Historical Awareness of Provocative Politicians

Close Up Japan | 挑発する政治家の歴史認識

Historical Awareness of Provocative Politicians

Korean president PARK Geun-hye requested China’s cooperation in building a statue of AN Jung-geun, the leader of the Korean independence movement, in Harubin City in China. An Jung-geun is a hero in Korea, but, having assassinated the first Japanese Prime Minister, ITO Hirobumi in 1909, in Japan he is a criminal – Harubin is the scene of the crime. Now about 70 years have passed since World War Two and Koreans in the USA are criticizing Japan’s awareness of history in cooperation with their government by constructing bronze statues all over America of military comfort women. Before the war, Japan forcibly annexed the Korean peninsula, but after losing the war, Korea gained independence. After that, Korea achieved outstanding economic growth by making use of vast sums of reparation money from Japan and has made strong economic ties with Japan. Then, as a Korean drama and K-pop boom took place in Japan, cultural exchanges have been lively, laying the foundations for good relations between citizens. However, due to the Korean government’s recent anti-Japan stance, the affinity that had been sprouting in the hearts of Japanese is turning to antipathy. Shin-okubo, Tokyo’s so called “Korean Town” is crowded with fans of Korean pop culture, but hate speeches against Korea often take place nowadays.  On the other hand, Abe’s cabinet is advancing measures to strengthen national power, and looks as if it is antagonizing Korea and China – that have joint anti-Japan stances over the question of territory and historical awareness. In December he created quite a stir by visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, where those who died in the war, including war criminals, are commemorated. Politicians have an important duty to work for peace, but the current leadership, not having personally experienced the horrors of war, is destroying the good relations built up by citizens and increasing tensions instead. Putting things into context, the media reports that the income gap has widened in Korea and China more than it has in Japan and there is growing dissatisfaction with the government. Governments create imaginary enemies to distract people from political failures and stir citizens up through government controlled media. Before long politicians who have stirred up the populace, themselves have to react and the pattern is repeated, leading to war. What’s required now is that the leaders of respective nations have an awareness of true history. (From February issue, 2014 / 2014年2月号より)

韓国かんこく
Kankoku no
Korean
朴槿恵ぱくくね大統領だいとうりょう
PAKU Kune daitouryou wa/ha
Park Geun-hye president
韓国かんこく
Kankoku no
Korean
独立どくりつ運動うんどう
dokuritsu’undou
(the) independence movement
no
of
リーダーりーだー
ri-da
(the) leader
であった
de atta
[who was]
安重根あんじゅうこん
AN Juukon
An Jung-geun
no
of
銅像どうぞう
douzou o/wo
(a) statue
中国ちゅうごく
Chuugoku
China
no
in
ハルピンはるぴん
Harupin shi
Harubin City
ni
in
てたいと
tate tai to
building
中国ちゅうごく協力きょうりょく
Chuugoku ni kyouryoku o/wo
China’s cooperation
依頼いらいしました。
irai shimashita.
(in) requested
安重根あんじゅうこん
An Juukon wa/ha
An Jung-geun
韓国かんこく
Kankoku
Korea
では
dewa/ha
in
英雄えいゆう
eiyuu
(a) hero
です
desu
is
が、
ga,
but
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
では
dewa/ha
in
1909せんきゅうひゃくきゅうねん
sen kyuuhyaku kyuu/1909 nen
nineteen nine [year]
ni
in
初代しょだい総理そうり大臣だいじん
shodai Souri’Daijin,
the first (Japanese) Prime Minister
伊藤いとう博文ひろふみ
ITO Hirobumi o/wo
Ito Hirobumi
暗殺あんさつした
ansatsu shita
having assassinated
犯罪者はんざいしゃ
hanzaisha
(a) criminal
で、
de,
(he) is [and]
ハルピンはるぴん
Harupin wa/ha
Harubin
その現場げんば
sono genba
(the) scene of the crime
です。
desu.
is
だい世界せかい大戦たいせん
Dai’niji Sekai’Taisen
World War Two
go
since
70ななじゅうねん
nanajuu/70 nen
seventy years
ほど
hodo
about
たった
tatta
have passed
いま
ima,
now (and)
在米ざいべい韓国人かんこくじん
zaibei kankokujin wa/ha
in the USA Koreans
従軍じゅうぐん慰安婦いあんふ
juugun’ianfu
military comfort women
no
of
銅像どうぞう
douzou o/wo
bronze statues
アメリカあめりか各地かくち
Amerika kakuchi ni
all over America
てて、
tatete,
by constructing
日本にほん
Nihon no
Japan’s
歴史れきし認識にんしき
rekishi’ninshiki o/wo
awareness of history
政府せいふ
seifu
(their) government
to
with
とも
tomo ni
in cooperation
批判ひはんしています。
hihan shite imasu
are criticizing
戦前せんぜん
Senzen,
before (the) war
日本にほん
Nihon wa/ha
Japan
武力ぶりょく
buryoku de
forcibly
朝鮮ちょうせん半島はんとう
Chousen’hantou o/wo
(the) Korean peninsula
併合へいごうしました
heigou shimashita
annexed
が、
ga,
but
敗戦はいせん
haisen de
after losing (the) war
韓国かんこく
Kankoku wa/ha
Korea
独立どくりつしました。
dokuritsu shimashita.
gained independence
その
Sono go
after that
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
からの
kara no
from
巨額きょがく
kyogakuna
vast (sums of)
賠償金ばいしょうきん
baishoukin o/wo
reparation money
活用かつようして
katsuyou shite
by making use of
韓国かんこく
Kankoku wa/ha
Korea
めざましい
mezamashii
outstanding
経済けいざい発展はってん
keizai’hatten o/wo
economic growth
げ、
toge,
achieved [and]
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
to
with
強固きょうこ
kyouko na
strong
経済けいざい関係かんけい
keizai’kankei ga
economic ties
できました。
dekimashita
has made
そして、
Soshite,
then
韓国かんこくドラマどらま
Kankoku no dorama
(a) Korean drama
ya
and
Kポップけーぽっぷ
K poppu ga
K-pop
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
de
in
ブームぶーむ
bu-mu
boom
になり、
ni nari,
as ~ took place
文化ぶんか交流こうりゅう
bunka’kouryuu mo
cultural exchanges
活発かっぱつとなり、
kappatsu to nari,
have been lively
民間みんかんでの
minkan deno
between citizens
良好りょうこう
ryoukouna
good
関係かんけい
kankei ga
relations
きずかれました。
kizu/dukaremashita.
laying (the) foundations (for)
しかし、
Shikashi,
however
このところの
kono tokoro no
recent
韓国かんこく政府せいふ
kankoku’seifu no
(the) Korean government’s
反日的はんにちてき
hannnichitekina
anti-Japan
スタンスすたんす
sutansu
stance
に、
ni,
due to
日本人にほんじん
Nihonjin
Japanese
no
of
こころ
kokoro
(the) hearts
なか
no naka ni
in (that)
芽生めばえていた
mebaete ita
had been sprouting
親近感しんきんかん
shinkinkan ga
(the) affinity
反感はんかん
hankan
antipathy
ni
to
かわりつつあります。
kawaritsutsu arimasu.
is turning
コリアンこりあんタウンたうん
Korian Taun
Korean Town
といわれる
to iwareru
so called
東京とうきょう
Toukyou no
Tokyo’s
新大久保しんおおくぼ
Shin’ookubo wa/ha
Shin-okubo
韓流はんりゅうファンふぁん
Hanryuu’fan
fans of Korean (pop culture)
de
with
にぎわいます
nigiwaimasu
is crowded
が、
ga,
but
近頃ちかごろ
chikagoro wa/ha
nowadays
韓国かんこく
Kankoku
Korea
たいする
ni taisuru
against
ヘイトへいとスピーチすぴーち
heito supi-chi ga
hate speeches
しばしば
shibashiba
often
おこなわれています。
okonawarete imasu
take place
一方いっぽう
Ippou
on the other hand
安倍あべ内閣ないかく
Abe’naikaku wa/ha
Abe’s cabinet
領土りょうど問題もんだい
ryoudo’mondai
(the) question of territory
to
and
歴史れきし認識にんしき
rekishi’ninshiki
historical awareness
de
over
共同きょうどう
kyoudou de
joint
反日はんにち
hannnichi
anti-Japan
スタンスすたんすをとる
sutansu o/wo toru
(who) have stances
韓国かんこく
Kankoku
Korea
ya
and
中国ちゅうごく
Chuugoku ni
China
対抗たいこうする
taikou suru
(it) is antagonizing
かのように、
ka no you ni,
look as if
国家こっか権力けんりょく
kokka’kenryoku o/wo
national power(and)
つよめる
tsuyomeru
to strengthen
政策せいさく
seisaku o/wo
measures
すすめています。
susumete imasu.
is advancing
12月じゅうにがつ
Juu/12 gatsu
December
には
niha
in
戦争せんそう犯罪者はんざいしゃ
sensou’hanzaisha o/wo
war criminals
ふく
fukume
including
戦争せんそう
sensou
(the) war
de
in
くなった
nakunatta
(who) died
ひと
hito ga
those
まつられている
matsurarete iru
(where) are commemorated
靖国やすくに神社じんじゃ
Yasukuni Jinja ni
(the controversial) Yasukuni shrine
まい
omairi
visiting
し、
shi,
by
おおきな
ookina
quite
波紋はもん
hamon o/wo
(a) stir
びました。
yobimashita.
(he) created
政治家せいじか
Seijika wa/ha
politicians
平和へいわ
heiwa o/wo
peace
きずくことが
kizuku koto ga
to work for
大切たいせつ
taisetsuna
an important
任務にんむ
ninmu
duty
です
desu
have
が、
ga,
but
戦争せんそう
sensou
war
no
of
おそろしさを
osoroshisa o/wo
(the) horrors
体験たいけんしていない
taiken shite inai
not having (personally) experienced
現在げんざい
genzai no
(the) current
指導者しどうしゃは、
shidou sha wa/ha,
leadership
民間みんかん
minkan
citizens
ga
by
きずいた
kizuita
built up
良好りょうこう
ryoukouna
good
関係かんけい
kankei o/wo
(the) relations
こわし、
kowashi,
is destroying
ぎゃく
gyakuni
and instead
緊張きんちょう
kinchou o/wo
tensions
たかめています。
takamete imasu.
[is] increasing
この背景はいけいには
Kono haikei niwa/ha
putting things into context
韓国かんこく
Kankoku
Korea
to
and
中国ちゅうごく
Chuugoku
China
では
dewa/ha
in
日本にほん
Nihon
(it has) in Japan
以上いじょう
ijou ni
more than
格差かくさ
kakusa ga
(the) income gap
ひろがり、
hirogari,
has widened and
政府せいふ
seifu
(the) government
たいして
ni taishite
with
不満ふまん
fuman ga
dissatisfaction
たかまっている
takamatte iru
there is growing
ことを
koto o/wo
that
メディアめでぃあ
medhia wa/ha
(the) media
報道ほうどうしています。
houdou shite imasu.
reports
政府せいふ
Seifu wa/ha
governments
失政しっせい
shissei
political failures
から
kara
from
国民こくみん
kokumin no me o/wo
people
そらすために
sorasu tame ni
to distract
仮想かそう敵国てきこく
kasou’tekikoku o/wo
imaginary enemies
つくり、
tsukuri,
create and
政府せいふ支配しはいする
seifu ga shihai suru
government controlled
メディアめでぃあ
medhia
media
de
through
それを
sore o/wo
citizens <them>
あおります。
aorimasu.
stir up
やがて、
Yagate,
before long
国民こくみん
kokumin o/wo
(the) populace
扇動せんどうした
sendou shita
(who) have stirred up
政治家せいじか
seijika
politicians
自身じしん
jishin ga
themselves
うごかされて
ugokasarete
have to react and
戦争せんそう
sensou
war
へと
e/he to
to
みちびいた
michibiita
leading
パターンぱたーん
pata-n ga
(the) pattern
かえされようとしています。
kurikaesare you to shite imasu.
is repeated
いま
Ima
now
われているのは、
towarete iru no wa/ha,
what’s required
関係国かんけいこく
kankei’koku
respective nations
no
of
指導者しどうしゃ
shidousha ga
(the) leaders
真実しんじつ
shinjitsu no
true
歴史れきし認識にんしき
rekishi’ninshiki o/wo
(an) awareness of history
motsu
have
こと
koto
that
です。
desu
is

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