Comments on: Japan: Responses to the Kyuma A-Bomb Statement http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:49:29 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Global Voices 日本語 » ブログアーカイブ » 日本：62年後、いまなお思い起こす http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1192064 Global Voices 日本語 » ブログアーカイブ » 日本：62年後、いまなお思い起こす Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:37:15 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1192064 [...] 広島・長崎の原爆問題が日本の政局において現在でも存続することが、数週間前の久間章生前防衛大臣の有名な「原爆投下はしようがなかった」との発言で浮き彫りとなった。この発言は騒動を招き、最終的に大臣の辞任へと発展した。 [...] [...] 広島・長崎の原爆問題が日本の政局において現在でも存続することが、数週間前の久間章生前防衛大臣の有名な「原爆投下はしようがなかった」との発言で浮き彫りとなった。この発言は騒動を招き、最終的に大臣の辞任へと発展した。 [...]

]]> By: Global Voices Online » Japan: 62 Years Later, Still Remembering http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1191581 Global Voices Online » Japan: 62 Years Later, Still Remembering Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:40:16 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1191581 [...] made his famous statement that the bombing “could not have been helped”. The statement caused an uproar which culminated in his eventual [...] [...] made his famous statement that the bombing “could not have been helped”. The statement caused an uproar which culminated in his eventual [...]

]]> By: Readers Edition » Portugal, Afrikas Diktatoren und Bio-Plastik - Bürgerjournalismus weltweit http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1190513 Readers Edition » Portugal, Afrikas Diktatoren und Bio-Plastik - Bürgerjournalismus weltweit Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:40:42 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1190513 [...] Aussage, die Atombombenabwürfe auf Nagasaki und Hiroshima seien unvermeidbar gewesen, hatte Chris Salzberg im Sinn, als er japanische Blogs betrachtete. Kyuma (der selbst in Nagasaki geboren wurde) ist [...] [...] Aussage, die Atombombenabwürfe auf Nagasaki und Hiroshima seien unvermeidbar gewesen, hatte Chris Salzberg im Sinn, als er japanische Blogs betrachtete. Kyuma (der selbst in Nagasaki geboren wurde) ist [...]

]]> By: Marta http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187894 Marta Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:04:55 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187894 The bombing of the civilian population of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was a war crime on a massive scale, just like the Japanese atrocities at Nanjing, and on a lesser scale, the My Lai massacre. Unfortunately, a "War Crime" is determined by the victor. How ANYONE, much less a Japanese person, could make the statement that Kyuma Fumio made is outrageous. It was self-serving pandering to right-wing US "interests" in Japan. Thankfully it backfired. The bombing of the civilian population of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was a war crime on a massive scale, just like the Japanese atrocities at Nanjing, and on a lesser scale, the My Lai massacre. Unfortunately, a “War Crime” is determined by the victor.

How ANYONE, much less a Japanese person, could make the statement that Kyuma Fumio made is outrageous.

It was self-serving pandering to right-wing US “interests” in Japan. Thankfully it backfired.

]]> By: Glad this fascist is gone! « Moveable Feast http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187867 Glad this fascist is gone! « Moveable Feast Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:09:43 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187867 [...] Japan: Responses to the Kyuma A-Bomb Statement  [...] [...] Japan: Responses to the Kyuma A-Bomb Statement  [...]

]]> By: Marcus http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187791 Marcus Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:43:51 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187791 I think Nagasaki Mayor Taue pretty well knows Kyuma is from Nagasaki - as it happens, that's his electorate and that's where he's campaigning has been taken place. I think Nagasaki Mayor Taue pretty well knows Kyuma is from Nagasaki – as it happens, that’s his electorate and that’s where he’s campaigning has been taken place.

]]> By: Garrett http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187734 Garrett Tue, 10 Jul 2007 01:27:40 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187734 Atomic weapons are abhorrent, that goes without saying. What I love is, as I mentioned in my piece (thanks for the link, Chris), that Nagasaki Mayor Taue felt the need to lecture Kyuma on sensitivity to <em>hibakusha</em>. Now we get people from Hiroshima (especially) today, who seem to be under the impression that no one outside of Hiroshima is aware of how terrible the atomic bomb was and who are somehow victims despite having been born decades after the attack lecturing Kyuma on sensitivity to <em>hibakusha</em>. Now, I might be going out on a limb here, but Fumio Kyuma was born in 1940 in. . . (drumroll, please). . . Nagasaki. Maybe, just maybe he's heard a little bit about the atomic bombs. Atomic weapons are abhorrent, that goes without saying.

What I love is, as I mentioned in my piece (thanks for the link, Chris), that Nagasaki Mayor Taue felt the need to lecture Kyuma on sensitivity to hibakusha. Now we get people from Hiroshima (especially) today, who seem to be under the impression that no one outside of Hiroshima is aware of how terrible the atomic bomb was and who are somehow victims despite having been born decades after the attack lecturing Kyuma on sensitivity to hibakusha.

Now, I might be going out on a limb here, but Fumio Kyuma was born in 1940 in. . . (drumroll, please). . . Nagasaki.

Maybe, just maybe he’s heard a little bit about the atomic bombs.

]]> By: Marcus http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187677 Marcus Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:45:55 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187677 oops, meant to include this link too <a href="http://www.japannewsreview.com/politics/politics/20070708page_id=446" rel="nofollow">Kyuma says no to meeting with A-bomb victims</a> oops, meant to include this link too Kyuma says no to meeting with A-bomb victims

]]> By: Marcus http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187676 Marcus Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:44:49 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187676 <a href="http://www.japannewsreview.com/society/international/20070707page_id=401" rel="nofollow">I thought the North korea response was interesting too</a> And the A-bomb sufferes were of course not too happy either, especially as Kyuma didn't have the guts to meet them and apologize I thought the North korea response was interesting too

And the A-bomb sufferes were of course not too happy either, especially as Kyuma didn’t have the guts to meet them and apologize

]]> By: Shingen http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-1187672 Shingen Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:16:04 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/07/09/japan-responses-to-the-kyuma-a-bomb-statement/#comment-1187672 The problem is that Kyuma's words were seen as an acceptance of the A-bombings, when they were anything but. You can say that they were inevitable without accepting the reasons or moral decision involved. It seems quite likely to me that the Holocaust was in many ways inevitable given German thinking with regards to the Jews at the time: encouraged deportation, mass deportation, further ghettoisation and the rest is history. That is not to say that I agree with the decision made by the Nazis, far from it; it is abhorrent. In Japan, particularly in Hiroshima (I cannot say for sure about Nagasaki, but I would believe my statements will hold to some extent) where a sense of victimhood is particularly strong, people are quick to quiet any discussion that might lesson the strength of that victimhood. The effect has greater significance there than the cause. Concerns about the belligerence and the lack of personal mercy of the Japanese government at that time, the concerns of the US in terms of manpower, plus the wider actions of the Japanese in East Asia have been put to the side in favour of the suffering of the kokumin. Nuclear weapons are abhorrent, however, their use by the US is understandable. Perhaps more so than some other wartime activities, such as those of Unit 731 in Manchuria. The problem is that Kyuma’s words were seen as an acceptance of the A-bombings, when they were anything but. You can say that they were inevitable without accepting the reasons or moral decision involved.

It seems quite likely to me that the Holocaust was in many ways inevitable given German thinking with regards to the Jews at the time: encouraged deportation, mass deportation, further ghettoisation and the rest is history. That is not to say that I agree with the decision made by the Nazis, far from it; it is abhorrent.

In Japan, particularly in Hiroshima (I cannot say for sure about Nagasaki, but I would believe my statements will hold to some extent) where a sense of victimhood is particularly strong, people are quick to quiet any discussion that might lesson the strength of that victimhood. The effect has greater significance there than the cause. Concerns about the belligerence and the lack of personal mercy of the Japanese government at that time, the concerns of the US in terms of manpower, plus the wider actions of the Japanese in East Asia have been put to the side in favour of the suffering of the kokumin.

Nuclear weapons are abhorrent, however, their use by the US is understandable. Perhaps more so than some other wartime activities, such as those of Unit 731 in Manchuria.

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