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wallace, yes a dark page in history for the POW's appalling suffering.

The annual political apology is lost in its own necessity to recite an obligatory display of rectitude.

It can be a false premise, without any commentative reflection other than a display of acquiescence, a forced requirement to wallpaper over historic wrongs.

Solemn remembered must become a shared experience, and the most poignant place is inside the classroom.

Which I believe a point we both agree on

My Japanese family did not agree with the war. My FIL was sent to fight in China. He survived minus an arm. Several members of the community refused to serve and were imprisoned and some died.

I don't expect an apology. I expect the Japanese PM and people to at the very least to just acknowledge the millions of people they are responsible for killing with a war of aggression that they started and not only refer to dead Japanese to commemorate WWII. They won't and complain about Asian nations not forgetting yet don't want to forget about the atomic bombs. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Due to the lack of discourse, regret, contrition, and shame, it's hard to really know how supposedly peace-loving Japan is. Japanese don't like to talk about it so what are their true feelings that they hide and never reveal openly. Most likely quite a few hiding right wingers in the population including government and corporations. You'll never know how they really feel cause they won't openly say it but behind closed doors or anonymously let their true colors come out.

Just look at the downvotes on this site on posts about Japan's WWII past. What does that tell you about some Japanese posters on this site. Most won't engage in dialogue but their downvotes speak volumes. Just how peace-loving can they be when they have zero sympathy for the millions their country killed for greed and power. They don't even want to mention them when commemorating WWII.

Fighto!

Japan's friends and allies - and there are certainly many - no longer require endless apologies about events that occurred 80 plus years ago. They know Japan is famously committed to peace, and is completely freedom-loving.

So why are the atomic bombings remembered?

I am wondering if the introduction of drug sniffing dogs on the inside, before the luggage is put on the conveyor belt, is the reason.

Possibly. Or it's a timing thing. If you flew business, you would have gotten off the plane first and therefore arrived at baggage claim much quicker than the cattle in back.

Thats a good point.

I am wondering if the introduction of drug sniffing dogs on the inside, before the luggage is put on the conveyor belt, is the reason.

Possibly. Or it's a timing thing. If you flew business, you would have gotten off the plane first and therefore arrived at baggage claim much quicker than the cattle in back.

Lots of Japanese politican are dumb as a sack of rocks,if the US condemned this it would mean the end of Kishida or any insecure Japanese politicians

I won't be flying again until it becomes as easy as getting on the shinkansen

It was, before the mass-murdering actions of several Middle Eastern gentlemen on Sept. 11, 2001. Then there was the guy with the bomb in his shoes and the other in his underpants.

Before then, I remember being able to fly cheaply with lots of flexibility, like showing up at the airport 40 minutes beforehand for international flights and breezing through the lines. Changing dates was cheap and easy too, and all the free drinks you could handle in economy.

Thanks, guys.

Luck of the draw, then. Must depend on time of day, amount of incoming flights and so on, I suppose. Our final airport was Narita, on a Saturday evening, and that was the half full flight as I mentioned. Economy the whole way.

I am wondering if the introduction of drug sniffing dogs on the inside, before the luggage is put on the conveyor belt, is the reason.

silly attempt to rewrite history?

Yes, exactly. Good on you for spotting it immediately, you are a smart boy.

While I have no time or respect for the laughable cosplayers (and some thugs) in the pictures, ordinary Japanese people do have a right to quietly pray for their war dead. 99% of whom were not war criminals.

All nations have a right to - and all do - pray for the souls of their war dead - many of whom are civilians.

cuddly,

Luck of the draw, then. Must depend on time of day, amount of incoming flights and so on, I suppose. Our final airport was Narita, on a Saturday evening, and that was the half full flight as I mentioned. Economy the whole way.

somar.

its hard to admit that Japan get defeated and have lost war?

also hard to say that Japan have started war in this part of world?

silly attempt to rewrite history?

Helped by the 20,000 tickets they had to give away to matches in New Zealand.

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/fifa-women-s-world-cup-2023-lack-of-sales-prompts-20-000-free-ticket-giveaway-in-new-zealand/

But good for women's sport. Men have been successfully guilted into pretending it is as exciting as men's sport.

That's a shame. Which airport? My family and I had an international round trip last month, including one domestic transfer, and didn't have to wait longer than 10 minutes at any of the three points we had to collect our bags. Our return flight was only a little over half full though, for full disclosure.

I came back to Haneda last month on a full flight from SE Asia, sat in biz class, and had a priority tag slapped on my suitcase, and waited for about 30 minutes for luggage.

In June, came to Narita from Hawaii and same gig with the priority tag, and waited one hour for luggage.

Other times this year, I waited no more than a minute or two for luggage at Narita.

Another storm in a teacup

Elaborate please.

Japan's friends and allies - and there are certainly many - no longer require endless apologies about events that occurred 80 plus years ago. They know Japan is famously committed to peace, and is completely freedom-loving.

Japans adversaries - Communist China, fascist Russia and the Korea's, on the other hand - will insist on Japan being on her knees apologising forever. Tough luck - they're not going to get it under PM Kishida who is standing strong.

Tell_me_bout_it

   wallaceToday 04:42 pm JST

   He should have offered a sincere apology for the actions of Imperial Japan.

Go do something about it. Dont forgive Japan, dont visit, dont think about Japan.

I did do something about it. I married a Japanese and our families came together. Even my family members who fought in Burma accepted the situation with open arms, compassion and kindness. We are united. I have lived here for 30 years contributing to the society and culture.

But the dark days of WW2 need to be remembered every year and taught to the kids in schools.

Pretty sure your country plays BFF with Japan selling weapons and earning good cash, not minding what Kishida says every August 15th. Life goes on

I do not understand your comment.

To be honest, it is ridiculous to apologize for something you didn't do ( sins of the father).

That Japan is not the same Japan, everyone involved on wars, did questionable deeds, are we still blaming Germany, for the Nazis doing during WWII?.

Seriously.

i just completed a round international trip on economy last week. It was ok. The biggest "square cog" is baggage claim at the end. I zipped through immigrate in no time and sat for an hour waiting for my baggage. It takes ages and ages and slows everything up.

That's a shame. Which airport? My family and I had an international round trip last month, including one domestic transfer, and didn't have to wait longer than 10 minutes at any of the three points we had to collect our bags. Our return flight was only a little over half full though, for full disclosure.

As philosopher Michael Marder puts it in his 2022 book “Philosophy for Passengers”: “When crew members wish passengers a ‘pleasant journey,’ I hear a dash of cruel irony in their words. How pleasant can the passenger experience be when you are crammed in your seat, with little fresh air, too hot or miserably cold, and sleep deprived?”

Mr. Marder needs to harden up. On my flights the air freshness, temperature and seat sizes were all fine.

itsonlyrocknroll

What does the future have to offer the present and future generations having to bow incessantly at the alter of an age of the political apology, from a country now close to eighty five percent of its population not even born when imperial Japan existed?

That makes an annual apology even more important because days kids know so little of their real history. My family and community fought the Japanese in Burma many ended up in POW camps where brutal treatment was handed out. if they managed to survive their lives were changed forever. I have been witness to that history.

It must be remembered every year so that it will never happen again.

It's not a daily even if it's an annual event so memorials are made.

We still mark the days of the atomic bombings even if there are so few survivors living. What is the difference between those?

Vietnamese died willingly defending the South Vietnam governments, say what you will about them.

Perhaps not as willingly as you so eloquently describe Ms whatever your name is.

wallaceToday  04:42 pm JST

He should have offered a sincere apology for the actions of Imperial Japan.

Go do something about it. Dont forgive Japan, dont visit, dont think about Japan.

Pretty sure your country plays BFF with Japan selling weapons and earning good cash, not minding what Kishida says every August 15th. Life goes on

These people are an extremely small minority with no influence. 

Then pray tell, what do you call the LDP?

Clever response Yubaru

I call the LDP the direct descendants of the Japanese imperial expansionism agenda that were basically pure evil

Japan wants to whitewash its aggression, but always remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing. Cause and effect comes to mind!!!

Printing coupons costs money, just give out cash!

TaiwanIsNotChinaToday  05:26 pm JST

Vietnamese died willingly defending the South Vietnam governments, say what you will about them.

They should have just opened their doors for Harbingers of Democracy?

And what did the American soldiers die for? Willingly attacking in the name of American government? Or were they forced?

I can hear him now:

”Some very fine people in that photo… Very fine….”

Spot on. I'd go even further and say no sincere apologies have been made, at least not by the system the PM represent. Saying "sorry" while keeping

Thankyou for your input

However i do seem to remember there was one Japanese prime minister that really did sincerely apologize to Korea and China

Iam sorry to admit ive forgot his name tho

So perhaps your right

Wallace Japan is a paradox, we have this debate every so often.

To probably go back and forth trudging through the pollical quicksand of guilt and my I suggest the absence of pardon or absolution.

What does the future have to offer the present and future generations having to bow incessantly at the alter of an age of the political apology, from a country now close to eighty five percent of its population not even born when imperial Japan existed?

Lessons need to be commemorated in classrooms, an historic understandings of past grave hostilities and conflicts left to historians educators not the murky world inhabited by politicians.