IN A STUDENT AREA OF Tokyo called Takadanobaba, behind a peculiar sculpture showing a nude Marilyn Monroe about to pounce on a sumo wrestler, lies the office of Kunio Suzuki, leader of a ''spiritual movement'' called the Issuikai.
The group produces a monthly paper called Reconquista, which aims to reconquer what Suzuki thinks has been lost: the pure Japanese spirit. On the wall of Suzuki's tiny office hang pictures of Emperor Hirohito in uniform, snapped sometime during the 1930's, and of Yukio Mishima, the ultranationalist writer who committed seppuku, a form of ritual suicide, in 1970.
Suzuki is a quiet man in his early 40's, casually dressed, more like a research fellow than a right-wing activist. He receives many fan letters from young women, who profess to admire his romantic spirit.
He explained that ''because of biased textbooks'' many people of his generation felt guilty about the Japanese role in World War II, ''and people who did better than I did at school all joined the left-wing student movement.'' He concluded that there was something wrong with Japanese education. He also worries about the spiritual state of most Japanese, ''who spend their time reading comics and watching TV,'' but he conceded they were probably quite content. A young member of the group, who had been engrossed in a book on terrorism, suddenly broke his silence to exclaim that it was all America's doing: ''They want us to be weak. That is why they rigged our education system. To stop Japan from being a major power.''
Big ol’ treaty ally check-in trip: “David R. Stilwell will visit Japan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Thailand, July 10–21, 2019, in his first trip as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs”
He will visit Tokyo, July 11-14, to meet senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and the National Security Council to coordinate efforts on regional and global issues, and deepen the U.S.-Japan Alliance in pursuit of our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region.
The United States has agreed to sell $2 billion in weapons to Taiwan, a move that’s consistent with U.S. obligations to the island and yet will still complicate ties with China. While the decision will boost Taiwan’s defense, it’s also an important statement of U.S. commitment at a time when powerful countervailing winds are blowing. The U.S. should remain resolute in its defense of Taiwan, a signal to China and the region that it remains a force for peace and order in Asia.
It seems impossible for Mari Yamaguchi to remain objective as a writer. She cannot help revealing her highly emotional, aggressive and biased nature that distort her articles. Can she not refrain from imposing her very personal perception of Shinzo Abe ?
日韓問題
Tensions over history, North keep Japan, South Korea at odds
By MARI YAMAGUCHIJuly 11, 2019 1 of 5
FILE - In this Tuesday, July 9, 2019, file photo, notices campaigning for a boycott of Japanese-made products are displayed at a store in Seoul, South Korea. South Koreans believe Japan still hasn't fully acknowledged responsibility for atrocities committed during its 1910-45 colonial occupation of Korea. Thousands of South Koreans have signed petitions posted on the presidential office's website that call for boycotting Japanese products and travel to Japan. The signs read: "We don't sell Japanese products." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
TOKYO (AP) — Japan and South Korea, two major U.S. allies, are again at odds, this time over Tokyo’s decision to tighten controls on exports of sensitive materials that are mainly used in computer chips and display screens used in TVs and smartphones. The tensions reflect animosities that have persisted for decades.
WHAT JAPAN SAYS: As of July 4, the Japanese government tightened the approval process for shipments of photoresists and other sensitive materials. They are now subject to a case-by-case approval process that can take up to 90 days because Japan’s trade ministry said the countries’ “relationship of trust,” including export controls, had been “significantly undermined.” It also said it had found some sensitive items were shipped to South Korea “with inadequate management by companies.” Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other officials cited South Korea’s stance on compensation for forcing Koreans to work as laborers before and during World War II as a sign it could not be trusted. Officials continue to hint at problems without providing specifics. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his conservative aides have hinted at possible South Korean illegal transfers of sensitive materials to North Korea, and they now say South Korea has failed to respond to requests for talks about problems with export controls.
