Democracy - That's when your employee tells you who to vote for Y'ALL!
For the more sensible among us: there are some profanities ahead.
So yeah, we all know how much Japan rocks. But of course we also know how fucked up it is on a political level. Just consider the issues of:
- Comfort women - didn’t exist
- Revision of history school books - yeah Nankin etc never really happened….
- War crime acknowledgment - us? Crimes? We are VICTIMS!
- LPD in power since ages - no changes in the ruling party for over 20 years (cannot find exact time)
- Okinawa forced suicides - no all just a mere act of noble patriotism.. it was the Americans anyway
So yeah, this weekend are Upper house elections. The most important ones in Japan.
This morning we had 2 official announcements over the offices intercom. A pleasant female voice announced that there are elections this weekend and please vote for…. .
I shit you not. o_0
I am floored. Try that in Germany (I daresay anywhere in Europe) and are in some serious trouble.
What really irks me is the fact that this did not happen in a Japanese company, but in a German one. I really and seriously do not approve.
My colleagues do not think it is strange to get one sided advertisement for one party during their work time from their employer. But yeah… though I am not an expert, Japan does not necessarily strike me as THE most political country/ society anyway.
Not much in tune with inner politics here (only roughly) but I am very skeptical towards the J. gov. I think the way they deny and try to cover up the bloody and gruesome trail they left in history is plain wrong. There should some serious apologizing and most important: Public acknowledgment.
I look at Germany and see how we still writhe in dust over our terrible crimes, and on the other end of the world things are flat out declined and ELIMINATED FROM HISTORY SCHOOL BOOKS! But of course the role of the helpless, innocent victim that got nuked is gladly an readily taken on any time of the day. Pisses me off. Srsly.
Maybe I am too much brainwashed by the German approach to WWII but I am sure that the J Gov is not being cool
An great little commentary can be found here:
http://www.gaijinsmash.net/archives/taking_responsibility.phtml#more
Yes and the announcement today did not help to build up my faith into the official Japan.
Well, I am still having a good time, think this is an amazing country and strongly hope that I will be an Expat here one day. No urge to completely move to Asia and settle down, but I def. need more time to enjoy this place on earth. In about 1month I am back in Europe and my last year of University starts. God what happened to all the times I used to have *haha* But until then: 2more weeks of work and almost 3 weeks holiday. Hope I can go and see Osaka and Kyoto. Unfortunately I will have to travel on my own as everyone is working and O-Bon week is just too expensive and crowded with the entire nation on the move. We'll see.
Oh and please someone put a gigantic AC on. Summer is really NOT my season. Gimme spring, gimme fall… gimme winter.. but please stay away with summer. It’s hot and humid and boring because you can hardly do anything outside. Yes, and getting fried on the beach is somewhere between Techno and the color pink on my list *gah*. Well, luckily there are ACs in Asia everywhere, which makes the summers better here than in Europe - despite it being much hotter/ more humid.
Oh, and I am going to the Fuji lakes with some other interns for the weekend. Will be fun and I hope to snap some gorgeous Fuji-san pics!
So yeah, we all know how much Japan rocks. But of course we also know how fucked up it is on a political level. Just consider the issues of:
- Comfort women - didn’t exist
- Revision of history school books - yeah Nankin etc never really happened….
- War crime acknowledgment - us? Crimes? We are VICTIMS!
- LPD in power since ages - no changes in the ruling party for over 20 years (cannot find exact time)
- Okinawa forced suicides - no all just a mere act of noble patriotism.. it was the Americans anyway
So yeah, this weekend are Upper house elections. The most important ones in Japan.
This morning we had 2 official announcements over the offices intercom. A pleasant female voice announced that there are elections this weekend and please vote for…. .
I shit you not. o_0
I am floored. Try that in Germany (I daresay anywhere in Europe) and are in some serious trouble.
What really irks me is the fact that this did not happen in a Japanese company, but in a German one. I really and seriously do not approve.
My colleagues do not think it is strange to get one sided advertisement for one party during their work time from their employer. But yeah… though I am not an expert, Japan does not necessarily strike me as THE most political country/ society anyway.
Not much in tune with inner politics here (only roughly) but I am very skeptical towards the J. gov. I think the way they deny and try to cover up the bloody and gruesome trail they left in history is plain wrong. There should some serious apologizing and most important: Public acknowledgment.
I look at Germany and see how we still writhe in dust over our terrible crimes, and on the other end of the world things are flat out declined and ELIMINATED FROM HISTORY SCHOOL BOOKS! But of course the role of the helpless, innocent victim that got nuked is gladly an readily taken on any time of the day. Pisses me off. Srsly.
Maybe I am too much brainwashed by the German approach to WWII but I am sure that the J Gov is not being cool
An great little commentary can be found here:
http://www.gaijinsmash.net/archives/taking_responsibility.phtml#more
Yes and the announcement today did not help to build up my faith into the official Japan.
Well, I am still having a good time, think this is an amazing country and strongly hope that I will be an Expat here one day. No urge to completely move to Asia and settle down, but I def. need more time to enjoy this place on earth. In about 1month I am back in Europe and my last year of University starts. God what happened to all the times I used to have *haha* But until then: 2more weeks of work and almost 3 weeks holiday. Hope I can go and see Osaka and Kyoto. Unfortunately I will have to travel on my own as everyone is working and O-Bon week is just too expensive and crowded with the entire nation on the move. We'll see.
Oh and please someone put a gigantic AC on. Summer is really NOT my season. Gimme spring, gimme fall… gimme winter.. but please stay away with summer. It’s hot and humid and boring because you can hardly do anything outside. Yes, and getting fried on the beach is somewhere between Techno and the color pink on my list *gah*. Well, luckily there are ACs in Asia everywhere, which makes the summers better here than in Europe - despite it being much hotter/ more humid.
Oh, and I am going to the Fuji lakes with some other interns for the weekend. Will be fun and I hope to snap some gorgeous Fuji-san pics!