Success! Japanese and Korean lawmakers pledge to resolve comfort women issue

[gambit]

When you were on the receiving end, it never stops being an issue. Especially when people still use it as some sort of "political card" (like visits to the Yasukuni shrine).

Would Jewish people forget the Holocaust, if the German leaders kept visiting shrines to honor the war criminals of WW2?

Your analogy is flawed in the sense that the threat of a second Jewish Holocaust is always present and if we look at it again, it is happening at a smaller scale in just about every Muslim dominated countries where there are Jews living among the Muslims.

The 'comfort women' no longer exist. That does not mean the Asian countries that suffered under Imperial Japan back in WW II do not have a legitimate moral grievance over their women. Yes, they do. But it is about time the Asian countries shed this imaginary shackle off themselves. Imperial Japan no longer exist, only Japan. Who were once subjects of Imperial Japan are now peers of Japan and the lack of a formal apology from Japan over the comfort women issue and the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine does not change that status.

For the foreseeable future, China will be a threat to all of Asia. THAT should be the focus of the rest of Asia, not what happened 60 yrs ago.

 

[cnleio]

If lawmaker & lawyer can slove everything, there's no WAR again. NAIVE !

 

[xenon54 out]

Your analogy is flawed in the sense that the threat of a second Jewish Holocaust is always present and if we look at it again, it is happening at a smaller scale in just about every Muslim dominated countries where there are Jews living among the Muslims.

Jews in Turkey are fine dont worry.

 

[Aepsilons]

If lawmaker & lawyer can slove everything, there's no WAR again. NAIVE !

No one is telling anyone to be naive. However, if politicians from varying countries can come and meet together to take steps that can ameliorate any pre-existing disagreements and address any repressed angst, then, by Jove, that's one step towards an "ideal harmony". Remember that conflicts, in context to inter-personal relationship dynamic as well as nation-to-nation dynamic, arise due to misunderstanding that may be caused by miscommunication. This is why intergovernmentalist channels and confidence building measures are so integral for nation states. Ergo, Japan and South Korea.

 

[SvenSvensonov]

In order to understand why relations between Japanese and Chinese are the way they are , currently, one has to understand the Personality Psychology, with regards in cultural differences, specifically the East Asian Psychology. One can say that governments may use historical events as milking cows for political clout among their constituency, sure, i think that is a reality in context of the Sino-Japanese relations. But one thing has to be realized is that East Asian Personality, is one emphasizes the memory of old wrongs, slights. Why? And how? The answer is Pride. This is a unique and very real factor in understanding East Asians, in general. Japanese - Korean - Chinese. Both sides, and I would say that I hope the Japanese side takes an active role in bridging this gap.



Master Lao Tzu once said to his disciples, “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

This applies for leaders of nations, and the people of nations. If it is peace that is the center of want, then accepting present faults and difficulties is a necessity. Working towards that goal, that central want, will be achieved in time, with constant practice.

Religion, economics, race, each gets thrown around as the cause of all human evils, with religion being the most maligned, but pride has always been the killer of man and today we see the scenario being no different. Nationalism, racism, sexism, nothing more than fancy words for pride. I have always taken to seeing the conflicts in East Asia through this lens, that even with all the evils perpetrated by any side and they all have their problems and have their evils, at the end of the day what leaves them clinging to centuries old hatreds is their pride. Pride in their national identity, their economy, their culture and leaders, it's childish through the eyes of someone who has had no equal, no one to hate, like we in the US, but nothing quite like this exists outside East Asia. As you said, it's an interesting dynamic.

The quote you added is very poignant, but i fear that while each nation's leadership knows who they are, they are afraid to speak out loud. They all want to make up and live in peace, but no one has taken the initiate as of yet and offered to forgive the others and move on. They've all tried, whether through solo efforts or joint platforms, they've dialogued, they've convened forums, but they've never truly been able to forget their pride and allow themselves to see the world through the others eyes.

I don't have a connection to the region as you do. Not even the US-Japanese-Korean dynamic particularly endears me to them, but I have always had a fascination with East Asia and not just the three major powers. I try to be a positive person and from this I wish Japan, China, Russia and South Korea the best going forwards. They don't have to forget, we haven't forgotten Pearl Harbor or any other perceived crimes against us, and we don't expect East Asian nations to do so either. But it is time to forgive and return to a time of peace and not tension. Remember the past as though it happened today and let it help guide you, but never yearn for the past so much that the future remains unreachable.

 

[Aepsilons]

....Remember the past as though it happened today and let it help guide you, but never yearn for the past so much that the future remains unreachable.

This is just truly sublime. Thank you for that wisdom and point of reflection.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

@Nihonjin1051 I have often seen pundits propose that Class A war criminals be "removed" from Yasukuni as a solution to this issue. What would that entail? Is it even possible, in the sense that there is something physical located at Yasukuni that can be moved away?

@Chinese-Dragon If such a thing were possible (e.g. if physical remains were located at Yasukuni, and disinterred), do you think that would remove the visits to Yasukuni as an issue, or do you think Yasukuni is too strongly associated with the Class A war criminals at this point to ever be considered a neutral shrine?

 

[gambit]

Jews in Turkey are fine dont worry.

Am not worry. They are. They have to be. Your Muslims are not as stable as you would like us to believe.

 

[Aepsilons]

@Nihonjin1051 I have often seen pundits propose that Class A war criminals be "removed" from Yasukuni as a solution to this issue. What would that entail? Is it even possible, in the sense that there is something physical located at Yasukuni that can be moved away?

The ashes of those men are in the shrine, and their names are engraved with the names of over 3 million Japanese soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in defense of the Nation. Removing it would be possible, perhaps they can even 're-locate' them in another tomb outside Yasukuni.

The question that one is left asking would be, "will they still protest afterwards?"

Yasukuni, afterall, is our equivalent of the 'Tomb of the Unknown soldier'. And is considered sacred, hallowed ground.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

The ashes of those men are in the shrine, and their names are engraved with the names of over 3 million Japanese soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in defense of the Nation. Removing it would be possible, perhaps they can even 're-locate' them in another tomb outside Yasukuni.

The question that one is left asking would be, "will they still protest afterwards?"

Yasukuni, afterall, is our equivalent of the 'Tomb of the Unknown soldier'. And is considered sacred, hallowed ground.

It's quite a dilemma, isn't it. Japan probably wants to ensure that if it gives concessions to China, that they will be final and allow the relationship to move forward. But China doesn't appear to be willing to discuss a settlement before concessions are provided.

A sad state of affairs, indeed, between two countries that I greatly admire.

 

[Shishike]

The ashes of those men are in the shrine, and their names are engraved with the names of over 3 million Japanese soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in defense of the Nation. Removing it would be possible, perhaps they can even 're-locate' them in another tomb outside Yasukuni.

The question that one is left asking would be, "will they still protest afterwards?"

Yasukuni, afterall, is our equivalent of the 'Tomb of the Unknown soldier'. And is considered sacred, hallowed ground.

over 3 million Japanese soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in defense of the Nation

Source: Success! Japanese and Korean lawmakers pledge to resolve comfort women issue | Page 3
Sorry, i just don't get that, if you attack other countries how could you call it's a defense?
You just name slapping others as defense by your hands from others' faces?

 

[Aepsilons]

It's quite a dilemma, isn't it. Japan probably wants to ensure that if it gives concessions to China, that they will be final and allow the relationship to move forward. But China doesn't appear to be willing to discuss a settlement before concessions are provided.

A sad state of affairs, indeed, between two countries that I greatly admire.

Yes it is. We'll see what happens.

 

[DeVice]

But what will Japanese government do toward deniable officials and figures in Japan over it?

As long as there's no agreement and law over this, this meeting is useless.

Deniable should be shot dead.

over 3 million Japanese soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in defense of the Nation

Source: Success! Japanese and Korean lawmakers pledge to resolve comfort women issue | Page 3
Sorry, i just don't get that, if you attack other countries how could you call it's a defense?
You just name slapping others as defense by your hands from others' faces?

To defend the whole East Asia against White colonist!

But today Japan is vassal country of US, since they lost the war.

 

[j20blackdragon]

For the foreseeable future, China will be a threat to all of Asia. THAT should be the focus of the rest of Asia, not what happened 60 yrs ago.

2013 Statistics | OICA

 

[l'ingénieur]