SHAE KUROKAWA WRITES — In response to the recent shooting rampage in Georgia, in which three Asian spas were targeted and six Asian women were killed, investigators have begun to theorize that the massacre was not motivated by rising hate towards Asian Americans generated by the coronavirus. Instead, they say,…
Tag: Comfort Women
SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN: COMFORTING THE AFFLICTED, SOME DAY
KATRINA CROSBY WRITES – The young girl sits on a chair with a small bird on her left shoulder, her eyes staring straight ahead. A second chair is left empty beside her, inviting onlookers to reflect on what the statue represents. This particular statue is located in Busan, South Korea,…
JAPAN, CHINA, and SOUTH KOREA: When Sorry Isn’t Good Enough
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Big occasions call for speeches that will be remembered for decades. Unfortunately, for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered one that disappointed many. Both China and South Korea wait anxiously every time the Prime Minister is…
CHINA, SOUTH KOREA, and JAPAN: To Face the Future, Respect the Past
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES– If China, South Korea, and Japan were humans instead of countries, you might say their relationship status would be “It’s Complicated.” The three are geographical neighbors, and treat each other as such – they are cordial when they need to be, but behind closed doors are not…
JAPAN: Revealing the Facts or Covering Tracks?
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Retracting a story is a bold move in the field of journalism and tends to suggest a lack of research. On August 5, The Asahi Shinbun decided to retract not one story, but all stories that included a quote made by a Japanese man who claimed…
CHINA and JAPAN: Will the truth set them free?
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – The past continues to haunt Japan for its treatment of Chinese “comfort women” before and during World War II. On April 25, the archives in China’s Jilin province released 89 documents that include letters written by Japanese soldiers, newspaper articles, and military files that provide solid…
JAPAN: Leaving the Past in the Past?
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – “Forgive and forget” is often easier said than done. When two countries have as rough a history as South Korea and Japan, it’s not surprising that tensions would be high between their leaders. For years, South Korea has requested that Japan offer compensation to the many…
JAPAN: Mayor’s ‘Comfort Women’ Remarks Shock Facebook
JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – When hasty, controversial remarks find their way onto social media the result is rarely good for politicians. That’s a lesson Osaka Mayor Tōru Hashimoto has come to learn. According to publications like The Japan Times and Mainichi Daily, two of Japan’s prominent dailies, Hashimoto recently made flippant…