Shinzo Abe: "What Sex Slaves?"

Unfortunately, to at least most people here in the states, Japan is one of two things:

1. Just like an anime, with fancy technology everywhere, cute girls who squeal a lot, and the occasional robot attack.
2. Super traditional, where the men have swords at their sides and women wear kimono all the time.

Obviously, both views are far from the truth and a product of the movies/television/stories we've been exposed to. It's the only exposure we get to Japan here, through anime/manga/movies, so you can't blame that many people. Not too many people get to experience the real Japan. So you get a lot of Japan fans who think the country can do no wrong and its oh-so-much better than the states.

But of course, Japan has problems. And in this case, of the political nature. While problematic relations with the rest of Asia over the war is nothing new (Koizumi managed to rile them up every time he went to visit Yasukuni shrine), Abe's statement is pretty damn bold. I'm thinking this is more for his party support, since the LDP stance has always been pretty conservative. Unfortunately, he's willing to risk already poor international relations just for the sake of his party. Not a wise move on his part, but you gotta appease the people at home first before you do abroad (it's just politics).

In any case, I'm sure there would have been a less extreme way to do so. Not the best choice of words.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

There has been a general reluctance in Japan for people to discuss the war. This has been the case since the end of the war and nothing is probably going to change that attitude for awhile.

Japan has a very different stance on the war than Germany does. In Germany, holocaust denial is a criminal offence. They've been open and admitting about their role. However, in Japan, no such laws about war denial exists, which means all viewpoints (including the denials) get equal hold. While it's great for free speech purposes, it lets viewpoints similar to Abe's get broadcasted on a national level.

So unfortunately, I think it might just be the case that he actually does believe what he says. I'm hoping it's ignorance and misinformation rather than any actual attempt to provoke his Asian neighbors.

There's nowhere I can't reach.