MovieChat Forums > The Railway Man (2014) Discussion > Japs Vs. German Attitude Toward Their Si...

Japs Vs. German Attitude Toward Their Sins.

posted 11 years ago by cooleon
28 replies | jump to latest

In the movie, Nagase repented.
However, the US soldiers who overtook the Japs prisoner camp should have interviewed the victims, not the perpetrators, and punished him accordingly.

In reality, Jap government is still
denying some of the sins they committed,
and its head of state is officially paying respect to war criminals by worshipping at Yasukuni Shrine which house souls of war criminals, even 1st class,
refusing to properly apologize to the suffered parties
whereas German are still hunting down Nazi war criminals.

That's pretty stark comparison between two nations.

Moreover, it's trying to build stronger army, reinterpreted its US infulenced constitution that prohibits no offensive army, so it can arm itself for possible future invasions, if circumstance allows.

I think Japan is still deep in the illusion of being overseer of Asia and perhaps further more.

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cooleon 11 years ago

Conspiracy theorist, huh!?

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/06/20/national/politics-diplomacy/patriotic-wives-few-in-number-but-loud/#.U6a07fl_vXA

http://www.inquisitr.com/1308659/89-year-old-philadelphia-man-charged-with-nazi-war-crimes/

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] cooleon 11 years ago

I'm so so sorry.
There are simply so so many of these.

Japan’s Historical Blinders
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/23/opinion/apology-for-world-war-ii-sex-slaves-is-again-at-issue.html?_r=0

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] cooleon 11 years ago

'Stop war': Thousands protest in Japan over military expansion law change
http://rt.com/news/169448-japan-protest-military-law/

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] mail-2217 10 years ago

Very few nations have an unambiguous repentance after a war. In fact, Germany is EXCEPTIONAL in this regard. -Most- conflicts heal very slowly and one side does -not- say mea culpa. In fact, it usually is the case that people try to let things die down.

My impression of the Japanese is that they have largely tried to forget the past. Their kids don't get much education about the war... they honestly don't know about all their crimes--which infuriates the Chinese no end.

But this is not unique. Americans have tried to forget Vietnam and now Iraq. Hell, look at how much raw denial there still is in America about the Civil War? Until recently, no one in the south had -any- problem with Confederate flags... which I find as symbolic as a swastika.

So don't pick on Japan. They're the norm.

[–] cooleon 10 years ago

When someone disagrees with me, I first try reason with'em first.
But, with you?
I'm literally lost with words.

Yeah, most wars and civilian killings are done by US these days.
So forget about all the horrible things Jap did 70 years ago, huh?

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] Hoffhammer 10 years ago

Boy, what an idiot. Guess what dude, most people still don't care about the confederate flag. I've never heard anyone talk about Civil War denial.

As for Nam and Iraq, how can you say the US is forgetting them? They're etched into the public consciousness for decades to come. I don't know about Japanese kids, but the US isn't sweeping anything under the carpet.

[–] mail-2217 10 years ago

Until very recently, if you opened a high school history book in most of the South (my experience was Texas and Alabama), it would list slavery as -not- being a 'primary cause' for the Civil War. Something called 'States Rights' would be #1. That's denial.

[–] fnj2002 10 years ago

It's called the truth, son.

[–] coldnaps 9 years ago

Nope, it's called denial, son. Try looking up the Confederate constitution and/or the states' documents of secession. Slavery was most definitely the main reason.

[–] psmythe-03014 9 years ago

You must be referring to what you probably think of as the "War of Northern Aggression?" What a crapload, son.

[–] Grimaldi_J_B 10 years ago

You are full of crap.

[–] greg-goremykin 10 years ago

Japan is definitely not the norm, especially given the vast scope of their murder, medical experimentation, torture, and even genocide. Japanese history textbooks devote little more than a few pages to the entire Second World War, and focus mostly on the suffering of Japanese civilians during Allied bombing campaign.

Senior Japanese politicians still routinely deny their use of forced prostitution of Korean, Dutch, Filipino, etc. women, and even claim that major atrocities like the Nanking massacre never even took place. I'm not surprised by the animosity of most Koreans and Chinese to Japan's unapologetic and revisionist stances. I mean, could you even imagine a German cabinet minister denying that the Holocaust took place??

[–] KartofflMuter 9 years ago

How about a presidential candidate who doesn't believe in Global Warming?

[–] clemato 10 years ago

Stop using the word "Japs". That is an offensive slur. It's disgusting.

[–] tango09212 9 years ago

thank you clemato , if you had said that in school , you would have been "hissed " out of the class ,

[–] KartofflMuter 9 years ago

I'm with you. It's nasty, racist, Trumpian, and meant to tear down.

[–] KartofflMuter 9 years ago

I'm with you. It's nasty, racist, Trumpian, and meant to tear down.

[–] derekm23 8 years ago

so why isnt calling citizens of the United Kingdom "Brits" an offensive slur?

[–] jprhedd 9 years ago

Germany did not hunt down war criminals and never really apologized. How could they? ISiS is now following in theses footprints. There is always a gathering place for monsters.

[–] Imdb11168 9 years ago

Well, The Americans did Hiroshima and the Brits did Dresden, so .......

[–] KartofflMuter 9 years ago

Again with the British. Can't they do anything nice? They ruined my husband's family estates. And they gave my mother life -long headaches when she had to run from shelter to shelter with wet hair in the cold.

[–] KartofflMuter 9 years ago

First-You twice wrote "Japs". That is very disrespectful. Put down your middle finger and act like an adult .I knew your age and mentality when you switch to red ink.

Second- Germans are efficient. What you don't and never will understand is that the majority of Germany was innocent and could only stay quiet as 12 million neighbors disappeared and the press was shut down. Homeland Security.They already sensor the press for Trump. This is the start. But that was one man and one country.When he died, the efficient shook off the nightmare, apologized, and became strong and helpful. Germany was always a country of Catholics ,Lutherans, and Jews. Only a few Jews remain, but let us call them, the Sons of Abraham.

The Japanese- The Japanese had successfully followed a policy of Isolationism (Something Trump would like) till very recently. In many ways, even though they have mingled with Western culture frequently, are much less affected by that contact. They still live very much by a Japanese code and that code I image, would demand they commit seppuku if they admitted fault. How can you be wrong when the Imperial Commander commands you to fight for your country? Is it wrong to do you duty? To fail your duty is dishonor. These are not sons of Abraham. These were Samurai. They behaved honorably.

Ask a Japanese person to explain it. If you have honor,you will listen.

[–] cooleon 9 years ago

Are you a Jap who just followed the orders and killed innocent civilians, beheaded, experimented with exposed guts?
If so, I meant disrespect.
So, go on right ahead and have at it.

You seem especially delusional.
Isolationism my tight arse.
Japan was the forerunner to opens its gate and adapts western ways in far eastern history.
Far ahead China and Korea,
That's why they had western knowledges and weapons to almost effortlessly conquers China, Korea and most southeastern Asia and wages and wins rhe war against the Russia, and fought the US somewhat succesefully, only until it finally lost when the American dropped the bombs.
The only thing the imperial Jap could not comprehend from the west was the concept of ''Rules of Engagement'' in war.

Not only it waged wars against most its neighbors without justifiable causes, your so called just order following soldiers committed savage crimes against humanity, killing thousands of innocent civilians.

Here are some light readings for ya;

http://nation.time.com/2012/12/11/why-japan-is-still-not-sorry-enough/

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/26/national/history/japans-whitewashing-world-war-ii-history-rankles-u-s-veterans/#.V0wLdWiLRPY

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Imdb11168 9 years ago

These are not sons of Abraham. These were Samurai. They behaved honorably.

Lots of people like you love to do this 'honour' talk. There is an argument that look at the Japanese today - they have a lot of money, development, science and they are hard working people, they are cultured in art, food, music, fine.... and honour. But what about their behaviour just 70 years back ?

The Japanese behaved like savages in World War 2. The govt was imperialistic, but even individually the cruelty the Japanese showed was not normal. Now again, some apologists argue that the Japs had some kind of "code of conduct" that they were hard people who were even willing to kill themselves, rather than surrender, but that does not mean that you are willing to commit unspeakable brutalities on women and children. Behind all their polite, gentle. head nodding honourable behaviour lurks something else, which i can see today in the ISIS

I'm not saying that the Japs are the worst of the lot, nothing like that, i'm just saying that the world loves to ignore their faults, wrongly giveS them more credit than they deserve and that there is something suspect behind Honour - Samurai - Bushido - Seppuku crap

Darkness lies an inch ahead

[–] cooleon 9 years ago

Yeah, if hehaving honorably means;
beheading civilians with one nice swing, not two,
gang raping women multiple time, not just once,
experimenting on a person not on just one organ,
killing not just one innocent civilian, a whole lot of them,
yeah, guess they did super honor samurai jobs.

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

[–] DurakSuka 8 years ago

Let's see 'Murrica apologize for Nagasaki and Hiroshima,Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria,Korea,Cambodia, Palestine and the countless horrors perpetrated across the world first, eh? Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay aren't places in fiction.