Japanese Politics

[Yu Ominae]

You did indeed, Jagger.

[KiraYamatoFan]

I know this is not purely political, but the decision to scrap the current plans for the renovated Tokyo Olympic Stadium has been ordered by the Japanese government itself since Friday.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...stadium-design

For the record, I don't like the design at all. But still, I wonder why they awarded this design in the first place if the panel had many so-called experts studying it from every possible angle. Blame those fuckers as well if any! The end result now is that the renovation/construction process is way late behind schedule even if they still have 5 years to make it.

Regardless of whatever design they will choose now, they better remember this: that stadium WILL have to be Japan's equivalent of Wembley or the Stade de France in terms of a high-profile venue. And if the Japanese build something as frugal as the Sydney Olympic Stadium, they will also make a mistake at the other end of the spectrum because of they wouldn't be able to lure big events (namely because the Sydney Stadium doesn't have a roof).

[Eisdrache]

I don't see anything wrong with the design, it looks like a completely normal stadium to me. It's a fact that the costs have exploded but I feel that all these complaints about the design are just a sad excuse to blame someone.

[SeijiSensei]

In Japan, it's the old folks who are the pacifists

Support for Mr. Abe’s security bills is lowest among Japan’s pensioners, with only 19 percent of that group in favor of them, according to details of a recent poll that I obtained from the daily Asahi Shimbun. For that older generation, Japan’s pacifism is a core part of the nation’s identity, a warrant of its stability and postwar prosperity. To deviate from it could jeopardize the country’s accomplishments and future prospects.

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

In Japan, it's the old folks who are the pacifists

Not a surprise considering they're the one that experienced the post-war rise of Japan. On the other hand, Japan only got to be "pacifist" because one, the US said so, and two, the protection offered by the military alliance with the US far outstripped any potential threat from other regional powers - of which there were very little.

Now that China is flexing its muscle looking to stake out and solidify its sphere of influence, and the US's ability/political will to fulfil its commitments looking more and more shaky every year, IMO it's naïve to think that Japan can continue to hold on to its pacifistic ideal, unless it's willing to submit itself to Chinese dominance.

[SeijiSensei]

In an op-ed piece criticizing Abe's recent comments on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, I found this rather startling comment:

According to William A. Callahan, a China scholar at the University of Manchester, in 2012 fully 60 percent of the movies and TV programs produced by the leading [Chinese] production company, Hengdian World Studios, involved anti-Japanese plots. In that year alone, he estimated that 700 million Japanese were shown being killed in these programs, or more than five times the actual population of Japan.

[KiraYamatoFan]

The cynical bit in me would say then that there's nothing preventing Japanese production companies from giving a sucker punch of their own against the Chinese in return through exploiting topics such as the 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War or the Siege of the International Legations (a.k.a. 55 Days at Peking) for dramatic purposes on TV. In both cases, the Chinese were nailed pretty hard by a rising country which was making its mark on the world scene at the time.

Seriously though, it's a very disturbing fact to read about. I would be laughing if the Chinese start whining against the existence of a TV broadcast that depicts Japan's military feats in those conflicts from the late 19th Century after all the crap Hengdian World Studios produced... as much as I piss all over the t**ts who criticized how Dot Pixis was created for Attack on Titan.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

The cynical bit in me would say then that there's nothing preventing Japanese production companies from giving a sucker punch of their own against the Chinese in return through exploiting topics such as the 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War or the Siege of the International Legations (a.k.a. 55 Days at Peking) for dramatic purposes on TV. In both cases, the Chinese were nailed pretty hard by a rising country which was making its mark on the world scene at the time.

So your recommendation to counter the Chinese propaganda machine that relies on anti-imperialism themes and past scars, is to promote a Japanese propaganda machine that relies on imperialism and past scars? Do you wish to alienate Japan from any and all of its neighbors, and run up anti-Japanese sentiment worldwide?

I am so glad you are not in control of Japan's MOFA. The Ministry may be full of self-serving Toudai bureaucrats and often nominally headed by politicians of questionable intent and wisdom, but at least they are not outright crazy.

[KiraYamatoFan]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

So your recommendation to counter the Chinese propaganda machine that relies on anti-imperialism themes and past scars, is to promote a Japanese propaganda machine that relies on imperialism and past scars? Do you wish to alienate Japan from any and all of its neighbors, and run up anti-Japanese sentiment worldwide?

I am so glad you are not in control of Japan's MOFA. The Ministry may be full of self-serving Toudai bureaucrats and often nominally headed by politicians of questionable intent and wisdom, but at least they are not outright crazy.

Obviously, you failed to catch the irony of my comment.

Let's put it from a different angle, shall we? For decades, we have been fed with tons of American movies in which Russians (either military, corrupt government officials, or the mob) are the enemy. If you want to know the death count of Russians in those movies, I don't even dare to start counting. Is this anywhere more acceptable than what the Chinese are producing in their movies and TV programs with an anti-Japanese sentiment? You tell me.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

Obviously, you failed to catch the irony of my comment.

What irony? If you think your two examples are equivalent (China selling anti-imperialism for nationalistic purposes, vs. Japan selling imperialism for nationalistic purposes), then you just don't get it.

China is able to sell this propaganda from an anti-imperialistic angle, recalling its people's memories as victims of a brutal Japanese invasion. They were selling "revenge porn." Your example would have Japan selling its imperialistic ventures, which is completely different, and which entire generations of postwar Japanese consider utterly anathema to everything they stand for, and even now entire regions of Asia are still wary about.

They are not equivalent. I don't see the irony.

China doing this shit is cynical, and it worries people from fears of fostering ever more overbearing Chinese nationalism ("let's get revenge on the evil Japanese!"), but it's not a dumb-dumb statement of "we regret nothing about millions of your dead grandparents we raped and murdered; please throw us out of the global diplomacy system" that a Japan that openly and consistently glorifies its imperialistic past would.

A much closer equivalence is how Japan still has Hiroshima and Nagasaki close in its people's historical memory. Unfortunately they lost the war, and forswore aggression, so they didn't create movies about how glorious Nippon heroes defeated the white devil invaders and saved the day. Instead, they created stories about the inhumanity and senselessness of war and shit. And sometimes put giant robots in them.

[KiraYamatoFan]

You still haven't answered my questions from the second paragraph.

Perhaps I didn't express my thoughts clearly or perhaps I only restrained myself to one time window as a poor example, but here is what I actually mean: if China's cynical actions in their entertainment industry involves lowering the Japanese in whatever context there is, past or contemporary, where is wrongness should the Japanese entertainment industry be allowed to give a reply by lowering the Chinese in either past or contemporary background contexts? I see that kind of lowering every year in American movies and TV series when it comes to Russians.

Anyway, I'm through with this discussion if no one wants to answer the question.

[Ithekro]

Any effect on the political scene with the launching and naming of the new Japanese defense forces's helecopter destroyer Kaga? All I have gotten is the KanColle artists excitement.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Any effect on the political scene with the launching and naming of the new Japanese defense forces's helecopter destroyer Kaga? All I have gotten is the KanColle artists excitement.

China can complain all they want, but Japan aren't the ones building artificial islands on disputed territory. One can either worry about symbolic threats, or actual threats. Kaga is just a symbolic threat, nothing more.

[RRW]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...source=twitter

Big protest now

[Irenicus]

10 posts total and almost all of them "controversial" political positions.

5/10 nice effort.

Recommendations:

- Should have laid low longer. Post more about animu first. Build a "normal user" cred so mods are reluctant to assume the worst.
- Make posts that seem at first glance mostly reasonable, until people think harder about what you have to say.

Edit: the poster's posts were removed. Clarification in case someone's wondering. Feel free to delete this post as well.

[KiraYamatoFan]

I have a feeling we have seen this user post similar BS before, but under a different username.

[SeijiSensei]

Japanese Military Bills Provoke Scuffling in Parliament

Legislators scuffled in Parliament and demonstrators took to the streets on Thursday as Japan’s governing coalition struggled to secure final passage of contentious legislation that would loosen decades-old limits on the country’s military.

The package of 11 bills was still tied up in Parliament’s upper house on Thursday evening, past an initial deadline set by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has spent considerable political capital trying to convince a skeptical public that Japan should play a more assertive role in global military affairs.

[KiraYamatoFan]

People have a right to disagree with what the ruling government is proposing. However, THAT kind of action/reaction is both petty and c***ish to say the least.

[IceHism]

I'm conflicted for this bill. On one hand it plays a deterrent to NK and China and builds up a better relationship with the US. On the other, it hurts its people's memories and puts a larger rift between them and the other strong east Asian countries.

[rladls2121]

I wonder why does it have to be hurt based on history and also based off on?
Ever since I was born, I did not really care about between relationship between other countries.
And now, I'm not really serious about what is right and wrong.
All I'm doing is badmouthing whether both directly and indirectly about bad sides of them just to be satisfied.
It has become my very bad habit now.

Even though the bill is successfully passed, I still hope for the Defense Forces and other countries soldiers won't hold animosity when they are going to fight alongside against the true enemy they are fighting against.
And I mean within oneself, not necessarily China, Russia, and other criminal organizations.