Japan and WW2: You Gotta Have せ'

惨禍を繰り返さ「せ」ない　高市首相の式辞に加わった1文字への懸念 From the Asahi. Let's consider 繰り返す: it means 'repeat'. So, what Takaichi is really saying is that Japan's actions in the buildup to WW2 were not offensive or aggressive- not 侵略戦争- but defensive- 自衛戦争。Thus, the PM pledges not to incite ("させない") a foreign country to provike Japan into repeating a war of self-defense. (She does try hard, that one.) This is patently false, a flagrant attempt at revisionism, a grave insult to historical truth. In the classical sense, an error. As the victims of Japan's aggression well know, and remember. Is it any wonder, then, that those brutalized by Japan should doubt its leaders' sincerity? Even now, 81 years later?

Japan's Surrender and the Problem with the PM

PM Takaichi's speech at the annual ceremony commemorating Japan's WW2 surrender on August 15, 1945, and honoring the nation's victims of the war marked a hugely significant departure from past speeches, and it all came down to a single kana, せ。 From the headline in the Asahi: 惨禍を繰り返さ「せ」ない　高市首相の式辞に加わった1文字への懸念 Whereas her predecessors avowed to a man never to repeat Japan's wartime past, to mount a war of aggression (惨禍を繰り返さない, '侵略'), Takaichi, by inserting the single kana 'せ' (繰り返せない), makes no such pledge. Her statement on the 15th means that Japan will not provoke another country into initiating armed conflict (by a massive military buildup, or exporting offensive weapons- the latter in violation of the country's pacifist constitution, by the by) . Her wording does not explicitly disavow wars of Japanese aggression. Rather, it seems to acknowledge that Japan's neighbors might be concerned by the country's militarism. Given the country's past militarism, an understandable concern. Alters things, the 'せ'. As Chuo University professor Nakakita explains, "中央大の中北浩爾教授（日本政治史）は、「繰り返さない」は、自ら戦争を起こした日本が不戦の決意を述べていると読めるのに対し、「繰り返させない」は、相手国が戦争を引き起こしたように読める可能性があると指摘。第二次世界大戦が「日本が主体的に戦禍を起こした『侵略戦争』ではなく、やむなく戦争に向かった『自衛戦争』だったというニュアンスが出かねない」と話す。

迂愚、蒙昧: Japan's Wartime History

The kanji in the title describe the person who averred the following: 少なくとも私自身は、（戦争の）当事者とは言えない世代だ。反省なんかしていないし、反省を求められるいわれもないと思っている The enlightened soul who shared these thoughts? 高市首相は1995年、国会で...と述べている. No, you muppet, you hadn't been born then, no one's accusing you of slaughtering Shanghainese, or brutalizing the civilian population of Malaya. No one claims to have photos of you in the uniform of Unit 731. But if you lie about your nation's history, if you patriot-wash its darkest chapters, you become complicit. 共犯関係 is the term. Stupid. Ignorant. But 1995 was ages ago, you may protest. The lady hasn't changed, as shown in remarks she made at a solemn ceremony commemorating Japan's surrender at the end of WW2, 81 years ago. 終戦の日の15日、高市早苗首相は政府主催の全国戦没者追悼式の式辞の中で、「戦争の惨禍を、二度と繰り返させない」と述べた。これまで石破茂前首相らは「繰り返さない」と述べてきたが、「せ」の1文字が加わった。 Surely there are people around her who understand the importance of history and good-faith stewardship of historical knowledge? 首相に近い自民党議員は「日本が悪いことをしたという発信は良くないとの問題意識を持っている」とし、保守層を意識しているとの見方を示す。 Not in the Takaichi cabinet. Defense Minister and nepo-baby Koizumi paid an official visit to Yasukuni Shrine recently, for instance. 蒙昧、迂愚。Alas, these people: stupid, ignorant, and dangerous. They will remain in power for some time to come.

Japanese Traditional Sweets

Pictured are 木苺 (raspberry)- flavoured sweets from 諸江屋 in Kanazawa. The percentages refer to the concentration, from 6%- 60. 諸江屋: Moroeya Main Store https://share.google/KrpFmycawfVlwNctC

Don't Buy the Stuff from China

さば (鯖), 味噌煮: mackerel stewed in miso. To die for. Except when it isn't, which was the case with the contents of this can. The 鯖 was just off, hard, flavorless, and was that miso? Now, I knew this was processed in China, and while I ordinarily avoid edible things Chinese, I thought to give it a go.

So, if you want to know where something has been sourced, search for 原産国名。As you can see in this instance: 中国。Don't go there, it's crap, And where the quality isn't off, exactly, you have to worry about the tiny hands. Because China doesn't.

Jimukichi (事務基地) Kanazawa

Stationery store. The exterioris nothing much to look at, but they have everything.Tokyu Hands and Tsutaya are nice (both located in downtown Kanazawa) but have nothing on this shop, which is a couple of kms beyond the Korinbo district. I bought a very nice Sailor (Japanese brand) fountain pen (thick nib, which I recommend) and supply of calligraphy paper there the other day. The entire selection of Pilot (also Japanese) fountain pens is currently 25% off. By the way, fountain pen is 万年筆、or 10,000- year brush. 漢字 are living culture, they change over time (consider, for instance, sakura: 櫻、桜 (the latter having replaced the other, though some family and place names retain the former. They dance across the page, flowing into each other. It's a real pleasure to have a proper 万年筆 when practicing the Japanese writing system. Jimukichi kanazawa https://share.google/D6OHAcNAvfBX9CvUX

Koshien Baseball: Debutants Fukuyama (Hiroshima) vs Tenri (Nara)

【夏の甲子園】バーチャル高校野球 | スポーツブル https://share.google/XOgCVrJNqXRjy48Xu Fukuyama's opponents are the Nara powerhouse Tenri, who have qualified over 30 times in their history, including last year. Exciting game, top of the 9th.

"Patrice" on NHK E

I had the TV on NHK E (Education, 教育) whilst waiting for the afternoon's early Koshien baseball game to begin on NHK General. (NHK's galaxy of programming is equaled for quality and vaiety only by the BBC, perhaps. Maybe.) Patrice: The Movie https://share.google/qoF7oYly10fkUY7CX The station aired "Patrice", a documentary about a couple with impairments and their indomitable spirit (no self-pity here) in the face of life in general and, as this is the US of A, the gratuitous cruelty of US regulations regarding social insurance eligibility. (If you are American, you'll know exactly what form of evil the inhumaity takes. Hyperbole? I doubt it.) It is sad, infuriating, and uplifting all at once. And it makes one (that person is me) wish horrible things would befall the architects and apologists of these policies. (I should add that the latter sentiment is my own and not expressed in the movie.)

Koshien: Iwate Hanamaki Higashi (Otani's HS)

Iwate powerhouse Hanamaki Higashi HS, alma mater of Otani amd other professional baseball stars, are currently playing on NHK. Their opponents are Nitta HS from Ehime, about as different a place from Iwate as possible and still be in Japan. バーチャル高校野球（夏の甲子園） - スポーツナビ https://share.google/Le38AZbV6CcJZlHl2

"トロッコ", by Akutagawa Ryunosuke

This collection of Akutagawa stories includes 蜘蛛の糸 (The Spider's Thread) and 杜子春 (Toshishun), celebrated short tales by one of Japan's pre-eminent authors. I highly recommend both. Included in this volume is トロッコ, a wonderful story about 8-year-old Ryouhei and an experience that reverberates throughout his life. I'll say no more. See the link below to free library Aozora Bunko.

https://share.google/vm8U9hdK2foZptujB A representative example of Akutagawa's style (here describing the motion of the mine cars): 煽るように車台が動いたり。That is exactly the sensation of riding on a narrow-gauge mine railway, more on that below. (Imagine the flickering of a candle's flame, that's the idea. The 火 of the character means 'flame' and is the base radical.) Japanese lends itself to such economy (think of 俳句), and Akutagawa is a master stylist. (By the way, the verb 煽る is also used for dangerous driving, especially tailgating.) Speaking of トロッコ、rightly the most famous in Japan is that linking Unazuki Onsen and Kurobe Dam in Toyama. I've ridden the train, and it's a memorable experience. However, unlike the Kurobe Dam railway, the trucks (トロッコ) in the Akutagawa story are moved by the miners themselves. https://www.kurotetu.co.jp/

Japanese HS Baseball Tournament "Koshien"

Teams representing all of Japan's 47 prefectures travel to Koshien Stadium (home of Hanshin Tigers) in August for this annual HS baseball championship. It's amateur sport at its finest and stars many a future professional (though Otani Shohei's HS team did not qualify to represent Iwate). One of the many nice things about the games and NHK's coverage are the profiles of the schools and their local communities, sometimes the prefectures the teams represent. The best link I could find for those who don't subscribe to NHK, the public broadcaster which has rights to air the tournament: バーチャル高校野球（夏の甲子園） - スポーツナビ https://share.google/TrfSYMy13pGSczhRU

Onwasan Kannon Temple and Yamato Amadera

Whilst waiting for NHK's live broadcast of the annual HS baseball summer championship 'Koshien'to begin, I saw a short program about this temple in Nara Prefecture (year 749, Nara Period) and head priest 後藤蜜栄. Recommend the Youtube video. 音羽山観音寺公式サイトー音羽山観音寺について - 音羽山観音寺 公式サイト https://share.google/lhQ99E7vNxZksuxQw

Kumamoto: a New Species of Earthquake

Photo (at the link) showing damage to a bridge located directly above a fault line in Kumamoto Prefecture. According to experts, the mechanism that produced the damage had not been observed previously even in this earthquake-prone country. 傷を引き起こした力として、地震の揺れと断層のずれ、という2種類の力が同時に作用したと考えられるという。複合的な力が損傷を引き起こしたとみられることから「日本でも類を見ないような被災事例となっている」とした。 (from 朝日デジタル, linked below) 熊本地震、損傷の高速道「類をみない」被害　断層のずれと地震の揺れ [熊本県] [2026年熊本地震]：朝日新聞 https://share.google/xUDNiUIEd6dweehdL

Sayonara to All That- Maybe (Updated)

All but a done deal: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/04/japan/permanent-residency-requirements-income/ I have to renew my visa in January 2028, less than one year after the regulations are due to take effect for new applications. With the foreign-owned business visa as precedent, I suspect long-term permanent residents to be affected by the proposed financial requirements for permanent residency which currently apply only to new and future applicants, And so, eventually, I and everyone I know will be ineligible. Update: I have been assured by an American who has been here as long as I - nearly 3 decades- and has considered the matter thoroughly that there's no cause for concern for permanent residents with families, proper jobs, and Japanese skills. I sure hope he's right.

More of the Same

Opponents kill international school plans in Sapporo | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis https://share.google/L8AppUCfNgESR0DZx

Beautiful Japan- Not So Much

Racist, discriminatory: a truly awful proposal from Japan Rugby. Hopefully this never comes to pass. Should provoke widespread condemnation. Sadly of a piece with growing anti-foreigner sentiment in PM Takaichi's Japan. RUGBY/ New rules leave former Japan rugby star Timothy Lafaele in limbo | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis https://share.google/lo4EjdQEiuwUTCB8L