Does or will east asia get along?

[Nerroth]

You had to one-up me ethnicity-wise, didn't you?


(Just kidding - I just feel that compared to most people I meet nowadays, my own background is kind of boring...)

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

You had to one-up me ethnicity-wise, didn't you?


(Just kidding - I just feel that compared to most people I meet nowadays, my own background is kind of boring...)

Like I can help it to start with.
Every New Year, we have to rotate.
Like this time around:

2005: Fukuoka, Japan. [Born there, but the years in Kobe made me Kansai-ed]
2006: Busan, South Korea
2007: Hong Kong
2008: Singapore
2009: Back to Fukuoka.

[Nerroth]

As an aside, have you ever seen the Moko Shurai Ekotoba, or been to the Genko museum in Fukuoka... or as it was back in the day, Hakata?

(I've read a lot about the Mongol invasions, and I'd love to see either/both in person...)

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

As an aside, have you ever seen the Moko Shurai Ekotoba, or been to the Genko museum in Fukuoka... or as it was back in the day, Hakata?

(I've read a lot about the Mongol invasions, and I'd love to see either/both in person...)

^^ Nope, never had an interest in Mongols. Though they say Koreans were descended from Mongols. When I go to Fukuoka, the first I do is go... eat.
Osaka may be Japan's kitchen, but Fukuoka is Japan's food court.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by kyon.haruhi.suzumiya

^^ Nope, never had an interest in Mongols. Though they say Koreans were descended from Mongols. When I go to Fukuoka, the first I do is go... eat.
Osaka may be Japan's kitchen, but Fukuoka is Japan's food court.

^^ Fukuoka... Japan's food court? Eh... I dunno about that. But yes, Fukuoka is like a second Osaka.

And you actually have a New Year cycle? Man, that's messy. I have one too. But smaller cycle. Usually runs like this: Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul. And repeat. Good thing is that they all have 5-star airports, in fact, these are the only three five-star airports around the world.

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by kyon.haruhi.suzumiya

I'm not pretending that Japan was faultless. I'm saying the opposite. My point is that JAPAN's authorities [esp the Government] always go about saying that they were the victims, US and China were to blame, etc. I disagree with the stance Tokyo takes on this.

LOLWUT? Wow, first Japan invades us, and then blames us.

[Nerroth]

Originally Posted by kyon.haruhi.suzumiya

^^ Nope, never had an interest in Mongols. Though they say Koreans were descended from Mongols. When I go to Fukuoka, the first I do is go... eat.
Osaka may be Japan's kitchen, but Fukuoka is Japan's food court.

I see - and I'm not sure who the 'they' who might say that are, since Koreans would be distinct enough ethnically from Mongolians...

...but then, we all came out of the trees in Africa if you look back far enough.

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

I see - and I'm not sure who the 'they' who might say that are, since Koreans are distinct ethnically from Mongolians...

Korean History Professors.

...but then, we all came out of the trees in Africa if you look back far enough.

Is Eden in Africa?

[Nerroth]

If they mean that they came from Central Asia thousands of years ago, perhaps - but the ethnic and political mix in the steppe has changed drastically many, many times over just the last two or three thousand years, let alone in the prior millennia beforehand.

Originally Posted by kyon.haruhi.suzumiya

Is Eden in Africa?

No, but Aden is in Arabia.

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

If they mean that they came from Central Asia thousands of years ago, perhaps - but the ethnic and political mix in the steppe has changed drastically many, many times over hust the last two or three thousand years, let alone the prior millennia beforehand.

Hm. I think so too. After all Mongols were all about Central Asia for some time.
And I follow the Bible, so... not Africa.

[Nerroth]

Bear in mind that the Mongols themselves were only one group among many in their own time, and only spread/rose to prominence under Temujin - and he made a point of co-opting other peoples into his burgeoning empire (or inflicting mass slaughter and slavery on those who resisted).

And while Eden might work in a metaphorical sense, for those who choose to believe in it, I would not use it as a literal means of charting the evolution and spread of humanity.

[Kang Seung Jae]

What's the topic now?

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Originally Posted by Nerroth

Bear in mind that the Mongols themselves were only one group among many in their own time, and only spread/rose to prominence under Temujin - and he made a point of co-opting other peoples into his burgeoning empire (or inflicting mass slaughter and slavery on those who resisted).

Yeah, but at one time, they were so strong, Qin Shihuang had to build that massive Great Wall of China. You get my point?

And while Eden might work in a metaphorical sense, for those who choose to believe in it, I would not use it as a literal means of charting the evolution and spread of humanity.

Hm... besides we don't even know where Eden is.
And I'm now going to be stuck in Fukuoka soon. Flying back to Fukuoka tomorrow morning. May not be active for 24-26 Dec.

[LeoXiao]

Originally Posted by Hari Michiru

Then Japan can get away scot-free while the victims of the families still mourn for the loss of their loved ones?

"Oh, it's not the Japanese's fault my mom got dragged off, raped over and over again, and then killed in a brutal way. They were just doing what everyone else does in this world. WE all do that on a daily basis, no?"

I wasn't talking about whose fault it was. I was talking about Unit 731 in comparison to the entire scale of the destruction and killing brought about by the war, and about how people get caught up in words when describing them.

I think you saw some comparisons and then got confused.

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Anyways,
Reflections by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan

The following is a statement from Emperor Akihito, released by the Imperial Household Agency on the occasion of his 75th birthday on Tuesday.

In keeping with the advice of my doctors to follow a lighter schedule for a while, I have decided to forgo the press conference this time. I appreciate the concern for my health that many people have shown. I feel there has been an improvement in my condition lately, compared to a while back.

It was fortunate that, this year, not a single typhoon hit Japan, and favorable weather lasted, allowing for an overall good harvest. Nevertheless, localized heavy rains occurred in many areas across Japan, and we had the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake in June, followed by another earthquake with its center in the north of Iwate Prefecture in July.

It was indeed tragic that these disasters claimed lives and damaged houses. I am concerned that people who lost their homes in the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake are compelled to remain in temporary housing as winter approaches.
It was also tragic that many lives were lost as a result of the sudden rise in the water levels of rivers and sewers.

This year, the remarkable achievements of Japanese athletes at both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games held in Beijing left a great impression on me.
It was heartening, too, that the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to three physicists, Dr. Yoichiro Nambu, Dr. Makoto Kobayashi and Dr. Toshihide Masukawa, while the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Osamu Shimomura.
I am certain that all of these achievements have given people a strong sense of hope and encouragement.

In September, Her Majesty and I went to the former Yamakoshi Village, which we were only able to observe the village from the air by helicopter, when we visited the area hit by the the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake four years ago. This time around, we were heartened to see how the recovery process was progressing: traditional bullfighting has resumed and the aqua farms of colorful Nishikigoi carp have been rebuilt.

I regret that my health and the health of my family are giving people cause for concern these days. Although I cannot say that I have no health problem, I will take heed of the doctors' advice and continue to strive for the country and the people, in pursuit of what the ideal Imperial Family should embody. At a time when the Crown Princess is suffering from illness, it is only natural that our whole family support her. Both Her Majesty and I earnestly wish for the health of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, and hope to continue to support the two of them, who will be assuming weighty positions in the future.

Many countries in the world are now facing severe economic crises that have been triggered by the global financial crisis. I am concerned that in Japan, too, many people are facing hardship due to worsening economic conditions. I feel deeply for those people who want to work but have no opportunity to do so.

I sincerely hope that, by gathering together the people's wisdom that prevailed over various hardships in the past and by cherishing mutual ties and helping each other, everyone will work together to overcome these latest difficulties.

The last paragraph is very important, desho desho? After all, it is what we need.

[Nerroth]

Originally Posted by kyon.haruhi.suzumiya

Yeah, but at one time, they were so strong, Qin Shihuang had to build that massive Great Wall of China. You get my point?

But those peoples were not Mongols - they were one (and more) of a succession of steppe nomad groups, including the Hsiung-nu, various Turkic peoples, and on to the Mongols of Genshis Khan's day.

Using the term 'Mongol' is no more accurate than calling the peoples of, say, Roman Britain 'English'.

Hm... besides we don't even know where Eden is.

And what I was trying to say is that there was no literal garden of Eden - there are many creation myths that different peoples have all around the world, and they all have, perhaps, a grain of truth to them, or of how their ancestors interpreted various events... but our species almost certainly evolved in Africa between 130 and 200 thousand years ago.

And I'm now going to be stuck in Fukuoka soon. Flying back to Fukuoka tomorrow morning. May not be active for 24-26 Dec.

If you go to the Genko Museum after all, I hope you like it!

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by LeoXiao

I wasn't talking about whose fault it was. I was talking about Unit 731 in comparison to the entire scale of the destruction and killing brought about by the war, and about how people get caught up in words when describing them.

I think you saw some comparisons and then got confused.

Ah, I see.

*googles Unit 731*

Oh wow, does the commander of this unit even have a soul?!

[kyon.haruhi.suzumiya]

Originally Posted by Hari Michiru

Ah, I see.

*googles Unit 731*

Oh wow, does the commander of this unit even have a soul?!

^^ Took you long enough.

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by kyon.haruhi.suzumiya

^^ Took you long enough.

I just knew the general horrors and the Nanjing massacre.

[Kang Seung Jae]

Originally Posted by Hari Michiru

I just knew the general horrors and the Nanjing massacre.

You need to learn more.