(A TV station building on the Tokyo Bay)Symbol of Dictatorship
A Japanese professor once lived near a tall TV tower in East Berlin just after the unification of the two Germanies in 1991. He now thinks that that TV tower was a symbol of false prosperity of East Germany under dictatorship.
Now, in Tokyo, the 634-meters high Tokyo Tree Tower is under construction. This new symbol of Tokyo reminds him of the Fernsehturm (TV tower) in East Berlin.
(http://www.asaho.com/jpn/index.html )
SECTION I: Korea Annexed to The Empire of Japan
It is true that during the annexation period between 1910 and 1945 Korean people sometimes violently protested against the Japanese authority as they had done against the authority of the Kingdom of Korea and the Empire of Korea.
But, such insurgency did not upturn the state of annexation for 36 years at all. But, why?
It should have been impossible for the Empire of Japan to maintain the annexation for 36 years if Korean people had been really engaged in independence war, guerrilla war, or terror against the Empire of Japan.
Koreans could have even obtained support from China, Russia, and even America if they had been in real fighting against the Empire. But, in general, Korean people accepted the annexation arranged legally and effectively between the Empire of Korea and the Empire of Japan.
So, in terms of the relatively very peaceful and stable state of annexation, we might say that there were no significant protests against the annexation to the Empire of Japan. Indeed, it is impossible for the annexation to continue for 36 years, if Korean people had fought like Japanese in the battle of Okinawa, like Indians under Gandhi, like Vietnamese in the era of the Vietnam War, or like Afghans of today.
Koreans had been governed by kings, politicians, and leaders far worse than Japanese before the annexation to the Empire of Japan.
Those Korean leaders did not even teach how to read and write to Korean people. Even Hangul or the Korean characters were taught to Korean citizens by Japanese teachers after the annexation. Korean people worked peacefully in many factories and plants Japanese businessmen built during the annexation in Korea. New rice farming skills were introduced to Korea by Japanese, resulting in an increase in Korean population. Many Korean elites learnt in higher institutes of education in the Empire of Japan, so that some Koreans became officers and generals of the Imperial Army.
It was mostly only during WWII that some Korean people were forced to work for the defence of the Empire of Japan under extreme conditions.
But, in general, during the period (1910-1945) of the annexation to the Empire of Japan, Korean people received modern education, training, and infrastructures from the Empire of Japan the Kingdom of Korea and the Empire Korea could not realize and provide for Korean people, since Korea had been strongly hierarchical society where ordinary Koreans were neglected by upper classes.
Accordingly, no such guerrilla war and terror had occurred in the Korean Peninsula in a strategically continued manner and a systematic manner as might have lasted for more than three months in this period of 36 years. Compared with the battle of Okinawa in WWII, the Gandhi's insurgency, the Vietnam War, and the Afghan War, no guerrilla war and terror had occurred in Korea in this period of 36 years of the annexation, except sporadic assassination attempts and minor strife.
But, it does not mean that Koreans were coward, but Japanese gave so much to Koreans to boost the economy of Korea, since Korea was then part of the Empire of Japan.
In summary, as kings and politicians in Korea in the late 19th century failed in modernization and Westernization, Korean people had to belong to the Empire of Japan that succeeded in modernization and Westernization to defeat China to whom the Kingdom of Korea nominally or technically belonged.
(That is why the Empire of Japan helped Korea become an empire so as to severe the tie with China and stand against the Russian Empire.)
If Koreans today identify themselves with Korean noble men before 1910, it is no wonder they continue to request apologize from Japan for the annexation.
But, if Koreans today identify themselves with poor or ordinary Koreans before 1910, it is no wonder they respect Japan, if inwardly or secretly, for the annexation.
(http://kokis.client.jp/noby/n28_nittei.html)
To make doubly sure, it was not like colonization of African and Asian regions by Europeans, so cruel and anti-Christ.
The annexation had a historical aspect of delivery of poor Koreans from servile position to rotten regal government of Korea in the 19th to the early 20th century.
The annexation had a historical aspect of delivery of poor Korea from servile position to rotten imperial government of China in the 19th to the early 20th century.
And above all, resultant deployment of strong Army of the Empire of Japan from the Korean Peninsula to Manchuria prevented invasion of the Russian Empire in the 20th century whose cruelty could be even observed today in peripheral regions where native people spoke Russians or use Russian characters without resistance.
SECTION II: Pro-Chinese/Korean Ichiro Ozawa: Next PM of Japan?
As his mentor former P.M. Kakuei Tanaka despised high-ranking bureaucrats of the Japanese government, lawmaker Mr. Ichiro Ozawa also challenged the community of elite bureaucrats.
Though the Empire of Japan fell and disappeared with the Imperial Navy/Army, imperial bureaucrats have remained.
So, it is reasonable that politicians like Kakuei Tanaka and Ichiro Ozawa do not respect elite bureaucrats most of whom graduated from the Faculty of Law, the University of Tokyo, since those public officials despise politicians such as Kakuei Tanaka and Ichiro Ozawa who do not rely on their academic backgrounds but mostly on money.
But, for leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, it is easier to insinuate themselves into Japanese politicians such as Kakuei Tanaka and Ichiro Ozawa than into imperial bureaucrats.
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A Conversation with Ichiro Ozawa
By Michael Elliott and Coco Masters / Tokyo Friday, Mar. 13, 2009
TIME: We've seen what U.S. President Barack Obama's administration has done in his first 100 days. If the DPJ takes power in the next general election, what can we expect?
Ozawa: ...However, more important is that we have to make fundamental reform in the current government system, in which the government is led primarily by the bureaucracy. We have to replace this with a system in which the politicians take the lead to formulate the policies, make decisions on policies and execute those policies. The current government is totally dependent on and controlled by the bureaucracy. For that very reason, in difficult times like these, even when politicians in the ruling camp want to make changes, they have nothing to do.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1885041-1,00.html
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Lawmaker Mr. Ichiro Ozawa, essentially a conservative and old-fashioned politician, reportedly instructed, after the regime change through the 30-08-2009 general election, newly elected Lower-House members of the DPJ to be more engaged in campaigns on the street for the next election without spending time and energy in political and legislative activities and discussions in the parliament.
Those newly elected Lower-House members of the DPJ, the number of which is about 140, were ordered virtually to behave like a fool whose profession is an endless election campaign on the street by party leader Mr. Ichiro Ozawa who is fighting against smart elite bureaucrats of the Japanese Government. Mr. Ozawa wants not only to make a boast of the number of his followers to elite bureaucrats, the media, and Chinese/Korean leaders, but also to protect himself by as many as privileged Diet members (but not by real reputation and performance).
If 140 Japanese lawmakers become so foolish and degraded without learning politics, laws, and administration but only election campaign skills, anti-Japanese politicians in China and South/North Koreas would be so satisfied.
Before running for the 9/14 party election to choose a new head of the DPJ (the current head is Prime Minister Mr. Naoto Kan), 40-years-long lawmaker Mr. Ozawa should make it clear how much Chinese leaders and Korean leaders have come to respect Japan due to his efforts.
If Mr. Ichiro Ozawa can make Chinese leaders and Korean leaders apologize to Japan for their decades-long anti-Japanese behaviors, Japanese voters might support Mr. Ozawa as prime minister of Japan.
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A big concern about one of the most influential politicians in Japan Mr. Ichiro Ozawa is that he looks like liking to take an authoritarian stance or adopt dictatorial rule as observed in the past year and before.
Though he is an essentially conservative politician, he does not look like appreciating value of traditional culture and customs of Japan. He actually conflicted with the Imperial Household Agency regarding a schedule of the Emperor late last year.
Mr. Ozawa cannot be a Kim Jong-il in the democratic nation Japan. But, if he still likes a kind of dictatorship, he can harm some part of the Japanese society.
Yet, as he has abundant political funds and various sources of funds, he has helped some or many young politicians win election in these years. So, there is a chance that he can win the coming party election to be held for choosing its new head, if he runs for it.
So, if he should seek election to defeat P.M. Mr. Kan, it will become a great test for members of the DPJ as to how much they are sound politically rejecting possible dictatorship.
My advice to Mr. Ichiro Ozawa is not to run for the 9/14 party election, but help younger politicians come forward as candidates for the next party head, namely the next prime minister of Japan.
Even Former P.M. Mr. Junichiro Koizumi had run for an LDP party election to select its president a few times before the final one when he was surprisingly elected in 2001, with help from Lower-House member Mrs. Makiko Tanaka, the daughter of Former P.M. Kakuei Tanaka.
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Mat 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.