[plaiskegizils]

Has anyone encounted family oppisition to kendo becuse of Japanese actions during WWII?? My father is against my love for japanese culture becuse of WWII.

[unfolaReemoma]

well alot of older men who fought in world war two, and people who were affected by the war heavily, are not going to have much love for the nation. You need to balance out those concerns against your interest in japanese culture. Im nto shure if your "love for japanese culture" is a love for studying history and traditions, or if youve fallen into this new fad of "im going to act japanese because there so superior". i have nothing against any culture, including the japanese, but im real tired of hearing that..........(note that was not meant to be racist or insulting...)

[Fsfkkkjz]

I think that before any thing gets to heated we should move this to the flames.
Just end it right here and start this thread there.

[Polopolop]

I think that before any thing gets to heated we should move this to the flames.
Just end it right here and start this thread there.

It has been moved

[wentscat]

Well my father was the youngest enlisted soldier in WWII. He served in Africa and Asia. In then last years. He tells me of people on both sides in the ranks in Thailand that died of disease. Officers got the medicine!

He worked for the the newly founded UN helping repatriate allied soldiers who were stranded in Thailand Vietnam etc. They had terrible problems getting everyone out of Vietnam who liked neither side. Just after the war a Japanese force working for the allies under General Paget went in and got them out.

My fathers wish had always been to visit Japan. To meet someone his own age and embrace him. It's countries that start the wars. Ordinary soldiers just do as they are told. So he came over for three months and spent a lot of time with a Japanese man his own age who had been in Thailand doing similar work getting Japanese back home.

His thoughts on this are, "From wars good things do happen". Its because of the war I am here in Japan today. With a good life, married to a Japanese national. She is 'not' the enemy. Some others who post here have kids from such a marriage.

As I mentioned before it was people like Irene's father, Gordon Warner that Kendo was reintroduced as a sportlike tradition. It never did have anything to do with the war.

I think the biggest problem is these countries are so far apart. Most only get information from grandad or the media. They never will come to japan and never really know normal Japanese people.

[PristisoliTer]

I told my grandparents about Kendo (my family is Chinese) and they didnt mind at all. They're open-minded enough to know that Kendo didnt occupy China during WWII.

I'm fiercely proud of my Chinese heritage, but it doesnt stop me having a few Japanese friends I've met during the years, studying, working and doing Kendo etc. Why limit your life based on the past when you can look forwards to the future