So it's Hiroshima Day. Kind of poignant as the country once again turns toward war, strangely (or ironically) using the same justifications and methods that they used last time. It's like being in a time warp, or a place where nobody every learns from past mistakes. School children now get an actual grade in school on their "patriotism," meanwhile they're threatened with death when they write letters opposing changes to the Constitution, the mayor of Nagasaki actually murdered, government moves to take complete control of the education system, hymns to the Emperor...
 
Sometimes it's so easy to get wrapped up in the tradition and spirit of Japan that I forget it's governed by flawed, power-hungry human beings, just like any other. But perhaps today it would be good to remember what can happen.

Well, first I should say that I was in a particularly gloomy mood yesterday, but it seems pretty clear that things are getting steadily worse (in the sense of increased authoritarianism and suppression of dissent). The changes in education are particularly serious because it is, of course, a long-term plan. Control what the kids learn and you control the future. Imagine if your success in school and in society depended on being graded for your patriotism. If, no matter how smart you are, you could fail because a teacher thought you weren't patriotic enough (and the government required teachers to give such a grade), would you as a student be willing to stand up and question the government? It's not exactly a recipe for encouraging critical thought...
 
The LDP loss was heartening, but it seems to have been largely a response to recent short-term events rather than deeper opposition to the direction they were going. Even Minshuto agrees with changes to the constitution, for instance. But it's a chance, and perhaps they will be able to roll back, or at least slow down, some of the changes that the LDP had planned to rush through without debate. I want to see what they will actually be able to do. They only control the upper house, after all, so they can't actually pass legislation on their own, and something I've noticed in Japan is that, although people are very competitive when they're in opposition or "behind," once they get into power, they often have no idea what to do and fall apart. To some extent that's made worse in government because the LDP built the system as it is today. Minshuto may inherit it, but they would have a very difficult time changing it.
 
Gloom, gloom, gloom. But it IS good that they lost. Perhaps if the pace of the LDP plan is slowed down enough, people will actually see what is going on, and there will be greater concern about the future. Up to now, the LDP has relied on the media not to question their moves. That will be more difficult if Minshuto insists on a debate.
 
But really you should see some of these LDP politicians. One of them came to our town before the election and spoke. He was so obviously lying that I couldn't believe anyone would ever vote for him. But I guess politics is bizarre everywhere, eh?

So, the prime minister resigned...
 
I didn't see it coming. Just a while ago he said he wouldn't.
 
But do they really say that it is for health reasons?
That's ridiculous.
 
---------
P.S. Okay, okay, he got hospitalized.  So maybe it isn't ridiculous.  
 

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that he would resign. The very first time I heard him address the Diet he seemed very unsure and hesitant, more of a bureaucrat than a politician, he didn't seem to know how to handle criticism or opposition. Even in his staged, air-brushed political posters he appears as a man looking up toward the future and facing it with fear. So it doesn't surprise me that he should resign due to health reasons. The mystery is how he ever got into that position in the first place.
 
But this has also been a big reality check for the LDP. I think they all felt that, even after losing the election, they could simply continue as usual, acting like they're in control. Then Minshuto shocked them... an opposition party that actually dared to oppose! I have to say I have a lot more hope for Minshuto now. Usually when the opposition announces that they won't go along with some LDP policy, it's a signal that they should all go into the back room and start negotiating for what they really want (money/power). But Minshuto refused to do that, saying instead that if Abe wanted to justify his policy he should do it in public.
 
But he wasn't willing to do that, and the interesting question is "Why?" Maybe the LDP thought it was beneath them to have to actually explain their decisions (they never had to do it before), or maybe there is some information that hasn't been made public, but which would have been released if there were a debate. SDF forces doing more than just refueling? So instead Abe tried to pull a Koizumi trick: "If you don't give me what I want, I'll resign!" But Abe... well... he isn't Koizumi. And so when people just said, "OK," he was trapped.
 
I've often wondered about how it would be for these politicians. Every criticism, every opposition, every failure becomes a personal one. Either you somehow get over that feeling or it seems like it would inevitably destroy you. In a way Abe is probably wise to retire now.
 
There is also a rumor that Abe is under investigation for not paying taxes.

So, who is this Yasuo Fukuda guy? He was in office during the pensions scandal, but at least he had the decency to resign as Chief Cabinet Minister. Not that it did any good, but it's the Japanese way, I suppose.
 
Taro-kun... has his reputation. Nobody needs the kind of popularism he has to offer. I do agree on his comment that countries that have nuclear weapons don't get attacked, but I think he's the kind of politician who likes to ruin things and let the military clean up after his mess.
 
...meaning he would have friends in "high" places.  

Well, in this case the PM will be chosen by the LDP, rather than by general election, so their public statements don't have too much significance. I agree with you that what matters is domestic policy, and a cynical person would conclude that this is why they are focusing on foreign policy... because it allows them to make symbolic statements that sound important but in reality carry no weight at all. I'd be much more interested if they'd start talking about the role of the military, the future of education, much needed changes in economic policy, and immigration. But because these are difficult, emotional issues that voters actually care about, politicians try to avoid them at all costs.
 
I guess it's the same everywhere, though. What they want is power, and it seems like even those whose intentions are good have to play the same dirty game in order to get it. They make a deal with the devil...

Another year passed and another group of hibakusha passed on. Yet I find it disturbing that on both sides of the ocean (Japan and U.S.), no one really cares. I spoke to some Japanese nationals and they consider a dark day, only to resume after the August 6 and 9 is over. And on this side of the Pacific, it's a sad day but it was justifiable. The conservatives here says it helped stopped the war, but Japan was on the verge of surrendering.  
 
Lies.  
 
But the biggest lie was not the killing of the Japanese folks, but Americans. And I don't mean kibeis' or religious folks but the soldiers, the heroes defending our freedom from the axis powers:
 
 
http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter24/in170204hiroshima.html
 
News-Info-Alerts
 
Re: 1st American POW Added to Hiroshima Gallery of Dead
 
Date: February 17, 2004
"1st American POW added to gallery of Hiroshima dead
 
By Gary Schaefer
Associated Press
 
HIROSHIMA, Japan -- Near where the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima, the faces of the victims silently appear and fade on a wall of television monitors in a relentless display of the attack's human toll.
 
It's so sickening how the ends justify the means, and bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki were targets not to stop the war but to show Russia that we were a superpower

I do believe in fairies, I do, I do!-- if I shouted  "I do believe in humans, I do-do-do!!"
maybe they wouldn't die of absurd things such as war. How is it like to shoot at others?!  
 
So many old wars!!!! And then new ones start and I can read about them in a paper and shake my head.
 
The racism I encounter while working at the market place during the summer is horrible.
A black kid was looking at the strawberried and an old woman customer hissed at him and said really nasty things about him. And the other day I heard this: "Have nothing to do with the Russies, they will stab you."
 
Yeah, right! They ALL are going to do that??
And they think the same about us....
I don't believe in them and us!! I believe in individuals! I believe in friendship! TALKING!
I stayed quiet. I regret it now.
 
To the boy I could muster:  "Nevermind "her".
Why do I just help the victim, not the bully?
Should I more often tell the bully that there are other perspectives.
 
I should be able to sacrifice my self for a good cause.
But I have been a coward since the end of high-school.
I can't demand anything.
 
On Friday I'm throwing a multicultural party. I wish I had friends everywhere on earth. I wish I was smarter and more careful so I could learn all those languages!!
 
And... maybe I will get into politics someday. Who knows. One sleepless night I started writing down my political views. And then I had a crazy idea - what about giving copies to random people at the time of next elections?
The comments might help me to express myself..