Japan should convey the facts against China and S.Korea's propaganda
Japan should convoy the fact to the world in the face of propaganda by China or S.Korea.
2014.02.10 Henry.S stokes, Ex-Tokyo Bureau Chief for New York Times
Mr.Stokes says "Let's have a better opinion of Japanese themselves"
China and S.Korea put more teeth into the propaganda efforts for giving Japan a bad name. With regard to the problem of visiting Yasukuni and the issue with comfort women, there is a move to get along with their claims in the Western countries. How Japan, headed by the Prime Minister Abe, should deal with this situation?
Mr. Henry Stokes gave private interview with us. He has stayed in Japan for 50 years and hold the Tokyo bureau chief posts for the New York Times or British Financial Times, also is the author of "A British Journalist Finds False in Allied Countries' View of History of War Victory"...
At first, I ask him how much he value the prime minister Abe. He praised Abe highly, saying "He is doing fine. and is the first Prime Minister of Japan who gained an international reputation in Davos Forum. There not has been a Japanese Politician who was more valued than Shinzo Abe." I knew the former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe, and also have interviewed the former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. Shinzo Abe has surpassed even his father and grand father "
I also asked about Abe's visit to Yasukuni which China and S.Korea critisized and on which the US Ambassador to Japan commented as she was disappointed to hear that.
Mr.Stokes said "There are psychic powers in Yasukuni, clean and divine space is there." and protest that Yasukuni differs so much from Arlington Cemetery in the US which is often compared with Yasukuni. Besides he said with honor to the Class A war criminals collectively in mind, "In the first place, did the Tokyo war crimes tribunal, that was just the victorious nations' revenge, have validity? The Indian judge Radhabinod Pal also mentioned that all the suspects were innocent.” It is politicians' rights and duties that they express their sincere condolences to the spirits of the war dead, who fought for their homeland, and pray for peace. They need not to obtain permission from other countries. I think the PM Abe should visit to Yasukuni openly without being swayed by official or non-official."
Mr. Stokes wrote in his book, "Of course the reality of "Comfort woman" is not "Sex slave" at all, but "hetaera"" based on the public document in the US, and he also pointed out that Japanese are the ones who first offered the fake information about the Nanjing Massacre and the issue with comfort women. After all " Enemy of Japan is Japanese ?"
Then, I sought a comment from him about the Korean-related organizations that are erecting statues across the United States. He answered "The Koreans tend to take extreme actions on every matter. When I covered the suspicion of the former President Kim Dae-jung who was considered to be a hero at first, my Korean friend got really angry at me. It is stupid that we see comfort woman as a hero."
And these again, he warned, " Japan should bring all the fact out into the open and provide the information in English effectively toward the rest of the world. China and S. Korea take advantage of the fact that Japan does not fight back against them for bringing their propaganda to the mainstream. If this goes on, Japan would continuously be accused by the world community." (Akiko Azimi)
written and translated by a member of OFJ(Objections from Japan)
ZAKZAK
Henry Scott Stokes (born 15 June 1938 in Glastonbury, Somerset, U.K.) is a British journalist who has been the Tokyo bureau chief for The Financial Times (1964–67), The Times (1967-1970s?) and The New York Times (1978–83).
He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. After graduating, he moved to Japan, where he became a journalist of the Tokyo bureau of The Times. Also around this time, he became close friends with famous Japanese author Yukio Mishima. He is the author of the biography, The Life and Death of Yukio Mishima (1974).
