World War II and Japan
World War II officially ended 63 years ago with the surrender of Japan, but the legacy of the war isn't completely over. On Sunday, an unexploded bomb dropped from a B-29 was discovered in Tokyo, forcing the evacuation of 16,000 residents while the Self Defense Forces were called in to defuse it, which they did successfully. Although this was a unique reminder of the reality of the war for modern Japan, I've always wondered why tangible signs that there really was a war here are so rare today. There are a few, of course -- a really straight road in a nearby city that locals will tell you used to be the runway for the Nakajima Air Base, a playground with an old Zero fighter converted for kids to play on, and a deactivated American bomb on display in a library. Growing up in the Washington D.C. area, though, I remember visiting Arlington National Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial, and I feel as if I was more aware of the war than Japanese kids growing up here, where it actually happened. There's nothing like Arlington here in Japan, no equivalent to Veteran's Day or Memorial Day -- I guess there are psychological factors at work in the minds of the Japanese that are hard for an American to fathom.
posted by Peter in Japan at 8:14 PM
11 Comments:
I would so have stood back there and said, "Bang!" to scare people.
11:16 PM
No reminders? You don't count Hiroshima Peach Memorial?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial
What about that shrine Japanese government officials can't visit for fear of offending?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_surrounding_Yasukuni_Shrine
4:41 AM
Oh, I totally agree, Hiroshima is a big exception, as would Okinawa be, or I'd assume a place like Ise that was building the ships, but here in Gunma, without any special history, there's almost nothing to make you think there was a war 60 years ago. Tokyo, too.
9:36 AM
Okay, so I'd say Japan has national monuments/reminders of the war. The town I grew up in and some around it had special parks veteran memorials with a central monument with everyone's names that died in the war. Lots of other places would have at least a plaque.
Across the road from my parent's house there is a cemetery with markers that say what war the person fought in.
Nothing like that in Japanese towns is what you're saying?
10:45 AM
Hmm, not around here. and not on a scale anything like what I grew up with (well, anything would be less than Washington DC, but I'm also thinking of the common markers you see in European cities). Where did you grow up?
12:23 PM
I grew up all over, but my home town is in Michigan.
I used to live at Fort Meade, MD and spent most every weekend of the summer in DC. I was around when they put in the Vietnam Memorial.
1:50 PM
I had a similar reaction travelling to Japan from Australia. I was vaguely apprehensive flying into Tokyo Bay for the first time (just like I was crossing the Rhine into Germary).
Growing up in Australia, the World Wars (especially WWII) seem to always be part of the background - memorials, movies, cultural references et al. So I was struck not to see much (any?) reference to this when I visited Tokyo and Kyoto.
My impression was that Japan had largely moved on and gotten down to the business of, well, business. I expressed my extreme pleasure to a Japanese friend that we could be friends instead of trying to kill each other as our grandfathers might have done and he thought I was being over the top.
I suppose that's fair enough, so long as we remember to be friends.
8:40 PM
Yes, I probably don't reflect on that one time I got in a big fight and had my ass handed to me. The staff of J-List always get a difficult expression on their faces when I bring up a discussion topic like this. I feel sorry every time I do it ^_^
11:47 PM
Well, some people have moved on, others are simply enamored with the pure spectacle.
There is this very detailed WWII battle simulation software called Aces High that I play occasionally because a friend of mine is a big player. Later in June 100-200 people all over the world will take sides for the bombing of Rangoon.
They don't have the proper Japanese bombers modeled, so I will be flying a German J-88 on the Japanese side. My usual fate is to complete my bombing run and then disintegrate under heavy ground fire or fighter attack.
4:27 AM
Ye gads, I just googled up a URL for a Lancaster cockpit I saw the other day and found this. That's amazing -- 360 degrees!
Adrian, do you know what planes our grandfather used to fly? Maggie told me he was a test pilot. Did he fly during the war?
1:05 AM
That's what the Aces High plane cockpits look like, copied from real plane layouts of course. All the indicators work and most require your attention at some point during the game.
I spent half one bombing run in a plane I hadn't flown before looking for the clock.
A lot of the real estate is information about your engines.
3:19 AM
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