There are just so many things wrong with the information in my own headline, that I can taste vomit. Not grammatically (I think). Not factually. But spiritually.
Before and during World War II, Japan had occupied China and what is now South Korea. And, it did, indeed, force local women in those countries to act as sex slaves for the invading Japanese soldiers.I also momentarily forgot about the 10 Dutch women abducted for the same nefarious purposes. There were some in the Philippines, too, I believe. Probably elsewhere. I apologize for my ignorance.
Japan did indeed abduct women and set them up in brothels for its military to use as they would.
This happened.
Nearly 50 years later in 1993, Japan apologized for its behavior, calling it 'regrettable'.
I recall reading that headline when I was still living in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan, and telling everyone who would listen - which was everyone, because I have a big mouth and could speak better Japanese than I ever thought possible, that what was truly 'regrettable' was Japan's poor choice of words for a despicable decades long series of gross misconduct.
'Regrettable'?
I regret not doing my homework more often in high school.
I am sorry for lying that one time. Okay, it was twice.
I am deeply apologetic and so, bloody sorry and I feel like a piece of crap for… well… I'll not say, because I've not been caught doing anything or anyone I shouldn't be. Unfortunately.
And yet… despite the passage of 20 years since the very sincere… I mean sincerely weak apology, newly-elected Japan prime minister Abe Shinzo (surname first) (that's him in the photo above) thinks it most important so new into his dictatorship to alter the wording of an apology given 20 years ago.
This is what is so important to Japan?
Of course, not everyone is in agreement with the nationalistic Abe. Ohno Motohiro (surname first), an Upper House lawmaker with the opposition Democratic Party of Japan says that any effort to alter the wording of a historical document such as the Kono Statement (that's what the 1993 apology is called), is just going to cause trouble.
Abe, like many of the far-leaning Right in Japan 'disbelieve' that Japan actually turned women from China and Korea into prostitutes. The old term was 'comfort-women', which I am sure was no small comfort to the women forced to become sex slaves.
I wonder why Abe, and the rest of the yahoos who feel the need to alter a previously given apology, are so adamant that there be a revision.
Could it be that they can believe any real Japanese man would want to have sex (IE, rape, in this case) a Chinese or Korean woman? I don't know, of course, I'm just tossing that out there.
Abe can pull out all the reasons he likes about why he wants to change the apology… has he actually given any?… but he can't prove it never happened.
There are some 200,000 women who provided sexual services in military brothels during the war, who, if they could, would disagree.
Of course, despite ramming an anal sex toy up the rectum of the few surviving women who were abused and only partially mollified with the 'regrettable' apology of 1993, Japan should watch its own ass when trying to re-write history.
Former weak sisters Korea and China have the ability - and the muscle memory - to exact a little physical revenge.
If you will recall, Japan is currently have a little spat with China over a bunch of useless, chunks of tiny rock known as the Senkaku Islands (in Japanese) and the Diaoyu Islands (in Chinese).
While China agrees that Japan took over their islands during the first Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895 thanks to the Treaty of Shimonoseki, China says that according to the Potsdam Declaration accepted by Japan as part of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, that Japan must relinquish control of all islands except for "the islands of Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine".
For China, the 'such minor islands as we determine' means China has determined that Japan should also relinquish control of the Senkaku Islands.
Japan does not agree.
And who the hell signs as treaty with such loosely worded terms? Idiots.
Anyhow, Ohno says that any alteration of the apology regarding the sex slaves would anger China and South Korea.
And to paraphrase a growling Bruce Banner (aka The Incredible Hulk), "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
(Ed. Note: Look, I know it was David Banner from the television show, and not the correctly named Bruce Banner from the Marvel comic book.)
China is already making aggressive overtures against Japan regarding the isles.
Of course… in September of 2012, the City of Tokyo purchased the Senkaku Islands from private owners… and while it comes under the Japanese flag, the islands belong to Tokyo.
Although, as of 2013, Japan and China (and I believe Taiwan) all lay claim to the islands.
Ohno, formerly the vice-defense minister with the previous government (Vice?.. oh wait, it should read 'vice-defense' ) has gone on record stating: "If the government revises the Kono Statement on history, it is counterproductive in many senses.
"We would like to request Mr. Abe to have a cautious attitude."
Of course, while not actually coming out and saying that Abe's feelings about the apology were wrong, Ohno adds that 'historical issues are best left to academics in the concerned countries.'
Why? is there still something left to argue about Japan's involvement in WWII?
Look… Japan - I love the country and its people - but during and before WWII, the fellows doing the army bang-bang stuff… they believed that the Japanese people should be the supreme rulers of Asia. They actually believed they were superior. It's why its easier to 'treat others with contempt' when you don't believe they are your equals.
The average Japanese person does not believe they are superior, though I am sure they still reserve the right to maintain their Japanese individuality.
But back then in the early 1990s… ugh. Traveling through Asia back then, I was loved by the locals wherever I went… until I mentioned I was teaching in Japan. Then the locals got all angry with me - until I explained I was from Canada.
Every Asian country not named Japan tends to dislike Japan.
And, conversely, in the 1990s, I know for a fact that a lot of Japanese people actively disliked people from other Asian countries. Probably just a tit-for-tat response.
On Tuesday, January 8, 2013m Japan summoned China's ambassador in Tokyo to protest four Chinese maritime surveillance ships that spent about 13 hours in waters near the islands. It was the 21st and longest intrusion by Chinese vessels into what Japan considers its territorial waters around the islands since the purchase.
I'm sure the Chinese ambassador found its own country's actions 'regrettable' even if he didn't believe it himself.
Oh... and just so we are all on the same page, this is Abe's second go-round as prime minister of Japan.
Back in 2007, when he was then thee youngest prime minister ever, Abe also gave a reluctant apology for Japan's treatment of comfort women during WWII. His weak apology was criticized at that time as being insincere and that he was merely bandying about for a pat on the back from the U.S. and other allies.
It appears as though they were correct.
And, should you be so inclined, HERE's another article I wrote on May 25, 2012 about members of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan asking some folks in the US to remove their plaque honoring Korea's comfort women.
Prime minister Abe of Japan is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Cheers
Andrew Joseph
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