Colonel Sturgeon

Passport Photo Racket

2010-12-22T16:21:00.003-05:00

CVS charges $9.99 to take a passport photo. Other companies like AAA and Fedex charge about the same. This is a pure racket.

I took a normal photo against a white background with my smart phone and correctly sized it at http://www.epassportphoto.com/ I saved the file on my USB thumb drive and took it to CVS and paid $0.29 to print out five passport photos.

There is a serious discrepancy in pricing when I paid 1/35 what the person in line beside me paid. That's unfortunate for him - but why is it that we are expected to pay so much for exactly the same product?

Next time you need a passport photo for a visa application or passport renewal, save your money and take the photo yourself.

Google Laptop!

2010-12-17T18:41:00.002-05:00

Well, I've never won lotteries or prizes until today. I came home to a surprise UPS shipment - being the return address was my hometown, I thought it was an early Christmas present from my parents. No, it was from Google!

On a lark, I signed up last week for Google's CR-48 pilot program.

Well, so far it's really cool. 90% of the time, I'm checking email, surfing, or doing stuff online. I share docs on google docs. I use google calendar. I post pics with Picasa. I'm a self confessed Google head.

The only complaint so far: Netflix doesn't work. But then again, it doesn't work on my pre-Intel iBook either.

Tea Baggers, and the rising discontent

2009-09-25T12:00:00.001-04:00

I haven't had much to say for a while, but this news really got my attention: Census Worker Found Hanged.

News reports described a school teacher working part time for the Census Bureau, preparing for next year's decennial census, was found hanged with the word "feds" inscribed across his chest.

It's harrowing to read this - nearly a decade ago, I was a part time census worker, going door to door in my own neighborhood, confirming empty residences, and asking people for their forms. The reactions I got varied greatly - for the most part, people were weary. I was, after all, "the government" knocking on their door.

In some parts of the country, the decennial census sweep is the only time the US Government knocks on your door. Most of us don't ever have federal warrants served, and the post man rarely actually bothers to knock, and on rural routes, the mail is probably left at a post office box. It is an intrusion for some people, and on a slippery slope just before the feds show up to confiscate guns, I suppose they believe.

It demonstrates to me that the vitriol that we saw this last summer - I saw one first hand in Kitanning, Pennnsylvania - is going out of control. Add in President Carter's recent remarks on race, healthcare, and the president - and you can see a nasty cocktail of emotions.

What is the way out? I don't know. I'm pessimistic. I think we're going to see more fear and discontent before civility returns to the land.

Japan gets a flat top

2009-03-19T17:06:00.002-04:00

The Japanese Marine Self Defense Forces have commissioned the Hyuga, technically a destroyer, and the largest vessel the MSDF have built.

Well, it has a flat top, carries up to 11 helicopters, and is very much the same size as the Italian Navy's flag ship, and aircraft carrier, the Giuseppe Garibaldi.

This farce is strikingly similar to the GSDF's "special vehicle's" from years ago. Everyone else would just call it a tank.

So, close your eyes real tight, and imagine that it is just a destroyer.

Right.

Meeting with a foreign head of government. Check.

2009-02-24T16:19:00.004-05:00

Well, Aso made news today. He allowed Mark Knoller of CBS news to add a check mark for Obama.

Meetings with a foreign leader in the Oval Office: 1

That's it. Not even a footnote really. It seemed clear that the only desire by the Japanese be that they are first. They were the first country visited by the newly sworn in Secretary of State Clinton. They were the first government to visit Obama in the Oval Office. The trip seems so quickly thrown together that their only achievement seems to be first in line. All substance seems to have been thrown out the window for the sake of style.

But one thing baffles me. Apparently, Aso met with some various experts on Japan this afternoon for lunch (since he didn't eat at the White House). The team included a variety of Japan hands, most of whom seem to have been former officials for president Bush 41 or 43. Did they not have enough time to schedule interviews with many of the Obama supporters who have not yet been appointed to jobs in the administration? Did they notice that we spent the last two years choosing a new president, and that parties changed hands?

What's Aso to do?

2009-02-23T09:40:00.002-05:00

In his post-Presidency, with low approval ratings, President Bush was offered a job as a greeter at a hardware store in Dallas.

With approval ratings in the teens, and 4/5 Japanese disapproving, I wonder what Aso will do.

Thank you... pencil?

2009-02-22T21:11:00.003-05:00

Well, the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film went to La Maison en Petits Cubes tonight.

Kunio Kato thanked his pencil...

His broken English speech amounted to "Thank you" plus various nouns.

Including his pencil...

Well, it fits the mold. Only North Korea seems capable of doing worse on average TOEFL scores than Japan does.

PS - The best foreign film went to Departures. The acceptance speech was given in complete sentences.

The Critical US-Japan Summit

2009-02-21T10:54:00.002-05:00

At Friday's White House Briefing, the only one of the week, numerous topics were covered: nationalization of Citi and Bank of America, the stimulus package, nuclear weapons in Iran, and even a question on whether the President's limo will carry Washington DCs "Taxation without representation" tags. The week ahead covered all the big events next week: the National Governor's Association Dinner, the fiscal responsibility summit, the president's speech before Congress, the new budget.

But when all was said and done, not a word was said about Prime Minister Aso's visit next Tuesday. More details are to come, later.

I can already see that this is going to be anything but a banner event. I wonder if the cameras will even bother to set up at the stake out location. It seems a lot like the last visit by a Japanese prime minister. Ho hum and forgetable.

Good for the goose....

2009-02-05T09:07:00.002-05:00

Two headlines caught my attention this morning:

"Japan warns US on ‘Buy American’"

"Japan Considers Ending Four-Decade Policy to Cut Rice Planting"

Well, my first thought is - what is good for the goose is good for the gander. While on one hand Japan is warning the US not to implement protectionist measures regarding steel, while on the other they are changing their support for rice farmers at home.

As always, domestic agriculture is a different universe, exempt for all ideas of fairness.

Germany to post troops in France

2009-02-04T16:14:00.004-05:00

The AP reports today that Germany is going to station troops in France for the first time since the Nazi occupation of France prior to 1945. The French-German joint military brigade, currently stationed on the German side of the border and comprised of troops from both countries, will send approximately 600 of the 2800 German troops in the Brigade to a location in France. (There are 2,300 French troops in the Brigade). They have served in the Balkans and Afghanistan together.

This could not be more starkly different than Sino-Japanese relations. Remember back to the May 2008 earthquake and flooding in China, when the Chinese requested Japanese assistance. Ultimately, the plan to use Japanese ASDF planes did not pan out - its simply too sensitive.

While German reconciliation with its neighbors is often held up as the gold standard for Japan (and has its own problems), it does illustrate the distance that these other two WWII adversaries need to make up in their long efforts at reconciliation.

Japan Passing?

2009-02-03T10:21:00.003-05:00

I have been shocked in recent weeks about the utter fear of Japan passing in Tokyo.

Now, it is reported, Clinton will make her first international trip to East Asia, including Tokyo. Surely, the protocol officers are ensuring she goes to Tokyo before Beijing or Seoul, but we shall see. Perhaps this will assuage the fears.

This reminds me of similar consternation in Tokyo when Victor Cha left the NSC, and was succeeded by a very young staffer. Leaders in Tokyo were worried that they wouldn't be heard in Washington. Likewise, when Obama won the election, Tokyo seemed surprised, and was afraid to imagine a US-Japan alliance without a certain Dr. Green.

It is time for Tokyo to quit fretting, and worrying about individual relationships, and instead act like the power they aspire to be. If they want to be a medium or large power, then they should act like it.

Kukuda?

2007-11-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

Prime Minister Fukuda is visiting Washington today – but you’d hardly know it if you didn’t read the paper. Actually, that won’t help much – The Washington Post had nothing to say. The Financial Times had an article on the visit and some of the issues they may discuss, but they must think Fukuda is a bit cuckoo – their photo subtitle labeled him as “Kukuda.” (Really, the FT can do better than that…)

Perhaps Bush will serve some American beef at their working lunch, just like he did for Fukuda’s predecessor, but there is certainly no casual time planned at Camp David (as with Abe), at the Crawford Ranch (as with Germany’s Merkel), and most certainly no state dinner as Sarkozy recently received.

It seems that the era of unimpressive Japanese Prime Ministers has returned. Remember Takeshita, Uno, Kaifu, Miyazawa, Hosokawa, Hata, Murayama, Hashimoto, Obuchi, or Mori? Those were the men between an unforgettable Nakasone and the memorable and long-serving Koizumi. Remember Bush and his trip down to Memphis, sunglasses and Koizumi’s air guitar act to boot?

However, despite claims that US-Japan relations “are critically important,” the current visit by Prime Minister Fukuda, when compared to recent visits by other heads of state, does not seem to match the rhetoric that is being used to describe the state of the relationship, and is most certainly not being afforded the same symbolism extended to Russia, Germany, or France.

Shark attack

2007-10-31T08:28:00.000-04:00

Reuters had a report today that caught my attention - but it was a comment buried in the article that made me raise my eyebrows:

NASSIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - A two-meter shark has been caught in a river in southern Iraq more than 200 km (160 miles) from the sea.

....
Locals blamed the U.S. military for the shark's presence.
Tahseen Ali, a teacher, said there was a "75 percent chance" Americans had put the shark in the water.
"This is very frightening for us. Our children always swim in the river and I believe that there are more sharks. I believe that America is behind this matter," said fisherman Hatim Karim.

That's right - the locals blame the US for a shark that swam up the Euphrates.

So much for winning their hearts and minds.

NOVA - don't cry for me

2007-10-30T15:50:00.001-04:00

I must say, when I began to read about the NOVA scandal, I was not surprised. I had long heard the advice: "if you want to teach English in Japan, avoid NOVA at all costs. If you must teach there, get your visa, and move on as quickly as possible."

Those who took that advice were the smart ones. Those who were recruited this summer and arrived in Japan to learn for the first time that the company was imploding were unlucky I suppose, but I also have little sympathy for someone who could have easily googled NOVA and found dozens of articles in the English press describing the early stages of the implosion.

But this raises some more important questions about the state of the industry, and English language education in Japan itself. Why do the Japanese spend so much money on "learning English," and have so little to show for it? If you add up all the money spent on English language education (schools, books, study guides, conversation school, etc.) you would have the GDP of a medium sized country.

Japan has the second lowest TOEFL scores in Asia - only North Korea does worse.

What is the obsession with "eikaiwa?" I propose that for many, studying English or sending your kids off to Nova is a status symbol - right up there with the coach bag where they stash their electronic dictionary." Others believe that they need to study English to "career up." You can also see the salary-men, who slacked off in their high school and college English classes, being told that they're going to spend a few years at the overseas subsidiary...

There are many reasons for Japanese to study English - but should we be surprised to see the largest private school in the country implode? I don't think so. Thus, while I feel sorry for those caught up in this mess, I must also say that they should have seen the writing on the wall.

History, in reverse

2007-10-26T13:21:00.000-04:00

History in Japan and the United States is taught in the same order - from the beginning to the present day. Obviously, "the beginning" is different in each of the two places. For the U.S., the beginning is found in Jamestown, VA or Plymouth, MA. We must stretch to imagine that for some of us, there was actually another beginning in Nova Scotia (the early viking explorers) or in the Bahamas (Columbus' first landing). It takes an even further stretch to also recognize that the Bering Sea is yet another beginning. However, for most "U.S. History" classes, it started when the white guys got here.

For Japan, the origins are seemingly clear - all desendants of Amaterasu? Well, perhaps this is no longer acceptable. Finding Japanese roots is much harder. As author and philosopher Jared Diamond said, "Just who are the Japanese? Where did they come from and when? The answers are difficult to come by, though not impossible ― the real problem is that the Japanese themselves may not want to know."[1] Despite this, as someone one once pointed out to me, history seems to be taught through a progression of eras, culminating with the Edo period, followed by the Meiji "Restoration," and then the ~~war~~ post-war era. Like American history, it is taught from a beginning, and time runs out before more recent history can be considered.

I have heard it said that Koreans and Chinese, instead, teach their history "in reverse." They start with the the war (and how bad Japan was), then progress backwards, leaving the question of origin open ended in some early mist of the past.

Is this why, then, that Japan and its neighbors have such a hard time reconciling their histories? Perhaps it is true. However, another vein within these descriptions is the reality that no one likes to talk about their own skeletons, and everyone always talks about others skeletons.

How do we get out of this rut? How can the forward-looking Japanese look over their shoulders a bit more, and how can over-the-shoulder-gazing Koreans and Chinese look a bit more towards the horizon? And more importantly, how can Americans look more at any history - be it their own or someone else's? History matters, but what matters more is an understanding that there is not one history, but many histories. Understanding how others view their own history is important to being able to deal with them. Likewise, understanding that history and the truth are not the same is also important. Keeping these things in mind, the importance of history remains the same.

[1] http://www2.gol.com/users/hsmr/Content/East%20Asia/Japan/History/roots.html

Capital Hill Education

2007-10-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

Today I visited two elementary schools on Capital Hill. As part of a wider project, another Rotarian and I delivered dictionaries to each third grade student at the two schools.

The first school was simply depressing. No one was excited to see us, and few people really seemed to know what was going on. We had a hard time finding who to speak to. While the buildings are old, they were clean and freshly painted. However, it was still a tired, depressing place. Old tattered textbooks were stacked in the halls. It was unclear if any student would use them, or if there were enough of them. (DC Public Schools have a terrible history of having textbooks available when classes start.)

We had each of the students come up to get their dictionary. While most mumbled thanks, they seemed about as excited as if we were handing out pencils before a No Child Left Behind mandated test. Sadly, it was obvious that these children were likely to be left behind - by a number of factors.

At the second school, we went to the classroom to deliver our dictionaries. The second teacher was much more engaged, and excited that we were there. She got it - she knew we were there to ultimately play a part in the success of these children, however small providing a dictionary may be. However, there was something about her - some spark that gave the room an energy that is hard to describe - that made me smile. She cared. And the children knew it. Perhaps the only shame is that this petite gray haired teacher had obviously been around the block a few times, and seemed to me that she had considered quitting at many points along the way. However, she was there, doing her best to lead these young children, and despite the many difficulties that face these children, was still trying.

The problems in DC's schools are notorious, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity simply to enter the schools and read the air myself. I felt despair and exhaustion, but I also sensed a spark of hope. Now, the question is, how can we keep that ember alive, foster it, and allow it to spread like wildfire? What, besides providing dictionaries, can we do to help these children who live in the shadow of the Capital Dome of the most powerful country in the world?

A New Perspective

2007-10-22T10:37:00.001-04:00

After a self imposed hiatus, I am back - this time from Washington, DC. In August, I moved to Annapolis, Maryland, just an hour outside of the Capital (and thankfully, outside of the Beltway too).

From November, I'll be working in DC as a staff reporter for a Japanese newspaper. I look forward to following the presidential elections, US-Japan relations, and other topics of interest. It should be a great deal of fun, and offers a very different perspective from the last year in Tokyo. It will be fascinating to see and analyze events from this side of the Pacific.

As for life here in the State Capital - it has been magnificent since my arrival at the beginning of August - Crab Cakes, sail boats, and cooler temperatures are all to be appreciated. No, I don't see too many Midshipmen from the Academy. The superintendent has cracked down on sports and off-campus activity, requiring these federally funded students to study. "We're at war."

You'd never know it walking down "Ego Alley" near city dock, where you regularly see very expensive yachts tied to the dock from around the east coast. Weekenders from DC and Baltimore keep the restaurants busy, and all-in-all, it is a world away from reality. I nice place to come home at night to rest.

Annapolis, Maryland

"Japanese Expression"

2007-06-05T22:09:00.000-04:00

There is a small debate again over at NBR, this time about English in Japan...

Perhaps the greatest help for me to get over my frustration over "bad English" was actually written by the editor of www.engrish.com

" You will also find that the vast majority of the English examples on Engrish.com were produced by companies - not individuals and that most of the Engrish found within the site is not an attempt to communicate, but are examples of English being used as a design element." (www.engrish.com).

While some mistakes are hilarious (with the humor unintended), oftentimes it is because the English is not there for the purpose of communication, but merely graphic design. It just looks cool. In this case, it is certainly not a dialect of English, but simply a random rambling of English words.

But, it still begs the question - if a company is going to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a sign with English, and it is for the purpose of communication, wouldn't you look it up in a dictionary? After all, you might wonder what in the world a "Sabway" is. (As seen in Kyoto Station).

Japan's Schindler

2007-05-30T22:06:00.000-04:00

The Emperor and Empress of Japan recently visited Lithuana, and there they visited a monument to one of the more well known Japanese citizens in that country. He is all but unknown in Japan, his homeland.

A full history and accounting can be found in the article as well as in the Wikipedia article for Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat stationed in Lithuana during World War Two who during that time helped save the lives of thousands of Jews fleeing the Nazis by issuing them transit visas, allowing them to escape Eastern Europe and find safety in third countries (but not Japan proper).

For me it is a small world. After he received some acclaim in the mid 1980s, his hometown of Yaotsu-cho established a small museum in honor of their hometown hero. Interestingly, the only Israeli JET program participant in Japan is posted to the town of Yaotsu where they work in city hall helping with this museum and "internationalization." I just happened to work in the neighboring city, and knew at least two of the Isreali's that worked there. They proudly told me the story of Japan's Schindler.

So, having known about this guy since I first came to Japan nearly a decade ago, I guess I was surprised to learn that he is so obscure in the rest of Japan. Upon reflection, it makes sense for had I not been a JET, I wouldn't have learned of him - even living just a few kilometers from his hometown. Had I not met those colleagues living in rural Japan - trying to explain to the children of this village not only what this man did, but what Israelis, Jews, and Nazis are - I would be none the wiser.

Sugihara died in 1986. Why did it have to be that his neighbors and friends didn't know what he had done until dozens of Isreali officials including Isreal's ambassador to Japan went to his funeral? Why was this act of courage ignored and disparaged for so long?

Another episode in Japan where I realize that as much as I learn and discover, there are things that may remain beyond my understanding.

Apologize?

2007-05-17T22:07:00.000-04:00

I was thinking about the recent Comfort Women resolution before the House of Representatives this morning, considering if Abe would apologize or not.

I don't think that is the point.

I then thought of this scene from "A Few Good Men." A bit longer, but as famous as "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"

Abe, and the Japanese government, is highly unlikely to apologize. But that doesn't have to happen for something positive to come out of this. Perhaps it is more like this scene.

By continuing to pound away at this and related issues, it can only be hoped that the curtain can be pulled aside, and the skeletons can be revealed. More importantly, through dialog among Japan, China, Korea, the United States, and others can common understandings be achieved. Only then can real trust be created.

The same holds true for Yasukuni. The more the shrine and Japan's conservatives attempt to define the shrine, the less of an appetite Japan's own people not to mention its allies will have for the beliefs that are not so secret, nor so well known outside Japan.

It is an issue that will not go away. When these dirty little nuggets of knowledge do bubble to the surface, Japan's MOFA and Japan handlers in the US sweep it under the rug in order to preserve the status quo. However, I see them more as a cancer - sometimes it flares up, but usually it is benign, but merely in remission. Cancer, however, can be either treated aggressively (in this case by airing the laundry) or the US-Japan alliance can constantly be put at risk for another flareup.

Oh my....

2007-05-14T22:14:00.000-04:00

The Earthtimes had an interesting article today. It seems that some Japanese tourists had trouble getting to Afula, and ended up in Ofra - in the West Bank. Oops! Those tricky Ls and Rs.

I guess they'll have to read the "ass taimzu" to get the humor. I'd recommend some more eikawa...

Blonde Hair and Tall Noses

2007-05-14T22:03:00.000-04:00

An interesting string on "othering" was raised this morning on the NBR Japan-US Forum. Specifically, Victor Fic asked:

I wonder if Japanese television or movies have ever had a respectable foreign character, showed a foreinger speaking Japanese for non-entertainment or even a Japanese conversing in English? My sense is that there is no debate in Japan on how the Other is portrayed.

There are two places where I have seen foreigners portrayed in Japan, and thought "this would never fly in other countries." The first is a recent comedy duo: one wears black face, an "afro wig," and a really big fake nose. His partner has a wavy blonde wig, but also the big fake nose. I know that the "tall nose" is something Japanese are fascinated with, but I cannot imagine this in another venue outside Japan. Certainly, black face in America is no longer funny.

The other place where the "other" is portrayed is in the classroom. Especially since the introduction of the "period of integrated studies" in elementary schools in 2002, foreign AETs have been paraded in front of school children. I am of two minds as how to feel about this. On one hand, the JET Program (and now private endeavors of the same stripe) have helped to sensitize many Japanese to foreigners living in Japan. Reading John Nathan's book, Japan Unbound, I was reminded that it wasn't all that long ago that a foreigner outside one of the major port cities or Tokyo was indeed a rare sight indeed. I am sure others have first hand experiences, as I have, of people screeching their bicycles to a halt in order to gawk. Certainly, this is an area where the JET Program has been effective. No longer are foreigners so foreign. However, I also question the model of parading foreigners at "international day." Is it really a way to confirm ones own stereotypes of foreigners, especially when asked "can you use chopsticks" and the like? Note too that Blonde hair and blue eyes have also been used as a job qualification in recent months in Yamanashi.

However, to put the shoe on the other foot... I am often upset when I see American shows about Japan that tend to focus on the strange - be it penis festivals, harajuku girls, or strange food and such. The recent spread of a false news report that a Japanese actress was naive enough to have ordered a poodle, only to discover it was a lamb... which was proven to be false, is an example of this as well. So I must ask - are the Japanese alone in their focus on the weird when portraying the other? Is it done to a different degree than in other places?

Why those buses?

2007-05-09T04:38:00.000-04:00

On the Japan-U.S. Forum hosted by the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), William Stonehill speculated,

"...killing the JNR has also allowed some entirely non-bus companies to tentatively stick their
toes in the water for local bus routes too. Bunkyo Ku in Tokyo is running a bus called the "B-bus" which only runs in Bunkyo ku and appears to be unaffiliated with Toei buses run by the city. Nobody has rose up and slapped them down, so maybe the next step will be privately operated buses running between stations after the JR shuts down for the night."

I don't think that is the real reason for these buses, and the non-bus companies in this case are the local cities and wards. I believe these B-bus like operations, Community Buses I think they are called, using mini-buses, are something new across Japan to serve the elderly population. In my area, Mitaka, Musashino, and Koganei cities we have several of these small buses. They also operate in Suginami-ku where Toei bus operates. Ours is named the "CoCo bus." They are only 100 yen to ride, senior passes are not valid, and the circular routes originate and end at a single train station after passing through small neighborhood streets. This is the type of bus that also is used to shuttle visitors to the Ghibli museum from Mitaka station.

Koganei City's "CoCo Bus"

Surely, the cities (i.e. ku and shi level governments) must be subsidizing these services. As I noted above, these small buses compliment the service provided by the longer-range, point to point bus service provided by Toei Bus, Odakyu Bus, and Keio Bus, each with a monopoly over specific geographic areas. At 100 yen per person, there are not nearly enough passengers to pay the drivers salary, even if it were at a minimum wage.

The buses are actually managed by Odakyu and Keio bus, the local operators, respectively. That is, the drivers are provided by and the buses maintained by the local bus operator. I see them parked at the local depot at night. It seems to me that local cities are having to provide these handicap accessible services (only running from 9am to 7pm, inconvenient for commuters) to get the elderly out of their homes.

I'm back...

2007-05-09T04:33:00.000-04:00

Work has kept me away for too long... but now with more time on my hands, I am ready to blog once again.

I have also been inspired by the blogs of three fellow Tokyoites (some longer than others):
1) Shisaku
2) Globaltalk 21
3) Observing Japan

They are excellent reading, and I don't know if I'll be able to post as regularly as they do, but I'll do my best.

The Meaning of Yasukuni - A Seminar

2006-09-23T23:05:00.000-04:00

On September 24, a seminar hosted by the Tokyo American Club and organized by Temple University was held. The audience was predominately American/western with a smattering of Japanese who could understand English. However, this stands out as one of few opportunities to talk about Yasukuni in an open forum. It seems many people went to get a broad understanding of the issues, which the seminar seemed to accomplish well. The goal of the symposium was to frame the issues surrounding the Yasukuni Shrine issue by identifying what the Shrine is, some of the political issues surrounding the shrine, and finally some future prospects of the debate, at a timely change of administrations.There were no surprises or revelations and I feel it was presented in an even handed way.
Program

Documentary Screening: "Spirits of the State"
(28min film produced by John Nelson)

Contextualizing Yasukuni: Its Religious and Political Significance
Moderated by David Satterwhite (Executive Director, Fulbright Program Japan)

· "The Yasukuni Shrine in the Context of East Asian Nationalisms"
Phil Deans, Professor of International Affairs, Director of International Affairs Program, Temple University, Japan Campus

· "Packaging Yasukuni Shrine for International, Political, and Religious Consumers"
John Nelson, Associate Professor of East Asian Religions, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Francisco

· "Mobilizating from the Margins: Domestic Citizen Politics and Yasukuni Shrine"
Brian Masshardt, Lecturer, Musashi University; University of Hawaii-Manoa

Beyond the Yasukuni Crisis
Moderated by Jeff Kingston, Professor of History, Director of Asian Studies,
Temple University, Japan Campus

· "Moratorium to Yasukuni Visit: Japan's Internal Logic to Overcome History"
Kazuhiko Togo, Senior Lecturer, Tamkang University;
former Ambassador of Japan to the Netherlands

· "The Impact of Yasukuni on Japanese Foreign Policy"
Gerald L. Curtis, Burgess Professor of Political Science, Columbia University

Commentary on the Conference

"Spirits of the State"

Only two academics in the non-Japanese speaking world have published any refereed articles on Yasukuni. They are John Breen of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and John Nelson of the University of San Francisco. Both of them are anthropologists focusing on Shintoism, and approach the shrine and the debate as such. Likewise, Nelson’s documentary also looks first at the shrine for what it is – a religious Shinto Shrine.

I chatted with Nelson after the seminar and told him that I especially appreciated his efforts to present the shrine debate at first as a place of faith. The key to opening the shrine to dialogue when I interviewed Vice-Chief Priest Yamaguchi Tatebumi was his realization that I had researched Shinto, the nature of the Kami, and the primary identity of Yasukuni, as a place of faith.

Nelson does not ignore the power of the Yushukan, however. In his comments too, he acknowledged that he was not able to incorporate video of the inside of the new museum. He did explain well though how the spirits of the dead and the shrine itself has been politicized, a phenomena which he studies. The spirits have been approbated for another purpose – in this case the purpose of the state.

Synopsis of the Film

(From: http://www.pacificrim.usfca.edu/research/yasukuni_synopsis.html)

The film opens with observations on war, casualties, and remembrance in the 20th century before focusing on how one nation--Japan--used the deaths of conscripted soldiers to enhance nationalism and reverence for the emperor. One of Japan's oldest religious traditions, Shinto, was appropriated by the state in order to become the spiritual "engine" driving the vehicle of Japan's race towards modernity and industrialization. Patriotism, indoctrination, and state-centered ideology are shown using historical footage and photos of Yasukuni shrine, built in Tokyo as a religious site to enshrine the spirits of the military dead but also as a place of pageantry and state-sponsored ritual. Using ethnographic footage compiled by the filmmaker as well as images from public relations films made by the shrine in the 1970s, the film provides a rare glimpse of the shrine's priests conducting rituals for the spirits of the dead. Viewers then see how Japan's early war victories turned to retreats and defeat (the "kamikaze" special attack squads are shown) with soldiers promising each other to "meet again (as spirits) at Yasukuni shrine." The film then turns to the problematic status of the shrine in the postwar period, due in part to the inclusion of Class-A war criminals and constitutional prohibitions against the collusion of religion and the state. Audiences see how the shrine, its priests, and its spirits of the military dead remain a powerful resource for politicians espousing patriotism, sacrifice, and nationalism. But these associations are also a source of considerable controversy both within Japan and elsewhere in Asia. The film concludes with scenes from well-known Tokyo landmarks (the City Hall, Shinjuku, Shibuya) that suggest the Japanese are at a crossroads in how they deal with the history of the war and how they choose to commemorate those who lost their lives for a failed cause.

First Panel

Together, Nelson, Deans, and Masshardt outlined the nature of the shrine and the approbation of the shrine for political purposes (Nelson), the conflict over the shrine in China (Deans), and finally the role of civil society support and opposition of the shrine (Masshardt). Nelson, in my opinion, did the most to help everyone understand the shrine, its purposes, and the reality of its paradox of both a religious shrine and nationalists memorial. There was also a clear distinction, in may ways, between the shrine’s religious precinct and the Yushukan. Masshardt also was a nice fit, carefully explaining the role of the pro- and anti-Yasukuni forces in Japan’s society. As he noted, the right have power, have the shrine, and simply sit back and wait for any attempts by the left to even try to say something. At times it was quite humorous – the Heiwa Izokukai members are, after all, aging rapidly.

The one area of research evident both from my research and the panelists is the nature of not only the expropriation of the shrine by the state (a case clearly made by Nelson), but also the culpability of the state in supporting the shrine despite Article 20 of the Constitution. We know that Koizumi’s visits ignore the constitutional ban on taking part in religious practice by the state (although some would say he bows only once, not twice, etc. etc). However, in the question and answer period there was some confusion as to how it was decided that the 2.46 million enshrined Kami were determined to be so, especially the 14 convicted class A war criminals. Deans pointed out that the treaty with China was signed the day after the 14 class A war criminals were enshrined, and this was after a decade of attempts by the LDP to have the shrine declared a state shrine again (Yasukuni Jinja Hoaan). Besides the death of the Chief Priest who held out, was the enshrinement of those 14 a concession to those who opposed a treaty with China?

Panel 2

Retired Amb. Togo, son of convicted War Criminal Shigenori Togo, presented a follow up to his idea of a moratorium on visits to Yasukuni Shrine. He and senior officials at MOFA applaud “his spirit” but no one seems to think that his proposal will be effective. He also calls for a debate in Japan on the nature of the shrine and its meaning in Japan. This much I agree with. Curtis seems to think that the past is in the past, and East Asia has to move forward from where it is today. This was a little in opposition to I think what Togo was saying. I am critical of both their opinions that something on this debate should move, but neither can offer concrete suggestions for solving the multiple impasses involved in this debate.

Summary

As another participant expressed to me today in an email, it is amazing how little very intelligent people know about Yasukuni Shrine, the debate, why it is a problem, and how it can be solved. IN order to achieve any sort of reconciliation it is absolutely necessary for the facts to be established so that a common understanding can be reached. This is still not the case. It is clear from the final comments made by Curtis in response to my question that the issue is even more complicated that they were able to cover in five hours. I specifically asked how Japan and China can reconcile the way war criminals were handled in the 1950s (which implicates the US). He acknowledged this opens an entirely new perspective on the problem.

This in itself is a problem – the Yasukuni shrine debate is immensely complex and difficult to understand, much less come to terms with. The general public has little patience to understand the fine details necessary to clarify in order to address the broad issues. As an example, many relatively intelligent observers cannot understand the nature of a kami, and often misinterpret the name of the shrine itself (not peace country, but pacified country – as in pacifying of the Gods).

To understand the Yasukuni debate, one must have a grasp of religion, history, international and domestic politics, law, and in particular the nuances of nationalism in

Japan

China

Korea

, and other players. This seminar was an important step in achieving a broader multidisciplinary understanding of Yasukuni Shrine and its conflict. However, we are only a small step closer to any possible reconciliation of the issue. Meanwhile, everyone holds their breath to see what Shinzo Abe will do.