bushido (Both Suzuki and Bushido, logically considered, are completely incompatible), that would help.
If you're interested, I would recommend reading the Ha-gakure “Behind the leaves” or the Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi. Japan has had an impressive military tradition at times, but not everything in that tradition was healthy or smart. You get some fanatics in the mix, and some reactionaries who have an idealized vision of life in a military dictatorship..