Seventy-two years ago today, 1941 December 7th (U.S. time), the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the U.S. Navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
And tomorrow, 2013 December 8th, will be the thirty-third anniversary of John Lennon’s murder.
Also, the iconic Nelson Mendela died at the age of 95 the day before yesterday (2013 December 5th).
石田太郎 (Taro Ishida), a Japanese actor who also did voice dubbing for many Japanese releases of Hollywood movies. He was the “voice” of Gene Hackman in most of Hackman’s movies in Japan. He was also the Japanese voice of the late Peter Falk’s TV detective character “Columbo“.
Mr. Ishida died this past weekend.
Taro Ishida, 1944 Mar 16 – 2013 Sept 21, R.I.P.
Did you know that there are aliens in Tokyo?
Have you ever seen these aliens in Tokyo?
Do you know where they are?
I’ll give you a hint: Do you know where 「中野ブロードウェイ」is?
Today, 2013 August 15th, is the sixty-eighth anniversary of the day that Japan surrendered to the U.S. in 1945.
It’s called 「終戦記念日」(“VJ Day”), and it was the event the signified the end of World War II.
As I mentioned last Tuesday, August 6th was the sixty-eighth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
And now today (2013 August 9th) is the same anniversary of the atomic bombing of 長崎 (Nagasaki, Japan).
As I mentioned in my post about Hiroshima, the famous 原爆ドーム (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum) is in Hiroshima.
Nagasaki has a peace memorial to remember the war, honor the victims and hope for peace, too.
It’s in 「平和公園」 (“Peace Park”).
The Peace Memorial in Nagasaki’s Peace Park.
The atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on 1945 August 9th at 11:02AM (Japan time). So, there will be a moment of silence in Japan at 11:02AM today just as there was last Tuesday for Hiroshima.
Today (2013 August 6th) is the sixty-eighth anniversary of the atomic bombing of 広島 (Hiroshima, Japan).
This is a photo of 「原爆ドーム」.
The name literally means “Atomic Bomb Dome” but it’s usually called “Hiroshima Peace Memorial” in English.
Today in Japan at 8:16AM, there will be a moment of silence.
Anne Frank (アンネ・フランク) would have turned 84 years old today, June 12th 2013, if she were still alive.
Have you ever read “The Diary of Anne Frank” (アンネの日記) ?
She received the diary as a present from her parents on her thirteenth birthday.
She began writing in it immediately and continued for two years until she and her family were captured by Nazis in early August 1944 when she was fifteen.
Her father was the only member of her family to survive the hard-labor concentration camp.
He had her diary published after the war when a family friend, who had kept Anne’s diary safe, returned it to him.
“The Diary of Anne Frank” wasn’t immediately successful in Europe, and it was mildly successful at first in America…but it was an immediate bestseller in Japan!
In her diary, Anne wrote:
“I want to be useful to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!”
and:
“Will I ever be able to write something great?“
She definitely wrote “something great”…and she’ll go on living forever!
– Anne Frank, RIP
June 12th 1929 – March ?, 1945
First of all, today (2013 March 26) is the fifth anniversary of my blog.
I wrote the first post on 2008 March 26.
As of today, my blog has gotten about 1,600,000 hits … that averages to about 895 hits per day over the five years – – but that’s not really accurate because my blog averages 1000 hits a day now, but less than 50 a day when I first started it in 2008.
Thanks to all my site’s visitors … especially you! Please leave a comment!
Anyways, I found out about a new movie about post-WW2 Japan titled “Emperor” starring Tommy Lee Jones as U.S. Army General Douglas McArthur.
Do you know who Gen. McArthur was?
He is very well-known in Japan.
General McArthur was in charge of the U.S. military during the war against Japan … and also during the occupation of Japan after the war ended.
Japanese people respect McArthur because he respected the Japanese people.
Tommy Lee Jones is also respected in Japan.
He is known to everyone here as the “face” of Suntory’s Boss Coffee.
In the Boss Coffee TV commerials, Tommy Lee Jones acts and sounds like a Japanese man.
He’s an excellent actor.
Have you seen the movie “Emperor” ?
Yesterday (2012 August 15), was the 67th anniversary of the end of World War II.
And, as is done every August 15th in Tokyo, some Japanese politicans went to the 靖国神社 (Yasukuni Shrine)… which is the shrine in Japan that honors all who died defending Japan in war… to pay tribute.
All who died in Japan’s defense are enshrined there … including those who were found guilty of war crimes by the U.S. war tribunals.
For that reason, many of Japan’s neighboring countries don’t like Yasukuni Shrine … and get upset when Japanese politicans visit it.
But really, the shrine doesn’t exclude war dead based on another country’s war court verdict … in the same way that all of America’s soldiers who die in battle can be buried at Arlington Cemetary, all of Japan’s soldiers are honored at Yasukuni Shrine.
But that isn’t the only political debate neighboring countries have with Japan.
China, Russia and South Korea have border disputes with Japan.
After their victory over the Japanese team at the Olympics, a player on South Korea’s Olympic soccer team held up a sign declaring that the disputed Takeshima Island is Korean territory. The Korean team almost lost their medal because of that.
Then, the South Korean president visited the island – – unannounced visits to disputed land by a political leader isn’t probably a wise move.
And then, yesterday … the anniversary of the end of World War II, some Korean men attempted to swim to the island. They didn’t make it there, so Japan didn’t need to take any action … but their attempt made the news.
And then yesterday, a Chinese boat was intercepted by the Japanese Coast Guard as it tried to head to the Senkaku Islands … which is disputed land between Japan and China.
The Chinese people onboard are currently in a Japanese jail. China is demanding that they be freed.
This seems to happen every year at this time.
Yesterday (2012 August 6th) was the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima (August 9th will mark the same anniversary of Nagasaki).
Harry Truman was the U.S. President in 1945 who ordered the atomic bombings of Japan.
Every August, there are ceremonies in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki to remember those who died in the bombings…and to try to ensure that no other nuclear weapons are dropped on any other city in the world.
Yesterday, for the first time ever, a member of former U.S. President Harry Truman’s family attended the ceremony in Hiroshima.
Harry Truman’s grandson laid a wreath of flower at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima.
Harry Truman’s grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, is an anti-nuclear weapons activist. When he attended the ceremony in Hiroshima, he said ““I’m two generations down the line (from former President Truman). It’s now my responsibility to do all I can to make sure we never use nuclear weapons again.”
Tokyo Five 
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