[Plulpangepler]

Just wanted to throw up a quick thread here commenting on Koizumi Yasakuni
visits.
Here link to the article.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/nation...na001000c.html
Well sadly Koizumi did it again, and now Japanese-Chinese and Japanese-Korean relations are going to get even worse. Its like come on LDP get a clue, your shooting yourself and the Japanese government every time you pull this crap. I could see going once in office (even though thats risky), but 6 times ??? I got no prob with there being a military cemetary for Japanese soldiers, however the Class A-1 got no place being there, etc etc.
Well if anyone wants to comment feel free to.

mata, Ookami yori / Jeff

[QuidQuoPro]

sorry screwed up the spelling, Yasukuni Shrine.
For some reason won't let me go back and correct spelling mistakes.
mata, Ookami yori / Jeff

[zlopikanikanz]

Just wanted to throw up a quick thread here commenting on Koizumi Yasakuni
visits.
Here link to the article.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/nation...na001000c.html
Well sadly Koizumi did it again, and now Japanese-Chinese and Japanese-Korean relations are going to get even worse. Its like come on LDP get a clue, your shooting yourself and the Japanese government every time you pull this crap. I could see going once in office (even though thats risky), but 6 times ??? I got no prob with there being a military cemetary for Japanese soldiers, however the Class A-1 got no place being there, etc etc.
Well if anyone wants to comment feel free to.

mata, Ookami yori / Jeff

My opinion: let the dead rest. Atrocities are part of war, though it is clear that the Japanese targeted civilians in China and abused Allied service men (including executions). That said, my father served in the Pacific and he admitted that when they took Japanese prisoners sometimes they would shoot them just so they didn't have to walk them back.

[Susanleech]

To me this is a non-issue. The Chinese and Korean government use it as a political football. Inside it bothers me that the Japanese got off with a slap on the wrist, but making Yasukuni visits the focal point is kind of weak.
On the other hand, Koizumi would be smart not to make such a big ordeal out of the visits and keep them quiet. I don't see the logic behind making political ties even worse.

[HartOvara]

Just wanted to throw up a quick thread here commenting on Koizumi Yasakuni
visits.
Here link to the article.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/nation...na001000c.html
Well sadly Koizumi did it again, and now Japanese-Chinese and Japanese-Korean relations are going to get even worse. Its like come on LDP get a clue, your shooting yourself and the Japanese government every time you pull this crap. I could see going once in office (even though thats risky), but 6 times ??? I got no prob with there being a military cemetary for Japanese soldiers, however the Class A-1 got no place being there, etc etc.
Well if anyone wants to comment feel free to.

mata, Ookami yori / Jeff

Few things must be said about this.
1. The Class A war criminals do not belong in that shrine.
2. Koizumi should know better. He is purposely pissing off Japan's neighbor. As a national leader, he should do all he can to improve relations with his neighbors. Japan is already the most hated nation in Asia (by its neighbors). The Asians rather live with N. Korea!

[pitoufsd]

He's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.
Lucky for him he's got like 15 mistressess.
LOL

[Darnisg]

1. The Class A war criminals do not belong in that shrine.

Aggreed. No war criminal should be in that shrine.

[OGOGOogoloshennya]

To me this is a non-issue. The Chinese and Korean government use it as a political football. Inside it bothers me that the Japanese got off with a slap on the wrist, but making Yasukuni visits the focal point is kind of weak.
On the other hand, Koizumi would be smart not to make such a big ordeal out of the visits and keep them quiet. I don't see the logic behind making political ties even worse.

Korean and Chinese Governments aside. (And this topic has been done to death) Its okay to pay respects to the war dead. But at the same time, when you have Class A war criminals there...

Its like if the Germans decided to add Hitler, Georing, Himmler and Heydrich's names to its War memorials and then every year pay their respects to them.

The big question is, why the hell are those guys in the shrine anyways?

I believe we should all let bygones be bygones but at the same time Koizumi visiting a shrine that houses and honors war criminals is also rubbing salt into the wounds.

[Bonioners]

The big question is, why the hell are those guys in the shrine anyways? Because the Western world doesn't care, and the Japanese government doesn't feel sorry enough (to the world) to remove them.

I believe we should all let bygones be bygones but at the same time Koizumi visiting a shrine that houses and honors war criminals is also rubbing salt into the wounds. Keeping them there is already adding salt, Koizumi going there is more like cutting it open again.

[N95FzmMw]

Exactly, the key questions to be asking is who the hell authorized the Class A criminals ??? From studying this issue alot --- my senmon (major) was U.S. - Japanese relations. 2nd point is its interesting that it is now coming out that the emperor, Hiro Hito stopped visiting after the war criminals were interned in the 1970s. However when it comes to this Koizumi dosn't understand or choses not to respect the requests of Japan's neighbors. True China and S. Korea are fond of bringing up the history card. However it is Japan's own fault since if they moved Class A criminals or found another solution (Don't know what that would be? That works !!!!) then that would weaken China and S. Korea argument and would be more of a mute point on the world stage. Japan is at a cross road, it needs to do more on the world stage as a responsive player, however it must also mend the wounds with other countries as well. Anyways my 2 cents.
mata, Ookami yori / Jeff

[KellyMP]

Follow this link and then see that things went iffy after the war.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20060806a1.html
Apparently Tojo shouldn't be there in the first place. So who has put him and others that are causing this commotion there?

[statistica]

Sometimes links don't work. The Japan Times wouldn't mind if I paste the article here.

Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006

Tojo: Yasukuni solely for those killed in war
His enshrinement defies his own order
Wartime Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo gave orders in a secret document that Yasukuni Shrine should honor only those who are killed in battle, according to the document made available Saturday.
The document, dated July 15, 1944, and issued under the name of Army Minister Hideki Tojo, says only military personnel and civilian military employees whose deaths "resulted directly from military service" should be enshrined at Yasukuni. Tojo was concurrently serving as army minister.
The document says those who died in places other than on the battlefield are in principle not entitled to be honored at the war-related Shinto shrine. If his orders were observed, Tojo and other Class-A war criminals should not have been entitled.
Enshrinement at Yasukuni "is a divine and unparalleled honor for those who died in matters of national importance during military campaign," the document says.
As an exception, the document cites three cases in which people can be honored at the shrine: dying of serious infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera on the battlefield, dying from other illness on the battlefield, dying from illness or injuries while on special missions related to war.
Each case must be examined carefully as to whether the cause of death was directly related to military service, the document says.
The document, written in hiragana characters on 29 pages of manuscript, is believed to have been rewritten from katakana after World War II.
Writer Hisashi Yamanaka obtained the document around 1980 at a secondhand book fair as part of documents disposed by the old Health and Welfare Ministry.
Yasukuni enshrined Tojo and 13 other Class-A war criminals in October 1978.
An expert at the government-run National Institute of Defense Studies said the document appears to be authentic as it is written in the format used for secret documents of the Imperial Japanese Army and there are no inconsistencies about the content.

The Japan Times
(C) All rights reserved

[Mumeseest]

according to the article..

"Koizumi's visit fulfilled a promise he made before becoming prime minister in April 2001 to make an Aug. 15 trip to the shrine dedicated to Japan's war dead, including Class A war criminals."

don't know and don't care about class a war criminals, but there's a man who will keep his promise, wrong or right. i like that.

pete