For people who are interested in "Japan's AF Chief Fired for WWII Essay".
English edition of that essay is here. Read the original, and express your opinion.
"http://www.apa.co.jp/book_report/images/2008jyusyou_saiyuusyu_english.pdf"

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: USNVet940,

Was Japan an Aggressor Nation?

Is this a rhetorical question? Japanese aggression dates to 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria. The answer is obviously yes.

"Was Japan an Aggressor Nation" is the title of the essay which was written by Gen. Tamogami Toshio.
I quoted it just for the sake of argument and it is not question.

Recent years, Japanese conservative class had espoused this opinion. It is often called "Liberalistic View of History". As one of Japanese, I think it strange. Because it is no more than "Conservative View of History".

Quite frankly, How do you think of Gen. Tamogami's essay? Is it significant factual error? Is he proven unfit to lead? Express your views freely, please.

Actually, Japanese aggression dated to 1910(?), when they forcibly occupied the Korean peninsula.

His statements are part of the revisionist history that seems popular thses days.

Japan invaded Korea in 1592. They prevailed on land but at sea they were defeated by Admiral Yi Sun-sin. The Japanese were forced to withdraw. They invaded again in 1597 but they withdrew in 1598.
localhistories.org/korea
While the Japanese invasions of Korea show Japan to be an aggressor nation my original intent was to show the origin of Japan's involvement in WWII.

Gen. Tamogami went into retirement yesterday.

He was 60 now. Retiring age of Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff is 62. Other members of Air Self-Defense Force are 60. Gen. Tamogami was forced out of Chief of Staff and lost extra two years.

During initial phases, Ministry of Defense extended his retirement day by end of November pursuant to Self-Defense Forces Law. And they were going to confirm his willingness. Tamogami knocked back to reply it. Then Ministry of Defense assumed Gen. Tamogami reached mandatory retirement age. This was an unusual action in the Self-Defense Force.

Gen. Tamogami held a press conference and said:

• I believe that my essay isn't wrong even now.
  
• Japan was never the aggressor nation.
  
• The recognition that Japan is wrong should be modified.
  
• The spellbinding of 'The Aggressor Nation' of postwar education makes lose national confidence and imposes the morale of the Self-Defense Force decline.
  
• I wish a self-defense force official the activities which it always gave priority to a state and the people over.
  
• Japan is the same as North Korea if I cannot say dissenting opinion to government opinion at all.

Ironically, The Congress of Japan is deliberating on new anti-terrorist bill to consent that the Marine Self Defense Force performed refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Tamogami's essay will have bad influence on the approval of the bill.

"Was Japan a aggressor nation ?". This is about the dumbest question I have seen on this forum.
Please fill in some of your profile so we can see what you are.

>This is about the dumbest question I have seen on this forum.

This is not my question. It's Gen. Tamogami's one.

When I read his essay, I was surprised very much.
Because I believed that a self-defense official was unrelated to "Liberalistic View of History" before that.
According to news reports, more than 50 active members also entered the essay contest. Absolutely, their essays are the same as Tamogami's. It is unbelievable number. I did not think that there was the supporter of such much Liberalistic View of History in the Self-Defense Force.

The situation is so serious. So I gave a stimulative title to this topic. But it was a way to cause misunderstanding.

My intention is to help American people know about "Liberalistic View of History" which is called "Jiyu-Syugi Sikan" in Japanese. It hasn't been known in USA fully yet.

>Please fill in some of your profile so we can see what you are.

A civilian without military experience.

quote:

Originally posted by s******_mech:
Japan invaded Korea in 1592. They prevailed on land but at sea they were defeated by Admiral Yi Sun-sin. The Japanese were forced to withdraw. They invaded again in 1597 but they withdrew in 1598.
localhistories.org/korea
While the Japanese invasions of Korea show Japan to be an aggressor nation my original intent was to show the origin of Japan's involvement in WWII.

What does the Toyotomi invasion of Korea have to do with anything? That is so irrelevant - you have to understand why it happened and even why Japan changed into an aggressive power.

If you want to know, Japan also invaded Korea in the 7th century but China has invaded Korea many more times than that, and unlike Japan, their current Government has also done so in the modern era.

Although I certainly see the justice in our war against Japan, and coming from a family that gave blood in the war against them, you will certainly not call me an apologist for Imperial Japan. In fairness, the war could have been avoided had the European powers been less arrogant in the early 20th century, and we also drove them further away by forcing the British to cut ties with them in the 1920's. All of WW2 could have been avoided: Versailles made Hitler, Anglo-French Imperialism drove Mussollini into Hitler's corner, and the vultures in Europe gave Imperial Japan the cassus belli it needed after the 1904-1905 war.

According to the report of Japan Air Self-Defense Force, numbers of members who had entered the essay contest increased to 94 for now. I was surprised that such many members supported "Liberalistic View of History". It is shameful truly.

>What does the Toyotomi invasion of Korea have to do with anything?

I am glad that there is an American understanding the Japanese history definitely.

There was The Battle of Baekgang in 663 A.D.. At that time, the Korean Peninsula was not a unified state. "Baekje", one of these nations, asked the Japanese Emperor for the reinforcements. However, the Japanese army was completely defeated.

Goryeo which was the unified state of Korean Peninsula supported The Mongol invasions of Japan of 1274 and 1281.

Some war occurred between Japan and Korea in the medieval times from the ancient times. However, there are no direct relations with the modern war.

Please, this is a WW 2 forum not a ancient history forum. Lets stick to WW 2 and forget ancient histories.

Every country in the world has a court history and a scholar's history. Great thinkers and historians are never loved by the state.

The understanding that Japan was steered onto a path of isolation and mistrust from the pre-WW1 days to the 20's is overlooked.

Here you will see many kneejerk reactions to the very idea that Japan may have had some grievance.

Most of us, in public school, have been forced to hear how evil America is and how the internment of Japanese was the greatest warcrime of WW2.

Either view forces people to jump to the other and obscures the true history and fact.

Gen. Tamogami Toshio attended as a unsworn witness in diplomatic defense Committee of the House of Councilors, and answered questions. He insisted that he was totally right.

Today, some members of congress held up Gen. Tamogami's essay in National Defense Division of Liberal Democratic Party. LDP is submitting a bill to continue refueling gas to coalition vessels at Indian Ocean. Their supporting to Gen. Tamogami is conflicting on LDP's bill. Why can they support American's military operations though they think that America put Japan on the trap in WW2? This is simply strange.

My father flew his 3rd of a total of 40 missions onboard a B-24 on November 11th, 1944. Here is the account taken from his diary.

Mission No. 3 on Nov. 11, 1944 over Iwo Jima
Hit revetments and bunkers area between two airfields with 40 100lb bombs. 13 planes in the formation and bombs were pretty well in target area. Got intercepted by 2 Zekes and 1 nick. Zeke almost had our flight number with one of his lobbed in phosphorous bombs-beautiful sight, but that is all that is nice about them. Fighters were very aggressive and ack ack was pretty rough. One ship got hit but no damage. Total time of mission 9 hours 45 minutes. One Zeke came in at 9 o'clock and came within 200 feet of us. All guns went after him and scared him off. Tracer bullets streaked by cockpit in front of Keith and I. Poor weather on return. Fairly rough mission

YES THEY WERE.....!!

for crying out loud, they attacked Pearl Harbor when we were still sleeping and very unprepared, that was a cowardly attack!

quote:

Japan was never the aggressor nation.

The general makes himself look like a not-so-honorable azz with this line. Does he think that every nation that fell under the Japanese boot invited the Imperial Army in??? I guess the countless atrocities committed by the Japanese Army, against both the indigenous populations and prisoners, was just their way of saying "thank you" for the hospitality.

As Bugs Bunny would say.."what a maroon!"

quote:

Originally posted by j3rdinf:
Please, this is a WW 2 forum not a ancient history forum. Lets stick to WW 2 and forget ancient histories.

I have to agree with you Joe. Japan to this day still will not admit to the atrosities committed on P.O.W's. Or the occpation of china. Anyone Interested should read FLYBOYS, By James Bradley.

quote:

Originally posted by Cadet_SimsA:
YES THEY WERE.....!!

for crying out loud, they attacked Pearl Harbor when we were still sleeping and very unprepared, that was a cowardly attack!

Or simply one that used the traditional military tactic known as "the element of surprise". It's the defenders' job to be alert and ready for an attack, Unless of course you want a new line inserted into the LOAC suggesting that anyone planning on making a surprise attack must notify their enemy in advance so they have chance to wake up. D-Day might have gone differently had the attacking side informed the defenders in advance, don't you think?

As to "Was Japan an aggressor?" Well, yes, obviously. They'd been doing fairly unpleasant things of an aggressive nature in China for some time before Pearl Harbor (sic) and the evil little sods would go on to do aggressive things far beyond those justified by any sort of protecting their own interests for some time after Pearl Harbor (sic).

Ordmate,

I agree,everyone should read the book "Flyboys".
The most compelling book on Japan and their POW's. The way Japanese Officers acted. It's a terrible reason for forgiveness and none should have been allowed to survive, much less become a Mitsubishi Executive. There are a bunch of those animals from Chichi Jima that's shoveling coal in hell.

P.S.
Hirohito should of been hanged in Toyko in 1945.