The head of the Japanese air force is to be sacked after saying the country was not an aggressor in World War II
Gen Tamogami, 60, is chief of staff of Japan's Air Self-Defence Force.
In his essay on the theme of "true views of modern history", he wrote: "Even now, there are many people who think that our country's 'aggression' caused unbearable suffering to the countries of Asia during the Greater East Asia War. "But we need to realise that many Asian countries take a positive view of the Greater East Asia War.
"It is certainly a false accusation to say that our country was an aggressor nation."
World War II in the Asia-Pacific region is referred to as the Greater East Asia War by those who saw it as Asian nations seeking independence from Western powers.
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan air force chief faces sack
Japan Fires General Who Said a U.S. 'Trap' Led to the Pearl Harbor Attack
TOKYO — A high-ranking Japanese military official was dismissed Friday for writing an essay stating that the United States had ensnared Japan into World War II, denying that Japan had waged wars of aggression in Asia and justifying Japanese colonialism.
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By BYT Tokyo Correspondent Norimistu Onishi
Japan Fires General Who Said a U.S. 'Trap' Led to the Pearl Harbor Attack (Published 2008)
NYT is always interesting ..... Its Tokyo correspondent Norimitsu Onishi (sounds like a Japanese name, but in fact he is Korean Canadian) desparately react. It is the time of internet, and thus nobody can keep closing the lid of history.
Who cares if he is Korean Canadian? He is the Tokyo correspondent. Who cares where he is from or what ethinicity he is or what his name is?
Many cares.
Another article , LETTER FROM ASIA: Why Japan Seems Content to Be Run by One Party provoked an official objection statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for being "an incorrect article."
His article on December 17, 2006, Japan Rightists Fan Fury Over North Korea Abductions, was also criticized by Kyoko Nakayama, Tokyo Special adviser to the Japanese Prime Minister on Abduction. Thomas H. Snitch, a former professor of American University and the president of Little Falls Associates, Inc. also mentioned that Onishi's coverage on Japan's effort to deal with the issue of the North Korean abductions of Japanese is based on his political bias. Some Japanese conservatives claim that Onishi is a naturalized Japanese citizen of Korean descent.
Norimitsu Onishi - Wikipedia
Yes conservatives and rightists care. Though that is not objective criticism. The New York Times is left leaning. If you had a full understanding of English you would realize that your Wikipedia link does very little to back your argument.
SOME Japanese CONSERVATIVES CLAIM that Onishi is a naturalized Japanese citizen of Korean descent. Though there is no proof of this in your link. On the contrary it states in your link that Onishi was born in Japan and his family immigrated to Canada at four.
Tamogami told the committee he was not concerned about any negative repercussions from his essay, telling "People accume me of causing unrest among the public, but a recent (internet) survey said 58% of the people support me".
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081112a1.html
So, majority of Japanese support him as far as internet survey goes.
I liked his argument in his essay that Japan constructed universities in its colonial territories.
I don't know about universities but in Korea schools, transportation, hospitals etc were already being built by protestant missionaries (and also western ideas being introduced with it) with the permission of Empress Myungsung.
I don't know about universities but in Korea schools, transportation, hospitals etc were already being built by protestant missionaries (and also western ideas being introduced with it) with the permission of Empress Myungsung.
Do you have any source to back your claims? I'm quoting what is written in various western sources by western writers about Korean history. It was Queen Min who allowed the introduction of Christianism and western values and also education as long as it didn't affect relations with other countries and society per se. She was a stumbling stone to the Japanese since she didn't want break ties with qina and was pro-gradual modernization thus an obstacle to the Japanese expansionism which subsequently led to the Japanese ruffians assassinate her.I dont think so.
according to so many books that were written by foreigners.
what scool they had?
the korean education at that time was
" China is our master. china is the greatest. The Christianity is barbarian's religion."
www(dot)apa(dot)co(dot)jp/book_report/ima...yu_english.pdf
So Korea, Mongolia, China, Tiwan, Japan should unite just like EU, eh? No, thanks.
I bekieve that he did nothing wrong as Japan is not a tyranny.Tamogami says views shared in Diet, SDF
"Freedom of speech in the SDF is being suppressed, but there are many who support" such views, Tamogami said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081202a1.html
It is not "normalization". Tamogami's essay was filled with mistakes.
In regards to others in the LDP and SDF sharing Tamogami's sentiments, that still does not justify Japan's actions.
Japan waging war was only in Japan's benefit not to the benefit of the countries it invaded. It was expansionism. There really is no moral argument justifying Japan's actions. One could not make an argument for doing today something similar. They were responsible for much death and destruction.
Right wingers like Tamogami reference the writings of other rightwingers. That is not proof. It isn't academic, it is not rigorous research.
Are you academic? How can you be sure?
History interpretation often change as more new documents/evidence are found as the time pass. Thus it's not permanent.
WW2 has been researched over the past several decades. I am sure of that. Leading scholars from Japan and around the world. Peer reviewed research. While details such as numbers do differ there already is a consensus as to what transpired
It is still the same in today's world. The US claims that the invasion of Iraq was to free the people in Iraq. China claims that the invasion of Tibet was to liberate the people in Tibet.
In today's world is expansionism justifiable?
America claimed that Iraq had links to terrorits and had weapons of mass destruction. Both turned out to be wrong and it was an unneccessary war.
Tibet is not as clear cut as you say. Both sides do have merits to their arguments. But the merits are lost because both have taken extreme positions that contain misinformation in their arguments.
Astroboy somehow wants to justify Japan's actions. They are not justifiable. What is the moral argument? In today's world is expansionism justifiable? Is invading another country and subjugating it justifiable? These countries had not choice. Democratic governments were not installed. How is having Nazi Germany as an ally justifiable. Diplomatically they can say that they did not approve of the treatment of the Jews but they enabled that behavior by becoming Germany's ally.
I also find it ironic that men like Tamogami and Astroboy(If you are a man) try to justify Japan's actions and are free to state their opinions but that if they lived under the rule of Imperial Japan they would not have been guaranteed freedom of speech. In this day and age would it be reasonable to have had Nazi Germany in power with their ambitions of Aryan domination and the subjugation of Europe as well as the Japanese Empire with their subjugation of Asia. I guess if you answer yes, then I expect you to lie down and roll over if for example North Korea invaded Japan and made Japanese take Korean names and use Japan industry to further North Korea's empire. Awesome!!
you are talking about Today's value?
It might be arrogant if it says by today's sense of values.
the poblem is what value was at that time as a history....
at first, most Japanese does not justify it with today's value.
however it is not true history..
How about USA? how about Iraq? how about China?
they are still doing...
as for positive view, Japan lost war, All colonies were liberated as a result
LOL. Sounds like typical "Korean"dreaming "victory over Japan"
Either way, since then, post-war historic fact cearly indicates that Korea is divided, and the people of North are starved to death day by day, and South becomes economic colony of Japan. IF they are a part of Japan, at least they can eat something.
Dream come true ?
Why don't you go research it? So you are arguing without ever having researched this topic.Where?.................
Tamogami's assertions were not true history.