Petition at Yasukuni Against Comfort Women Statue

August 15 is the day when the Greater East Asia War (WWII) ended.

On this day, many Japanese go to Yasukuni Shrine to worship the spirits of those who fought and sacrificed their lives to protect the country and the loved ones. This year, 175,000 people visited the Shrine on this occasion, increased from 161,000 last year. First worshipers arrived before 6am, and the flow of worshipers continued until early evening.

Just outside the Shrine, there were many volunteer and activist groups who raised their voice on various issues: such as, bogus reporting of pro-China NHK whose headquarters houses CCTV; similarly bogus reporting of pro-China, pro-Korea and anti-Japan Asahi shimbun; violent repression on Uygur and southern Mongol by Chinese Government; retraction of "Kono talk" which vaguely acknowledged the "coercion" of comfort women without any evidence; and petition for the City of Buena Park, CA, against placement of a comfort women statue.  

I participated in the petition against placement of a comfort women statue. From the beginning, I felt the strong reaction. Noticing the cardboard "Against Comfort Women Statue in Buena Park City", many people came up to us and signed the petition. 

Not only signing, they shared their highly passionate feelings on the issue, in the 35C-degree heat:

"We count on you!"
"We must sign this one, for sure."
"I am so outraged by this Korean lie!"
"I am also raising my voice online and through emails. Let's spread the truth together!"
"We have to fight against these fabricated stories by Koreans. This is getting just too much."
"We didn't do such things." (old gentleman)
"I know, I know, I know it very well - I don't need to read the flyer!"
"Your taking action is just great. Good luck for you! Oh, no, let's do this together!"

Such feelings were shared by all kinds of people: young men and women, mothers with babies, families with kids, middle aged men and women, old couples, old men in groups, etc, etc.

I didn't expect this much of passion, sympathy, anger, desire for truth, and enthusiasm for cooperation, from so many people. They all want to correct the situation, i.e. to put an end to the spread of Korean fabrication of "200,000 sexual slavery and atrocity by the Japanese army" - the gross lie which disgrace and humiliate Japan and the noble souls who stood up for the country (see other postings on "comfort women" to see why the Korean claims are fabricated).

Volunteers who were working on other issues were also spontaneously cooperating with our petition collection. A gentleman who was distributing flyers against Asahi was raising his voice, "Here, here, you can sign the petition against comfort women statue!". A lady working on Chinese issue brought a portable table and chair for us. Others gave us candies and water bottles, saying, "make sure you take enough water not to get heat attack!" Such spontaneous support and care were enormously touching.

People may easily think, "Japan was simply bad during the WWII" believing the Tokyo Tribunal view; however, what didn't happen didn't happen. Moreover, people must know that the Tokyo Tribunal was "the worst hypocrisy in recorded history" as decried by General Charles Willoughby. Even General Douglas MacArthur, the executor of the Tribunal, himself confessed in 1950 to President Harry Truman that the Tokyo Tribunal was a mistake.

Having experienced the power of people at Yasukuni on August 15, I felt: Japan will be ok - one day, the truth will prevail.

       

Opinions of Glendale Council Members

Glendale city, California, approved installation of the Korean comfort woman monument in its central park, and had an opening ceremony on July 30. The decision was made at the city council special meeting on July 9, 2013 (click for video link).

Though many Japanese residents and Japanese Americans spoke up at the meeting, and many more had sent an email to the city in protest, the city voted 4-1 for yes. Four council members (of which three are Armenian origin) voted for the monument, while the Mayor voted no.  

I listened to what each of them said at the meeting, in the video recording. And I realized that among the four council members: one clearly holds the Tokyo Tribunal view ("Japanese government was simply evil, period"); one overlaps his personal recollection of "Armenian genocide by Turkey" with "Korean slavery by Japanese"; and two are straightforwardly against exploitation of girls and women, 100% believing the "testimonies".

And all the four, sadly, have seriously failed to form their opinions based on historical evidence - the works by historians based on the first degree historical facts, though they say "I've studied this already".

For example, Council Member Frank Quintero said:

Japanese government didn't teach its people the correct history, always in denial including Nanking Massacre - Western people were there and saw it - , and that's why Japanese don't know about Japan's misbehavior and atrocities not only in Korea, but throughout Asia. I studied history, I visited villages and cities and heard the witnesses - they said they (comfort women) were taken by the Japanese army.

But,

--> Western people were there in Nanking and did NOT see the atrocity of killing 200,000 people. The international safety zone committee reported 25 murders for the period Dec 12, 1937 - Feb 7, 1938.

--> Alleyne Ireland, a British American scholar, in his book "The New Korea" (1926), never mentions atrocity - far from it. He praises Japan of having brought so much peace and development to the people of Korea. 

--> Dong-A Ilbo, Korean newspaper, of August 31, 1939, reported that brokers who forced women into prostitution were punished by the local police. Japan strictly controlled such inhumane practices from spreading.

Council member Zareh Sinanyan said, in brief:

Armenia's genocide experience is so similar to Korean experience, in terms of horror and pains. Turkish government has not apologized for their atrocity. Comfort women issue is a moral issue. There is absolutely no dispute that this happened. The word "prostitutes" are insulting and offensive. The reason why these women didn't speak up for years is because of the stigma. We are sharing the pains of our Korean Americans.

But,

--> Whatever genocide has nothing to do with "comfort women" issue, because these women were recruited and paid to work as prostitutes. There are lies going around saying "these women were tortured and even killed", but the US Army Report No.49 of 1944 that interviewed 20 Korean comfort women attached to the Japanese army clearly states:

• "A 'comfort girl' is nothing more than a prostitute" (p.1);
• "The contract they signed bound them to Army regulations and to work for the 'house master' for a period of from six months to a year depending on the family debt for which they were advanced" (p.1);
• "...in an average month, a girl would gross about fifteen hundred yen" (p.3) (half of which went to the master, meaning she earned 750 yen, 25 times that of a Japanese army sergeant).
• "The health of these girls was good. They were well supplied with all types of contraceptives, and often soldiers would bring their own which had been supplied by the army." (p.3) 
• "In the latter part of 1943, the Army issued orders that certain girls who had paid their debt could return home. Some of the girls were thus allowed to return to Korea" (p.3)

Council member Laura Friedman said, in short:

This is not to shame or blame Japanese. This is not about pointing out who's at fault. What happened to these girls were simply a tragedy, and this monument is about innocence and horrors of war. That's why the monument does not condemn Japanese army or government. War has consequences and kids suffer. We have to remember the suffering of 13-14 years old children. There is no willing 14-year old prostitutes. This is about those women and their experiences.

But,
--> The monument clearly says "I was a sex slave of Japanese military". This is an ultimate shame and disgrace to Japan, which never institutionally forced women into prostitution.
--> Yet, there was an unfortunate exception in Indonesia, where some Dutch women were indeed forced into prostitution by some unscrupulous Japanese military officers. However, after 2 months, the Japanese army headquarters got to know about it, and closed the comfort station and released the women. The concerned officers were punished, and some were later executed by the post-war Dutch army court. This unfortunate incident, however, demonstrates that the Japanese army and government did NOT allow forced prostitution (Source: Sakurai Yoshiko, "Nihon yo, Rekishi-ryoku o migake" 2010).  

--> Unfortunately, the testimonies are not accurate. For example, see "Reliable Testimonies by the Innocent Victims?"

As the only No Voter, Mayor Dave Weaver said:

"I was born in this city 74 years ago this month, I've seen light years of change occur during my life time. I'm Swiss German and I married to a Filipino. My father in law was in Bataan death march. He escaped and joined the American forces. My mother-in-law hid in the hills, Japanese officer befriended her, and my wife, who was a baby at that time - if it wasn't for that Japanese officer, giving food to my future wife, she wouldn't be with me today for years. And one of my brothers-in-law married to a Japanese lady. So much understand, I have history in my family about it...."

"I tend to agree with my colleagues (participants who spoke up), of all said, I wish I had more knowledge of it. Because I'd like to be certain of it. ... consistent with my past position on this, I will not vote for this monument at this time..."

"For over a decade, I've sat here for 17 years, we have talked about developing a master plan of our tiny little central park... we have everybody, all sister cities wanna put monuments in now. That comfort lady wants one in and wanna remain in the park. The veterans park, after veterans fought other wars outside the country. Until we develop a master plan, or park, until the general pubic of this city get to vote through public hearings, and say what they want in our little one block park, after we draw renderings of a master plan, then, and only then, I vote for anything in that park.... This park is the city of Glendale public park - Central Park. And I think we'd better get on a ball at least designing it even if we don't have the funding... Well, this is the public, see what public thinks. You wanna devote whole park to monuments, so be it. I don't believe that's my decision to make... I won't vote yes, until we do this thing the right way." 

Mayor Weaver did not attend the opening ceremony for the monument.

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Due to Koren groups' strong pressure, a similar thing is happening in Buena Park city, California, which will hold a council meeting in early September. If you want to raise your voice to the city, visit Japanese Women Justice and Peace (Nadeshiko Action). I will write more details about Buena Park in the next blog. 

Texas Daddy Whacking the Lies of Comfort Women

Tony Marano, the Propaganda Buster "Texas Daddy", is a truth-loving American writer / critic, who picks up the wrongs and speaks up to the world via YouTube. He points out contradictions in various propaganda and disproves them logically, with his Texas-Daddy-style jokes. He's been covering ranges of issues from Sea Shepherd, communist China, Texas legislation, to Korean comfort women.

Last week, Texas Daddy uploaded "Comfort Women the truth be told". There he shows a piece of the first degree evidence from the US military back in 1944, and asserts bluntly:

"The Koreans who set up memorial statues or plaques dedicated to these comfort women, claiming they were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese army - YOU ARE A LIAR, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN!!"

The below is the same video with Japanese subtitles: 字幕　[テキサス親父]　慰安婦は売春婦！証拠はコレだ！と親父ブチギレの巻！

What he shows as evidence is the Japanese Prisoner of War Information Report No.49 by the US Army written in August 1944 - one year before the end of WWII. The report is based on the information obtained from the interrogation of 20 Korean "comfort girls" captured in August 1944 in Burma. 

(Note: In 1942, Korean girls were recruited for comfort service for Japanese soldiers. These girls, mostly in their 20s, moved with their Japanese "house master" to Burma, and carried out their duties. In August 1944, with the fall of Myitkyina, Japanese soldiers were fleeing with these girls, but were separated. The girls were captured by the US Army, who interrogated them and wrote the Report No.49. The report shows how the Japanese recruited these "comfort girls", the conditions under which they lived and worked, their relations with the Japanese soldiers, etc.)

In the report, it says:

"A 'comfort girl' is nothing more than a prostitute or 'professional camp follower' attached to the Japanese Army for the benefit of the soldiers."

"They lived in near-luxury in Burma in comparison to other places. They lived well because their food and material was not heavily rationed and they had plenty of money with which to purchase desired articles. They were able to buy cloth, shoes, cigaretes, and cosmetics to supplement the many gifts given to them by soldiers who had received 'comfort bags' from home."

"While in Burma, they amused themselves by participating in sports events with both officers and men, and attended picnics, entertainments, and social dinners. They had a phonograph, and in the towns they were allowed to go shopping."

"In an average month, a girl would gross about 1,500 yen (half of which she turned over to the master)".

This means, a comfort girl earned 750 yen a month. To give you an idea of how humongous this salary was, a Japanese Imperial Army sergeant at the time was paid 30 yen a month.

The report goes on: "The girls complained that even with the schedule (morning to evening shifts for different ranks of soldiers), congestion (at the comfort house) was so great that they could not care for all guests, thus causing ill feeling among many of the soldiers."

Texas Daddy correctly questions: Can the sex slaves buy whatever they want? Can the sex slaves go partying and shopping ? Do the sex slaves feel sorry for soldiers who were not served by them?  

Hell NO! They were no way sex slaves. They were extremely well-paid and well-cared prostitutes.

Remember, this report was written by the US army during the war - when Japan was an enemy. US could easily used "sexual slavery" as propaganda against Japan, yet they didn't, since it was simply not true.

Highly ignorant of the historical fact, and strongly pressured by Korean groups, city of Glendale, California, just recently has approved the establishment of a comfort woman monument in its public park. This is not only disgraceful for Japanese, but also for the residents of the city and the entire Americans who love peace and truth.

Not only Japanese, but also the world needs to know the facts on the comfort women issues, and stop the Korean lies. One's sense of justice and empathy should not be fooled by fabrications - in doing so, he will only be called a fool himself.

Restoration Set in Motion - LDP's Landslide Victory

Prime Minister Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), along with its coalition party, has won the majority in the upper house of parliament on July 21st election, securing a total of 135 seats in the 242-member chamber. Having secured the majority both in the upper and lower houses of the Diet, Mr. Abe can now move forward his plans to restore Japan, effectively and swiftly.

Immediately after the appointment as the prime minister in December 2012, Mr. Abe launched "Abenomics", a three-part plan of monetary loosening, fiscal stimulus and pro-growth reforms. The plan aims at boosting prices and ending long-term deflation, to achieve robust growth. 

In the first quarter of 2013, Japan's economy has already grown at 3.5%, and a survey conducted by Nikkei Newspaper in April has indicated 74% of people positively appreciating the Abenomics. Many in the survey have said that "Depreciation of yen is contributing to economic recovery", "The speed and ability in implementation is clearly different from the previous administration (i.e. DPJ)". The Economist back in May also wrote about Abenomics with high hope ("Abe's master plan").   

The Economist, however, like many other Western media, is not strong on objective understanding of the historical issues surrounding Japan. In the same article, it mentions:

"The danger abroad is that he (Mr. Abe) takes too hard a line, confusing national pride with a destructive and backward-looking nationalism. He belongs to a minority that has come to see Japan's post-war tutelage under America as a humiliation."

The article mentions of Mr. Abe "stirring up ill will with China and South Korea" by allowing his deputy to visit Yasukuni shrine, by risking regional rivalry by making revisions in the constitution, etc. This kind of view somewhat resembles the reaction of Chinese and South Korean TVs today, who label Mr. Abe as risky right-wing who want to go back to "imperialism".

I can comment on each point above, but with the text getting longer, I will just mention the constitution issue here. 

The current constitution of Japan was made by Americans in one week immediately after the end of WWII, and came into effect in 1947. Its article 9  states that Japan forever renounces war, and land, sea, and air forces will never be maintained. The communists and leftists in Japan adamantly believe that, without this constitution, Japan will be again a "dangerous" country, thus strongly refusing its revision. (China and Korea hold the same line).

But isn't that kind of absurd? Japan has been the most peaceful and stable democracy in the entire world since the war, and having its national military force would not suddenly change that position. 

Second, having the proper military force is only normal for a sovereign state - it can defend the country, deter conflicts, and maintain international peace. Any countries have it. Why should only American soldiers bleed to protect Japan when something happens, while Japan doesn't do anything by holding the article 9 ? Communists and leftists would say "we should solve problems only by talking", but that is unfortunately too naive. Having a proper military force can greatly change the political negotiation and action. 

Third, with China vigorously strengthening its military power and exercising it in an undemocratic manner and North Korea shooting ballistic missiles once in a while in the neighborhood, being defenseless can be fatal and irresponsible as a state. 

A journalist from Asahi newspaper was saying earlier on TV, "If Japan changes its constitution, it will be laughed at by other countries since it's the international norm not to change the constitution".  That's not true. So many countries have changed their constitution so many times: after the WWII, US revised its constitution 6 times, France 27 times, and Germany 58 times. If the constitution doesn't fit the current reality, then obviously, it should be changed - this is especially so when the constitution is imposed by somebody else.

Japan's Contribution to Korea

When you hear the word “colonization”, of course, it is bad, you’d say. You’d associate it with exploitation of local people and resources to the benefit of the colonizer. Even killings, as in the infamous case of Belgian-colonized Congo where one fifth of the population died under the colonizer. Then the loss of dignity – every nation should enjoy its sovereign autonomy.

However, not all colonizers had the same objectives nor did the same things.

Alleyne Ireland, a British administrative scholar, examined Japanese colonial administration in Korea, and published a book titled "The New Korea", in 1926. (Japan annexed Korea in 1910 not to allow Russian invasion, and governed the country until 1945. Korea had been a dependency of China over 500 years up to 1897 when Japan defeated China in the Japanese-Sino war and demanded its independence).

In his 300-page book, covering all aspects from government structures and judicial system, to education, health and economic development, Alleyne describes in detail how Japan transformed Korea, and says as follows:

“Whether or not Korea has on the whole been well governed can be determined only from a study of the available data. From such a study, which has occupied me for more than three years, … I have formed the opinion that Korea is today infinitely better governed than it ever was under its own native rulers, that it is better governed than most self-governing countries, that it is as well governed as any of the British, American, French, Dutch, and Portuguese dependencies which I have visited, and is better governed than most of them, having in view as well the cultural and economic development of the people as the technique of administration.” (p.17)

He also describes the situations in Korea before the Japanese annexation:

“It is true that at the time Japan annexed Korea, in 1910, the actual conditions of life in the Peninsula were extremely bad. This was not due, however, to any lack of inherent intelligence and ability in the Korean race, but to the stupidity and corruption which for five hundred years had, almost continuously, characterized the government of the Korean dynasty, and to the existence during that period of a royal court which maintained throughout Korea a system of licensed cruelty and corruption.

Such was the misrule under which the Koreans had suffered for generation after generation that all incentive to industry, thrift, and social progress had been destroyed, because none of the common people had been allowed to enjoy the fruits of their own efforts.” (p.vi)

Alleyne’s book clearly gives an objective and accurate view on the issue: One, he was British, and two, he lived in the time when it happened and saw it with his own eyes.

Korean Comfort Women – slaves or employees?

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Advertisement in Keijo Nippo (Seoul Daily), 26 July 1944

URGENT RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR COMFORT WOMEN

Age requirements:    Must be between the ages of 17 and 23

Place of employment: Behind-the-lines comfort station attached to Military Unit X

Monthly pay:             300 yen (may authorize advance pay of up to 3,000 yen)

Working hours:         8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., subject to consultation

Apply to:                   Imai Agency, 4-20 Shinmachi, Keijo City, Telephone: East (3) 1613

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What’s this?

This is a job advertisement for comfort women in the newspaper, Seoul Daily, distributed in Keijo (Seoul) during the WWII when Korea was under the Japanese administration.

Do you notice the monthly pay? – 300 yen.

At that time, a Japanese Imperial Army sergeant was paid 30 yen a month.

An American historian Max von Schuler-Kobayashi frankly asserts as follows:

“As far as the comfort women were concerned, they were paid. The recruiters were all ethnic Koreans. People have conjured up an image of the Imperial Japanese Army rampaging through Korean villages, and hauling off screaming women. This never happened.”

An American Historian Accuses the Lies of Sex Slaves, “This is profanation of history!” 

 

Max also sent a letter to the members of the City Council of Glendale, California, who misunderstand the issue and have decided to put up a memorial to the "Comfort Women".

Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact also points out that poverty prevailed in those days, and just as at similar instances in history, a great many poor women found the pay so attractive that they were willing to accept the concomitant risks.

 “Since the Koreans insist that Korean women were coerced into prostitution, we must ask them why they did not rise up in anger. At the time ethnic Japanese represented only 2% of the population of the peninsula, and half the police officers were Korean. The Korean population was certainly capable of rebelling or rioting.

But there were no rebellions. There was no rioting. If there were indeed abductions of young women, did Koreans stand by in silence while their daughters, sisters and girlfriends were abducted by a small number of Japanese and forced into prostitution? The Koreans of that era were neither apathetic nor powerless. The absence of riots or rebellions proves beyond a doubt that there were no abductions.”

pp.117-119 of "A New Look at the Annexation of Korea" shows relevant newspaper articles from 1930s - 1940s.

It was definitely a sad time when women had to sell themselves to live and/or support their family. However, the Koreans who claim “sex slavery by the Japanese army” are in fact fooling themselves, and the world. Whatever sentiment they may have toward Japanese, falsification of history should not be tolerated.

China Japan Relation 101

Why is China so hostile to Japan?

Ms. Sakurai Yoshiko neatly explains the situation of China on online Genron TV.

Let’s take a look at key points and analysis she puts forward.

First, here is the economic disparity data:

Japan            the top (richest) 1% owns 9% of the national wealth (GNI)

US                  the top 1% owns 23% of the national wealth

China            the top 0.4% owns 70% of the national wealth

Wow. That’s too much of a disparity in China – the richest is really stinking rich!

And who are the rich?

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders who control all: the economy, the military and the justice. Indeed, the judges are appointed by the CCP; meaning, the CCP is above the rule of law.  

In fact, you may remember that in late 2012, New York Times put up a big article on China’s former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s (温家宝) family assets – totaling US$ 2.7 billion. All of this is “legal” assets, they say. Just to remind you, China’s GDP per capita is US$5,400 (in 2011).

The leaders of the CCP normally send their kids overseas for education. The remittance from China for kids and relatives who live abroad amounts to about US$11 billion every year (what’s known). Ms. Sakurai analyzes that the CCP is afraid of people getting to know about the fact of the stinking rich, and thus, carries out strict censorship of the internet.

But people do sense these things. There are 300,000 cases of riots every year in China – that’s like 600 – 1,000 riots per day. People are fed up with the unfair and corrupt system of the society, namely the CCP rule.

China’s military expenditure has been growing at 2 digits every year for the past 24 years. The country is now the second largest military superpower. Yet, the CCP spends much more money on controlling the people inside the country: police, armed police, security police, wiretapping, monitoring of the internet…

Despite all these efforts, 300,000 case of riots every year…

How can the CCP control the dissatisfaction of the people while keeping their too-good-to-be-true privileges?  

Deviate the dissatisfaction outside, i.e. to a foreign country Japan.

Thus China has been taking the hardline tactics by force, targeting Japan and making it “evil”. The Democratic Party of Japan who took power for 3 years up to 2012, for example, succumbed to this tactics. But then why has not Japan been able to stand up against such threats by China? Ms. Sakurai sharply points out: It’s because Japanese people have closed eyes on the modern history.

Because Japanese don’t know the history, when Chinese say “You committed such atrocities!”, they can’t say anything. Many Japanese politicians also have not studied the history properly, and when confronted with the “historical problems”, they retreat. However, Ms. Sakurai strongly emphasizes that in order to keep a good relationship with China, and to be able to speak up in dignity, Japanese must first learn the modern history.

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You can watch this talk by Ms. Sakurai on youtube (unfortunately, only in Japanese). I feel this is a very good introduction on the topic, and for sure a must-see for Japanese!

And yes, we need to learn: once we learn, we would know in fact how much lies and incorrect things are spoken loudly, and believed, today.