Thoughts on the military and military activities of a diverse nature. Free-ranging and eclectic.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Shinto.


This is coolbert:

“This will get their attention!!”

Again, from the Chicago Tribune today:

“Japan”

“Mailing of finger spurs arrest”

“TOKYO - - Police arrested an extremist Thursday for sending his severed finger to the ruling part to protest the prime minister’s [of Japan] absence from the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japan’s 2.5 million war dead on the anniversary of the end of World War II, according to reports.”

NEVER SAY THE JAPANESE DO NOT TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY.

The Yasukuni Shrine is dedicated to Japanese war dead. It is almost an obligatory ritual for Japanese prime ministers to visit the shrine and pay their respects.

There is, however, a controversial aspect to the Yasukuni Shrine. Incorporated into the names of the war dead are those persons executed by American authorities as war criminals in the aftermath of World War Two. Persons such as Hideki Tojo.

"The shrine is a source of considerable controversy. Included in the Book of Souls are 1,068 people convicted of war crimes by a post World War II court. A total of 12 convicted and 2 suspected Class A war criminals ('crime against peace') are enshrined at Yasukuni."

I can recall first reading of this “incorporation” many years ago now. Created only a slight stir at the time. Names added IN SECRET, HOPING TO AVOID NOTICE!!

David Yeagley at his web site does have some interesting comments regarding the ritual-like visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to the Yasukuni Shrine.

"BadEagle has pointed out before, the Shinto religion does not honor the life, deeds, or character of the dead. It honors the departed spirits, the kami (gods) which depart without moral definition. This is ancient animism. Koizumi [the Japanese Prime Minister at the time] is not honoring war criminals. That is a superimposition of Western abstract political ideology."

[there is a whole group of folks out there who consider David Yeagley to be an American Indian imposter, a poseur’, a fraud, a fake, an all-around bad man and a white supremacist to boot!! From what I read, this is NOT so!! David sounds authentic to me!!]

"poseur'

a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not"

Also, cutting off your own finger is indicative of behavior normally associated with the Yakuza [Japanese mafia]. A sign of atonement or guilt freely accepted . There is a close link between the Yakuza and Japanese “right-wing” elements.

coolbert.

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2 Comments:

Blogger J said...

Albert, the Chinese are not Western and no fools, and they strongly object to Japanese honouring their war dead. Even Ancient Greeks honoured the enemy's dead fighters, but not those considered dishonorable.

3:41 AM

 
Blogger John S. Bolton said...

Reminds me of that Bitburg tempest in a teapot. If this is all they can find to make Japan today look even remotely as the blood-soaked Chinese despotism, where the same mass-murdering party is still in absolute power, it only shows how hostile and small-minded a nation China is. By the way, L. Auster at amnation.com/vfr/ has on the 18th and 19th of August, several posts on the leafleting of Japanese cities prior to the use of nuclear weapons. major risks were taken to give civilians a chance to evacuate. So much for the equation of WWII events of this kind, with the current terror offensive from the Islamic lands.

2:06 AM

 

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