Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Yasukuni: Remember Those Souls
Asahi.com: Koizumi goes ahead with controversial shrine visit on war anniversary
The world views his visit in a negative light. I view it otherwise. I think it is a personal choice and people should stop bringing politics into this private, domestic matter. Let bygone be bygone. We have learned enough from war. Nobody wants war again.
This is the day to remember and pay respect to the people who bravely sacrificed their life to their beloved country. There are many courageous souls in there. I suggest people who make loud protest to take a 1-day tour in the museum next to the shrine.
People who protest should take a Japanese history lesson and learn that the shrine was set up first for people who perished in the Boshin Civil War in 1869. It has then been the place for people who sacrificed their life for the country in various incidents, not just the wars, let alone WWs.
The Japanese has the strong sense of "On" and "Ho-On" or gratefulness and return of gratefulness since the ancient time. That must have been more than a thousand years ago. To protest them from paying respect to these people who sacrificed their life so that the future generation would live strong and free is like to tell them to stop being Japanese. If you read the letters those brave soldiers left behind, you'll find something in common--their caring concern for the future generation, their hope that there will be no more war, and their utmost love for the country and family.
Most of them wrote to their mother before they went out in their last mission. One sentence was very similar among those letters. It is the apology for not being able to go home and take care of them, or the apology that, as a child, they have to die first before the parents. But none of the letters, not even one, shows any sign of despair. It was in fact full of hope, of good will and love for their family behind and their country and the future generation. The message went right from their heart and into yours and, for a moment, you could feel the vibrant energy of their youth. An despite their age, they were all so selfless and sacrficing.
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Grateful present generation and survivors went to express their gratitude at Yasukuni on August 15, 2006. Photo from Yasukuni's official web site http://www.yasukuni.or.jp/ , Japanese page. For English page, go to http://www.yasukuni.or.jp/english/index.html
In the museum, you would also see women, nurses who willingly, deliberately sacrificed their life for the country in various capacity, be it in civil or otherwise. You would hear countless stories about mother and son who, despite their heart-breaking sitution, understood and wholeheartedly embraced their duty to the country, etc. You would even see actual quotes how the late Emperor Showa responded to people's concern regarding his surrender of Japan in WWII. "Too many of our people have lost their life already. It does not matter anymore what might happen to me." Walking through the museum is very moving.
When you have walked through the tour, seen the movie, looked into the faces of millions people enshrined there, you would also come to understand the purpose of Yasukuni. It is for peace, not war.
Of course I think one would want to know why the so-called Class-A criminals were also there. Many would also want them removed. I do not think much about those 14 men as I do about 2.5 million others in there. Is there any society or country that are 100% free of criminals? Are we going to ask for the impossible here in this world? And history is normally written by those who won the war, isn't it?
I have my long explanation on this which I may explain on later, if I have time or bother. It was a world-wide joint-Karma period that we all had to go to war. It was situational. We should not blame it especially on anyone. Otherwise it would be endless.
For example, Japan was closing its country fo 400 years during Tokugawa period. Then it was the American by Commodore Perry who forced it to open by a fleet of warship. (Does anyone call him Class-A criminal? He threatened to shoot, you know.) Then the western power sort of brought this idea of "you must westernize and embrace western idea to be considered a civilized people" to the Japanese who in fact preferred to stay a closed, self-sufficient country at that time.
Changing from agricultural country to industrial country, the country could not survive. GATT and WTO was not in place at that time. So what to do when you can't feed your own people or there was an influx of certain resources. The West's idea at that time was to expan your territory. To get a colony. To go to war. Life was certainly easy then, wasn't it?
So, from my personal point of view, do not blame the Japanese for World Wars. Blame the western colonization and the export of so-called political ideology. But then again, like I said, blaming is a useless and endless game.
If they are protesting the 14 men enterred at Yasukuni, then I think they should protest the U.S. President that ordered the atomic bomb on hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians also. If he is in the grave at Arlington National Cemetery, do you think the American would remove him because of Japanese protest? Well, I know he is in his own Truman Library's grave. But, then, again, has the world heard similar protest from Atomic bomb victims?
I read somewhere today that someone suggested that if China and Korea are asking for Japan's apologies, then President Bush should come to apologize at Hiroshima and Nagasaki also. Do you think he could look into the eyes of survivors who still bear horrible scars? See, this is nonsense, childlike stuff. It is endless and useless. I have proved my point. Let bygone be bygone. We have to live in the present and do our best not to make the same mistakes again, that's all.
I don't intend this post to be political. It is just a personal point of view of someone who was brave enough to actually walk the tour of Yasukuni Museum. I think people who protest do it out of fear. Human mind has this fear of the unknown. If they know, they would not protest.
There was a phrase that was repeated over and over again at the end of the movie shown at the beginning of the tour. I cried. Not because of the phrase itself, but because of with everything i saw in the movie. Together with the phrase, it summarizes what Yasukuni stands for very well.
It was an older woman's voice. Could have been a mother of the dead young soldier.
"Watashi tachi wa wasurenai.
Watashi tachi wa wasurenai.
Watashi tachi wa wasurenai...."
("....We would never forget (you)....")
I heard sobs all over the theatre. Rest in peace, brave soldiers who loved their country so much. I have heard your story. I have read your last letter to your beloved mother. I saw your blood-stained uniforms. I understand your devotion, your honor and your selfless sacrifice.
Today, I remember you.
