Anne Frank comes out of hiding to edit her book in Tokyo

[matsuki]

OMG, Nazis are alive and well in Japan, just look at the shape of the Tokyo Marathon route!! That's a borked swastika if I ever saw one!

course-map[1].jpg

[Samurai_Jerk]

Hammer, there's a pretty strong strain of anti-Semitism in the Japanese media. Remember Marco Polo, the magazine shut down for running Holocaust denial articles? Or the frequent lectures on racial tolerance that the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Rabbi Abraham Cooper gives the likes of Shukan Post or the Nikkei for running anti-Semitic material? Japanese mainstream media is not averse to printing batshit crazy stuff about Jewish conspiracy material of the like that makes even Benjamin Fulford appear lucid. Let's not forget Japan's contribution to the Lod Airport Massacre, albeit more than 40 years ago now. But, probably due to energy concerns, Japan's Middle East diplomacy has generally focused on closer ties with the non-democratic, sexist, archaic theocracies or dictatorships than it has with the free and democratically elected governments of Israel.
Therefore....it would not come as a total surprise to learn the perpetrator is a Japanese anti-Semite.
Though not on the scale of French or Dutch who rounded up Jews for slaughter to make them look more attractive in the eyes of their German masters, there was an continues to be an element of Japanese society that can be fiercely anti-Semitic. Listen to some of the talk in financial circles. Or the entertainment world. Mind you, Japan can also boast of trying to resettle threatened people in China and saintly types like Chiune Sugihara showing support for Jews in defiance of their alliance with the Germans, which the likes of collaborationist France or the Netherlands showed no sign of doing.

Oh yes, I've seen that nonsense. There are even a couple of books about, I believe, but I have never run up against an average bloke on the street who overtly holds or expounds such views. I have always considered it a niche perversion that is pretty much negligible ... particularly when compared to some other "enlightened" western cultures. I know it's there, but the blip on my radar is tiny. Maybe I just haven't been in the right place at the right time, but maybe I'm just inclined not to make mountains out of molehills.

I've got to back up the others and say I've definitely come across openly Antisemitic Japanese people on a few occasions. It has always been from older, well-off, well-educated men.

[Yokohammer]

I've got to back up the others and say I've definitely come across openly Antisemitic Japanese people on a few occasions. It has always been from older, well-off, well-educated men.

OK, got it. The numbers seem to be running in that direction.
I guess I've just managed to sidestep that stuff somehow. I don't think that's due to shutting it out on my part, maybe just dumb luck.

By the way [hands on hips] ... where the hell have you been?

[Samurai_Jerk]

I've got to back up the others and say I've definitely come across openly Antisemitic Japanese people on a few occasions. It has always been from older, well-off, well-educated men.

OK, got it. The numbers seem to be running in that direction.
I guess I've just managed to sidestep that stuff somehow. I don't think that's due to shutting it out on my part, maybe just dumb luck.

By the way [hands on hips] ... where the hell have you been?

Been really busy at work and trying to spend less time online in my free time.

[Yokohammer]

Been really busy at work and trying to spend less time online in my free time.

Sounds like a really good idea. If only I didn't spend most of my time working in front of this infernal contraption, with brief detours into cyber madness my only escape.

Glad to hear it was nothing serious.

[Yokohammer]

This has now popped up on The Guardian:

Copies of The Diary of a Young Girl and associated books found with pages torn out in what appears to be a concerted campaign

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, believes "the geographic scope of these incidents strongly suggest an organised effort to denigrate the memory of the most famous of the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis," he said in a statement.

"I know from my many visits to Japan how much Anne Frank is studied and revered by millions of Japanese. Only people imbued with bigotry and hatred would seek to destroy Anne's historic words of courage, hope and love in the face of impending doom," said Cooper. "We are calling on Japanese authorities to step up efforts to identify and deal with the perpetrators of this hate campaign."

[Coligny]

I've got to back up the others and say I've definitely come across openly Antisemitic Japanese people on a few occasions. It has always been from older, well-off, well-educated men.

OK, got it. The numbers seem to be running in that direction.
I guess I've just managed to sidestep that stuff somehow. I don't think that's due to shutting it out on my part, maybe just dumb luck.

By the way [hands on hips] ... where the hell have you been?

/sidenote...
In the little subset of population I have been exposed to, I've had more reaction amounting to "what's a Jew ?" Rather than "Quick, to the ovens !"
(Including a candid-as-usual "I think I've never met a Jew" from mominlaw with matching sad kitten face like If she was talking aboot the baby elephant born at the local zoo)

[Wage Slave]

But, probably due to energy concerns, Japan's Middle East diplomacy has generally focused on closer ties with the non-democratic, sexist, archaic theocracies or dictatorships than it has with the free and democratically elected governments of Israel.

It's all pretty free and democratic unless you happened to be a Palestinian or unfortunate enough to be a refugee who is half Jewish on your father's side rather than your mother's.

Criticism of Israel's behaviour categorically does not equal anti-semitism. It equals criticism of Israel's behaviour. And there is quite a lot to take issue with. Japan and anyone else with half a brain and half an understanding of history knows that.

Pull the other one. An Australian lecturing on history, democracy and the evils of other countries' racism. I grew up in Queensland and it was near a gerrymandered oligarchical corruption ridden police state in the 70s. Antisemitism was casual and everyday as was the most disgusting racism and violence towards Aboriginal people. There was also something called the "White Australia Policy" in place.

[Yokohammer]

... I grew up in Queensland and it was near a gerrymandered oligarchical corruption ridden police state in the 70s. Antisemitism was casual and everyday as was the most disgusting racism and violence towards Aboriginal people. There was also something called the "White Australia Policy" in place.

Oh crikey ... he's one of ours.

Or were you just passing through?

[Taro Toporific]

The 75th Anniversary of Japan's Stand Against Anti-Semitism
Jewish Currents | December 7th, 2013
...Japan’s response did not sit well with the Führer...It’s likely Emperor Hirohito then was asked, What do we do with the Jews now? ...
... the Jewish question, still in committee, remained on the proverbial back burner.
The Nazi demand for extradition {of Jews} was never granted. The Japanese allowed Jews to remain on their islands. On December 31, 1940, then Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke (who would die in prison before his trial for war crimes in 1946) said, “I am the man responsible for the alliance with Hitler, but nowhere have I promised that we would carry out his anti-Semitic policies in Japan. This is not simply my personal opinion, it is the opinion of Japan, and I have no compunction about announcing it to the world.”
Seventy-five years have passed since Japan’s decision. It remains a benchmark of national conscience.
More...

Lawrence Bush
December 10, 2013 at 10:29 am
Leonard Lehrman writes:
There is a wonderful story I remember reading in a book about Sugihara, that when a Japanese official asked the rabbinical leader of Japan’s Jewish community, “Why do our German friends hate you people so much?” the response was: “Because we are an Asian people.” I remember the wonderful response this story elicited from colleagues at the Japan Society when we collaborated on the premiere at Riverside Church in 1990 of my setting of Lee Baxandall’s “A Requiem for Hiroshima.”

Pingback: Hundreds of copies of Anne Frank diaries vandalized around Tokyo / Western journalists imply connection to Shinzo Abe | Japan Probe

[Wage Slave]

... I grew up in Queensland and it was near a gerrymandered oligarchical corruption ridden police state in the 70s. Antisemitism was casual and everyday as was the most disgusting racism and violence towards Aboriginal people. There was also something called the "White Australia Policy" in place.

Oh crikey ... he's one of ours.

Or were you just passing through?

Just a long passing through as it turned out. For about 8 years. Family still has significant connections.

And yes, I fully acknowledge that things are unrecognisably better. And that is good.

[kurogane]

If, in order to live happily in Japan you have to create a bubble where you exclude 99% of the people that make the Japanese nation... You might be a bit of a masochist...

Fair enough, but that's not what I meant, or whom I tend to exclude, unless by Japanese Nation you include long term resident foreigners that seem permanently confused about who they are, where they are, and amongst whom they have chosen to live. Many very decent and intelligent people, often good friends as well, but that permanent Kolonial Klub attitude makes me want to cry and scream. And the permanently comical child's level Japanese pretty much shoots the tyres out of their delusion of superiority and confoozyun about Japanese not learning English. I am rather happy to not meet any of these sidewalk anti-semites, mind, but that's true anywhere.

I really liked YokoH's definition of a good bubble. Transparent insulation filled with warm happiness, if you will. Sounds like a planistan.

I've got to back up the others and say I've definitely come across openly Antisemitic Japanese people on a few occasions. It has always been from older, well-off, well-educated men.

Yes to all that. A few occasions over the course of 25 years back and forth, very casual, very non-malevolent, and mostly always from that demographic, though I take issue with this "well educated" depiction.

Those Books (think an updated Elders of Zion meets Astroboy) seem to be the root of most of it. There are 3 or 4 of them that sold quite well many years ago (Showa and maybe early Heisei), and that tendency for pretence and presumption about Foreign Country Issues combined with their fanatical devotion to simpleton level Received Knowledge probably helps explain the resilience of that BS. As Coligny's MinLaw shows in contrast, most of That Ilk have probably never even met a Jewish Humanoid, or even care if what Those Books say is true. It was in print, they read it, and that's good enough for them. A trivial but weird little thing it is.

Also, +10032 to the comments on Australian bigotry in general and anti-semitism in particular. The usual convict jokes aside, for that good a people it's prevalence and resilience is fucking mind boggling, even allowing for the high proportion of papist peasantry that found a home there. The resident Aussie WHV'ers here in Western Canada can be worse than the fattest, dumbest stereotypical American tourist in knee socks, and they often have higher education, which should be enough to overpower even an Irish last name.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Australia is far from a paragon of virtue. The recently elected monarchist, theist government has in its few months in office already shown it will pursue the racist, sexist, bigoted politics Australia inherited from the British. It is guilty of all you accuse it of and worse.
I contributed to this thread not so much as an Australian, but as a humanist.
I hate wrongdoing no matter where it originates (and I'm guilty of lots of wrong myself, having chundered and plundered my way around the world).

[kurogane]

Yeah, we seem to have a resurgent Fat White Power thing going on in Canada these days too. Very disturbing.

I just find the Australian openness about it quite astounding, especially when they are guests in a country where they should know that while there might be a similar tolerance of intolerance amongst gutter crawlers of the same ilk, it isn't appropriate outside of the various Fat White Men's Clubs both our countries have. I have never ever heard so many otherwise decent and probably not cretinously stupid people use terms like Abo, Paki, Wog and Hebe with such nonchalance.

And to be clear, it's not as much about PC-ness as about public decency and the stupidity invovled in being unable to recognise the need for it. I simply don't find that in any other English speakers bar a certain unterklasse of Kiwi, Brittrash included.

[Wage Slave]

I have never ever heard so many otherwise decent and probably not cretinously stupid people use terms like Abo, Paki, Wog and Hebe with such nonchalance.

Abo was the polite form. Boong was the preferred and more perjorative term. Jew, wog and dago were more everyday. And this was from the scions of the squattocracy. In fact there were very few members of any of these groups in their lives. No matter. They served as terms of generic abuse. Calling someone a boong was very uncommon in comparison. Real fighting talk I suppose.

[Takechanpoo]

hey guys, dont be deceived.
this incident is one of discounting japans reputation campaignes.
this is pretty organized one. and there is such an organized Antisemitic ppl in here japan? HELL NO.
the other day korean comfort women organization STRANGELY quickly reacted to this case.
and you know there is a few huge pro-korea religious organizations in here japan.
as you do know. yeah

[matsuki]

hey guys, dont be deceived.
this incident is one of discounting japans reputation campaignes.
this is pretty organized one. and there is such an organized Antisemitic ppl in here japan? HELL NO.
the other day korean comfort women organization STRANGELY quickly reacted to this case.
and you know there is a few huge pro-korea religious organizations in here japan.
as you do know. yeah

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case. All jokes aside, I see this being more plausible than some sort of organized Japanese jew-hate group. That or the work of one nutjob, over quite a period of time, who's handywork is just getting noticed now.

[Yokohammer]

I agree.
Some of Takechan's conspiracy theories actually make sense.

[Wage Slave]

it will pursue the racist, sexist, bigoted politics Australia inherited from the British.

It's a fair cop but society IS to blame - from 3:55, but the Liberal nonsense and rat tart earlier is worth revisiting too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA1kaFgLuh0

[legion]

That or the work of one nutjob, over quite a period of time, who's handywork is just getting noticed now.

probably this

34 year old single male

[Coligny]

I agree.
Some of Takechan's conspiracy theories actually make sense.

After Snowden....

Any conspiracy theory make sense...

Still waiting to learn that Elvis is still alive and that there actually is a real flying saucer in area 51 though...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Yeah, we seem to have a resurgent Fat White Power thing going on in Canada these days too. Very disturbing.

I just find the Australian openness about it quite astounding, especially when they are guests in a country where they should know that while there might be a similar tolerance of intolerance amongst gutter crawlers of the same ilk, it isn't appropriate outside of the various Fat White Men's Clubs both our countries have. I have never ever heard so many otherwise decent and probably not cretinously stupid people use terms like Abo, Paki, Wog and Hebe with such nonchalance.

And to be clear, it's not as much about PC-ness as about public decency and the stupidity invovled in being unable to recognise the need for it. I simply don't find that in any other English speakers bar a certain unterklasse of Kiwi, Brittrash included.

Unfortunately, I've been guilty of such behavior, though I strive to be more tolerant and compassionate nowadays.
Australia has certainly been sent numerous messages about its racial intolerance, but to my understanding the vast bulk of people react defiantly toward such gentle admonitions. There's definitely a casualness about Australian English that is no quite so evident in English-speaking cuntries where organized religion has exerted considerable control, but I suspect there is also a lot of spoiled petulance when outsiders point out globally unacceptable language or behavior, much in the same way as many Japanese throw a tantrum when tackled over their whaling.

[kurogane]

Australia has certainly been sent numerous messages about its racial intolerance, but to my understanding the vast bulk of people react defiantly toward such gentle admonitions. There's definitely a casualness about Australian English that is no quite so evident in English-speaking cuntries where organized religion has exerted considerable control, but I suspect there is also a lot of spoiled petulance when outsiders point out globally unacceptable language or behavior, much in the same way as many Japanese throw a tantrum when tackled over their whaling.

I certainly agree that most intransigence is as you say, defiance. I think we can all dig that. I certainly have a strong FU reflex in those situations (it's why I love the Japanese dolphin hunt response, even though I like dolphins). I get the tendency to abbreviation throughout Australian English, but that only highlights the problem: it's not the tendency, it's what is being abbreviated. Long or short, they're disgusting epithets, and they aren't rendered neutral or acceptable because they sound cuter when shortened. Besides, Wog is an acronym............ Also, not too sure about the lack of organised religion factor: Australia has a relatively high proportion of Catholics, no? The hooks of that monster run deeper than just going or not going to church on the appointed day.

At any rate, to end on a high note, there are lots and lots of Australians that do not and would not use those terms, but as a comparative percentage it seems higher. I am often disgusted by the obvious relish with which many inmigrant white flatlander Cdns enjoy the resident Yobbos talking like that. We all have our problems, and here on the Wet Coast the main problem is ignorant whites not recognising that people named Wang or Bajinder are just as Canadian as their sorry white trash asses (Greater Vancouver is 33% Asian, fyi).

Anyhoo................classic retardation from Takechinpo. Many is also not but does not make none because is play.

[kurogane]

I agree.
Some of Takechan's conspiracy theories actually make sense.

No, they don't. Even the most hysterical Jewish defence organisation knows that Japan is not on any Anti-Semitic hot list. It's a trivial but noteworthy idiosyncracy, for all the reasons we've been over above.

We do realise Takechinpo is just McAlpine or some other Go Native Eikaiwa fruit loop writing in Yellow Pen, non?

OTOH, one or 5 random loosers pulling a 'prank' does make sense. A lot of sense. NEETs, Ronin, and this new rather silly made up condition would all provide more than enough suitable candidates for something this nasty and stupid. Trust me, I once spent much of 6 months in the Sakyo-ku Central Ward Library studying for my Monbusho entrance exam. They're there, and they're very, very queer. The sort your bubble don't need. I mean, creepy weird, man.

[Yokohammer]

Ooh ... dismissing one conspiracy theory and raising another.

I have a couple of issues with that:

First ...

I agree.
Some of Takechan's conspiracy theories actually make sense.

No, they don't. Even the most hysterical Jewish defence organisation knows that Japan is not on any Anti-Semitic hot list. It's a trivial but noteworthy idiosyncracy, for all the reasons we've been over above.

Sure they do. The concept of sabotage with the intention to blame it on someone else, either for simple revenge or to justify punitive action agains the other party is not new around these parts (I refer you to the Mukden Incident, although that was Japan doing it to China). The fact that it does look like an organised campaign, plus the fact that it has been so successful in raising an international stink, makes the "Takechanpoo Theory" plausible. He's saying that someone or some group might be doing it to make Japan look bad. Wouldn't be the first time. Nobody has said that they believe it's the answer, but the theory does merit consideration along with any others.

And second, the new conspiracy theory ...

We do realise Takechinpo is just McAlpine or some other Go Native Eikaiwa fruit loop writing in Yellow Pen, non?

Non. Takechanpoo is Takechanpoo, and all evidence indicates that he is who he says he is (not that he has actually said much about that, but he has said enough). His style is consistent and most recognisably Takechanpoo, even if there's a puppeteer behind it. Don't matter. He is most definitely NOT McAlpine, who calls himself McTojo around here, and who has been confined to the dungeon for being an ass. McAlpine/Tojo has attempted to go incognito in the past, but his ... um, "style," is also so recognisable that he simply can't pull it off.

And your alternative theory ...

OTOH, one or 5 random loosers pulling a 'prank' does make sense. A lot of sense. NEETs, Ronin, and this new rather silly made up condition would all provide more than enough suitable candidates for something this nasty and stupid. Trust me, I once spent much of 6 months in the Sakyo-ku Central Ward Library studying for my Monbusho entrance exam. They're there, and they're very, very queer. The sort your bubble don't need. I mean, creepy weird, man.

That's fine and plausible too. Let's pin it up on the cork board along with Take's (although you did commit a cardinal Sin of the Internet by writing "loosers" when you meant "losers" ).

[Coligny]

Don't phear guys...

Just say the words:

False Flag...

[Russell]

Don't phear guys...

Just say the words:

False Flag...

You ... you mean W is behind it again?!?

[Samurai_Jerk]

Abo was the polite form. Boong was the preferred and more perjorative term. Jew, wog and dago were more everyday.

For the record, "Jew" is not a pejorative.

[Wage Slave]

Abo was the polite form. Boong was the preferred and more perjorative term. Jew, wog and dago were more everyday.

For the record, "Jew" is not a pejorative.

I should have been clearer on that. The word is not inherently pejorative but it's more complex. The shortenings Abo and Paki are pejorative but Brit isn't. Why? It all depends on the common use/emotion/intent/understood connotations of the word. Spastic in the US/Canada and the UK is another example.

In the case of the word Jew at that time in Brisbane its use most definitely was pejorative and most often a general term of abuse. This was total racism. There was no one-word and non pejorative way of referring to Jewish people.

[GomiGirl]

I know this thread has taken a different course from the original subject, so I am just going to threadjack some more.

There is a saying in Australia - "Calling a spade a spade" which is not considered offensive AFAIK as it relates to garden equipment (as opposed to a shovel) rather than the racial slur by the same name.

But I do believe that this is not the case in other countries.. can anybody enlighten me?