UN - No Friend of Japan, No Friend of Monarchy

Recently, the United Nations took time out of their busy schedule of smuggling weapons to terrorists in Israel and trafficking sex slaves in Africa to put out a document criticizing the State of Japan for "racism" and allowing hate speech. So, the UN claims to be for the freedom of speech but only speech they agree with it seems. They brought up demonstrations against South Korea and Communist China as well as, of course, the tired issue of the comfort women that South Korea has made an industry out of promoting. Needless to say, the UN made no mention of the larger and more often openly violent anti-Japanese riots in South Korea and Communist China and they made no mention of the fact that none of the protests or demonstrations in Japan were racially motivated in any way. They were motivated by specific acts by specific groups in Japan and all stem from the anti-Japanese policies and attitudes of those countries. Japan is perfectly willing to be friendly and wants to get along with its neighbors but Korea and China do not want to be friendly, they want to be enemies and whenever the Japanese respond to their hysterical hatred, it is the Japanese who are criticized by the United Nations. Not only is this wrong in terms of the facts of the situation, it is also wrong in a moral way because Japan is actually one of the largest contributors to the UN of any country in the world. Think about all the money, earned by hard working Japanese men and women who pay their taxes that is sent to this useless, even harmful, organization that then turns around and insults them to their face.

The United Nations, plainly and simply, is not a fair, impartial organization at all. It has numerous branches that are under the control of several powerful pressure groups. Their corruption and wicked behavior has been revealed on numerous occasions such as the Iraqi oil for food program, the widespread rape rampage in west Africa, the white slave rings in the Balkans and recently all the Hamas rockets being found in UN schools and hospitals in Gaza. It is a totally corrupt organization and under President George W. Bush the United States boycotted the Human Rights Council and rightly so, unfortunately that policy was reversed by President Obama. The UN has displayed bias and prejudice against a number of people and now Japan is the latest country to be added to that list. It is also an organization with a very leftist, internationalist agenda (just like the Marxists, except that the UN favors the Islamic religion) which opposes monarchy and traditional authority. They want countries to reject their own customs and values and embrace those that the UN promotes and so it is easy for them to side with republics like China and Korea against a constitutional monarchy like Japan which remains true to itself. It also must be taken into consideration that the most powerful aspect of the UN is the Security Council which, like the UN altogether, was formed by the victorious Allies in the aftermath of World War II which is why the Security Council consists of the former Allied Nations; the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.

Notice that only one of those countries is a monarchy, easily outvoted by the four republics. However, while the United States has moved on from World War II, Russia and China have not. Russia still has a fear and hatred of Germany and China still has an even deeper and more paranoid fear and hatred of Japan. The UK and France have shown little interest or willingness to stand up to these powers, particularly Russia, which dominates much of Europe through natural gas exports. China, likewise, is seldom challenged by other countries because they depend so heavily on cheap goods imported from Chinese sweatshops. All of this works together to make Japan a safe and easy target for the UN and the Japanese government and people should think long and hard about the generous payments being made to the UN which is not their friend. Japan has, over the years, supported numerous democratic and humanitarian causes and organizations like the UN and, much like the overtures of friendship made to her republican neighbors, we can see that this has not resulted in any benefit for Japan at all. A new direction may be called for.

Using History as a Weapon

Today, I was watching a program on CCTV (I try to keep up with what the other side is saying occasionally) and the topic was the First Sino-Japanese War (Japan-Qing War 日清戦争) as 2014 is the 120th anniversary of the start of the conflict. As is to be expected, however, the CCTV commentators did not simply use history as a tool to learn from past mistakes and successes but rather prefer to use history as a weapon for the benefit of the present-day communist regime. The spoke about the war as one in a series of Japanese “invasions” of China and that should be dealt with first. For those unfamiliar with the facts of the matter, the Empire of Japan did not start the trouble with China. It started in Korea which Japan wanted to see independent of China which had dominated Korea for centuries as a vassal state. There was a series of incidents which led to the conflict, all of which involved attacks against Japan. In 1892 there was a rebellion by Korean troops and peasants because of a famine that resulted in an attack on the Japanese legation and it was only thanks to a waiting British warship that the legation staff were able to escape alive. In 1884 a Chinese-backed coup in Korea saw the Japanese legation burned to the ground. Then, in 1886, Chinese naval forces landed in Nagasaki and went on a rampage, looting property, killing police and molesting Japanese women and children. In 1889 the Korean government cut off soybean exports to Japan, causing much hardship and in 1894 there was the assassination of a pro-Japanese Korean activist in China (by pro-Chinese Koreans). Later that summer, China sent troops in Korea and Japan responded by sending a force of its own. Inevitably, the two sides clashed and the war was started.

Obviously, any fair-minded person can see that this war was not a case of Japan “invading” China and I say that as someone who is a big supporter of the late Qing Empire. The Japanese had been attacked numerous times and finally took action to protect the Japanese people and Japanese interests in Korea and send the message to China that the Empire of Japan would not be bullied. The way it worked out, as most know, is that China was disastrously defeated which shocked the rest of the world as no one expected that a small country like Japan, which only recently began interacting with the rest of the world, would be able to defeat the traditional regional power of China. From that point until the end of World War II, the Empire of Japan was the new regional super-power of East Asia. There are a number of lessons China could draw from this defeat and for the most part, the country did so long ago. Things like the need for a unified military command, a centralized authority, problems with discipline, training and corruption were all identified and China has known about this and tried to remedy these problems for a long time. The panel did make mention of the fact that corruption in the army is still a concern in China today, but that was quickly brushed aside because, as the panelists said, they did not want to tarnish the “glorious” reputation of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. I suppose by “glorious” they mean slaughtering peaceful Tibetan Buddhists or defenseless students protesting for basic freedom because other than that, the PLA does not have much of a record of success behind it.

This panel sat there and claimed that the massive military buildup of China was good for everyone because it would contribute to the “peace and stability” of East Asia while at the same time, these same men claimed that even the most modest steps to improve self-defense by Japan were acts of unwarranted “aggression”. They also brought up the expected line about China, Russia and South Korea needing to work together to preserve the post-World War II “world order” by which they mean keeping Japan weak, isolated and submissive. That is, of course, how the Red Chinese use history as a weapon rather than an educational tool. They will always invoke World War II to try to maintain anti-Japanese hostility and to cast themselves in a positive light. However, if anyone cared to note the facts, they would remember that neither the Red Chinese, Russian Federation or Republic of Korea even existed at the time of World War II and the Chinese communists certainly played no part in defeating Japan. They barely took part in the fighting at all, simply being content to sit back and allow the Kuomintang to carry the burden while they waited to pounce when it was over.

It is clear that Communist China will never relent in their hatred of Japan and their military build-up, even while having enough to overpower every continental neighbor, is proof of their hostile intentions. The pro-peace and passivity crowd in Japan need to realize that the time is near which will decide whether Japan will be an independent nation or a servant of Red China. If Japan wishes to remain an independent country, it is necessary to take defense more seriously and stop allowing Red China to control the narrative and define Japan in the eyes of the world. Decisive action must be taken quickly before it is too late.

Servant of God Nagai Takashi 永井 隆

There is a new film called "All That Remains" about the life of Servant of God Takashi Nagai. A blog covering the making of the film can be found here and a synopsis of it on the Christian Film Database here. Takashi Nagai was an atheist, a brilliant scientist and a proud descendant of the samurai class who was shaken by his experience in war, moved by the devotion of his wife and the story of the Christians of Nagasaki. Most of all, he was traumatized by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the city with the largest and oldest Christian community in Japan. He converted to Christianity, becoming a Roman Catholic, taking the baptismal name of Paul and after the war devoted himself to the cause of peace. He earned the respect and admiration of people from around the world and was even honored with a visit by His Majesty the Showa Emperor. There are a few things about his story that I have been asked about; his accounts of atrocities in the war in Manchuria and China and his post-war advocacy of peace in light of my own firm conviction of the necessity in re-interpreting Article IX.

As for his war time experiences, many people miss the basic fact that is right in front of their faces. Takashi Nagai was serving as a doctor with the Imperial Japanese Army and was shocked by the brutality showed towards the Chinese, many of whom he treated himself. This is not surprising because war is brutal by nature and the way the war in China was conducted was particularly so because the enemy could not always be seen. They did not always wear uniforms and fight in regular battles but behaved like bandits or terrorists. In such instances, not knowing who is an enemy and who is not, it is human nature to be on guard against everyone. However, what many miss is the fact that Takashi Nagai was a Japanese doctor who treated Chinese soldiers and civilians. Those who are eager to portray Japan negatively immediately rush to point out any real or perceived misdeeds by Japanese soldiers but ignore the fact that the Imperial Japanese Army used its own medical supplies and doctors to care for the enemy as well as their own. As for his post-war activities, working for peace is a noble goal and should be applauded. That is not the same thing as trusting blindly to peace when your enemy is intent on using force. We should work for peace whenever possible but always be prepared for when there is no other option but conflict. Takashi Nagai himself was also not blind to this nor did his experience in Nagasaki make him opposed to the use of nuclear power even while he opposed the use of nuclear weapons.

Finally though, I want to point out a sharp contrast. In January of this year, I mentioned that the Catholic bishops of South Korea have been pushing for the canonization of An Jung Geun, the assassin who murdered Prince Ito Hirobumi. His cause has not progressed and hopefully the authorities in Rome will put a stop to such an obscene campaign. However, there is also a cause for the canonization of Takashi Nagai underway and his cause has progressed as he has been declared a "Servant of God" which is the first step toward being recognized as a saint. I point this out only because it speaks very well of the Catholic Church in Japan and in sharp contrast to their counterparts in Korea. The Catholics of Japan honor a man who healed others and worked for peace between all peoples whereas the Catholics of Korea honor a man who committed multiple murders and is used to foster hatred of their neighbor. It speaks very well for Japan and the Japanese can be comforted that Jesus Christ said, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God". He, of course, never said such a thing about assassins.

すべての人をうやまい、兄弟たちを愛し、神をおそれ、王を尊びなさい

Remembering HM Emperor Uda 宇多天皇

Today is the memorial for His Majesty Emperor Uda, who departed this life on July 19, 931. Known for his piety and sincerity, Emperor Uda was the 59th Emperor of Japan, known for the advice he left behind for others to follow. While others sought to increase the independence of the Imperial Family, Emperor Uda focused on study and promoting the benefits of virtue and good government. He enforced justice by freeing those from prison who had been wrongfully accused, reviewed tax collection to ensure it was being done fairly and took steps to protect the property rights of the peasants. He abdicated in 897.

Video: 典子さま「納采の儀」千家国麿さんと婚約が成立

Empress Kōjun 香淳皇后

There are certain monarchs that have always impressed me as being ‘a monarchists’ monarch’. Putting aside their positive or negative abilities as national leaders, these were monarchs who really believed in monarchy, in traditional authority and who had a monarchist sort of mindset that guided them in their lives. One does not always think of ‘a monarchists’ consort’ but Her Majesty Empress Kojun of Japan was certainly such a consort. She was the longest-living Empress consort in Japanese history and she was the last living link with the old Japan that existed at the turn of the last century. She lived through both world wars, saw the Empire of Japan reached its zenith of power and prestige as well as seeing it utterly destroyed. Happily, she also lived to see the new State of Japan come roaring back as a successful and industrious country, the second biggest economic power house in the world. Yet, through it all, she was known as the most attached to traditional ways and customs even when almost everyone else had seemed to abandon them. This has caused some historians and commentators to view her negatively but only because they focus on one narrow aspect rather than taking into context the whole portrait of this grand and remarkable lady who lived a life of service and duty.

She was born Princess Nagako on March 6, 1903 in Tokyo, Azabu district, the daughter of Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni and Chikako Shimazu. Prince Kuni was the head of one of the cadet branches of the Imperial Family, being descended from a past emperor from the thirteenth century. Her mother was of aristocratic background, coming from the family of a prominent daimyo. For little Princess Nagako, her upbringing was typical of the old aristocracy of the time but her destiny was revealed to her earlier than most and so most of her childhood was quite unlike those of other girls. She attended Gakushuin, at that time the Peers’ School, Girls’ Department in Tokyo alongside Princess Masako Nashimoto who would go on to marry the Crown Prince of Korea. She was only eleven years old when the path for her life was chosen for her. On January 14, 1914 HM Empress Sadako invited a number of girls of suitable rank to tea at the Concubines’ Pavilion in the Imperial Palace. Watching through a hole in a screen was Crown Prince Hirohito, who was told to pick one to be his future bride. He chose Princess Nagako and the arrangements were all made that one day they would be married. Although she was his preference, it was certainly not a “love match” as the two were very young, had never met and knew nothing about each other at all. It was all a matter of duty. Happily, it would not remain so.

Even then, there were some grumblings about the Crown Prince making a troublesome choice. Princess Nagako had imperial and noble ancestry but it was not of the highest order most expected and she was not from the Fujiwara clan that most imperial consorts had been from. Several prominent and very powerful people objected to the match and demanded that the Imperial Household Agency call it off but Prince Kuni was just as adamant that no such thing happen, threatening to kill his daughter and then himself if this was done. Thankfully, no such drastic measures were necessary as when things became really heated HM the Taisho Emperor stepped in and endorsed Princess Nagako as his future daughter-in-law and that settled it. After that, to have questioned the match would be to question the divine will of the Emperor, which did not happen. Preparations then went ahead with the Princess spending her time until she was of a proper age to marry being given an intensive training course on how to be a Crown Princess and future Empress. The formal engagement was announced in 1921 and the wedding set for 1923. Everything was done to familiarize the princess with her duties, obligations and the ceremony and protocol of the imperial court. She was, for example, one of the last people alive in Japan who could understand the unique style of language used by the Emperor and inner court in the old days which disappeared after World War II.

However, there was to be no imperial wedding in 1923 as it was in that year that a horrific earthquake struck Tokyo that devastated the city and killed around 10,000 people. The marriage was postponed for a year while all the strength and energy of the nation was funneled into dealing with the natural disaster. For the Princess, her education continued and many forget what an intelligent, cultured and well-rounded lady she was, learning French, studying Chinese and Japanese literature and numerous other diverse subjects, being a talented artist and singer as well as adept at the piano, Japanese harp and violin. During all that time she only met her future husband nine times and the two were never alone but finally the grand occasion came on January 26, 1924 when the two were married. Before the end of the next year, the Crown Princess became Empress consort with the passing of HM Emperor Taisho and the elevation of Crown Prince Hirohito to the Chrysanthemum Throne. This was only shortly after the birth of their first child, HIH Shigeko, Princess Teru earlier in the month. Of course, there were rules to be followed for such an occasion but the Empress was still a more involved mother than most of her predecessors had been and she took the job of motherhood very seriously.

As the Emperor and Empress had been brought together almost as strangers, it was to be expected that, early on, their relationship seemed rather formal and distant. However, it was all a matter of getting to know each other and as they did, they became a very loving couple, greatly attached to each other. The Empress seemed to view her primary occupation as being to shelter and support her husband, to care for him and ensure that he was able to give his best in his own duties and obligations. This, she did very well and the Emperor had no more attentive guardian and caretaker than his Empress for as long as he lived. The devotion the Emperor had for her was displayed only a few years after the marriage. In 1927, 1929 and 1931 the Empress gave birth to three girls in succession and many began to worry if a son and heir would be forthcoming. In 1932 such talk only increased as the Empress suffered a miscarriage and many began to urge the Emperor to take a concubine to ensure the survival of the dynasty. The Meiji Emperor had had several concubines and it was quite common but the Emperor would not hear of it. He was a ’one woman man’ and the Empress was the only one for him and he would have no other. As if to prove the imperial decision correct, in 1933 the Empress gave birth to HIH Crown Prince Akihito, followed by another prince in 1935. In all, they would have seven children, five girls and two boys.

One can only imagine the strain this was on the Imperial Family, having to deal with such issues during such critical years as the early 1930’s which saw the occupation of Manchuria, the restoration of the Empire of Manchukuo and the outbreak of hostilities with China following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Through it all, the Empress was a strong source of comfort and support for her husband and did her part whenever she could, even after the outbreak of the wider war in 1941. She took part in the ceremonies celebrating the surrender of Singapore, the largest British bastion in the Far East and when the war came to Japan the Empress had the children sent to safety but remained by the Emperor’s side in Tokyo, enduring the intense bombing in solidarity with the people. The Empress would later describe this as the worst period of her life, not only because of the bombing and immense human suffering but also because of the pressures, weighing down from all sides on the Emperor and the real worry when the war finally came to an end that he might be taken away and executed. The immense, frenzied changes that took place after the war were also difficult for her to deal with but she never complained. As the monarchy was being re-invented for the new State of Japan, the Empress considered it her duty to support her husband in everything he did and every decision he made.

What finally seems to have been too much was when HIH Crown Prince Akihito decided to get married. The two older daughters had already married and lost their status because of the new post-war laws that downsized the Imperial Family but the Empress seems to have thought that, for the heir to the throne, the traditional way would still be followed. Many of the old aristocracy were upset when the choice of the Crown Prince fell on Michiko Shoda, a commoner with a Catholic education. No one knows what was said behind closed doors but the prevailing sentiment is that the Empress was against such a choice. When it went ahead anyway, all sorts of rumors were spread around of the Empress being cold, distrustful and even spiteful toward Crown Princess Michiko, much of that probably being exaggerated. What is true is that the Crown Princess had one or two nervous breakdowns in the years after her marriage and perhaps the Empress was showing more concern than most people think. Her motives should not be questioned and one could speculate more positively that she had the best of intentions in being reluctant about the Crown Prince marrying a commoner.

After all, consider her own life; she had come from the Imperial Family and aristocracy and yet there were still strenuous objections to her own marriage. She was given years of training for the high honor and privilege of being Empress consort and even then, she knew how difficult the adjustment was for her. Perhaps she had not realized how much attitudes had changed since the time of her marriage, perhaps she wanted to spare the young girl from a life she felt she was not suited for. Finally, there is also the simple fact that the Empress was someone who took tradition and history and the sacred nature of the Imperial Family very, very seriously. When that is the case, as we are seeing with a number of issues today, one can easily and often be accused of being unkind or even hateful simply for holding firm to the traditions and values that were once taken for granted by all. In any event, that was certainly the most controversial period of her life, for most people today anyway, but much of it has probably been over-blown. It is not as though daughters and mothers-in-law have always gotten along famously no matter how high or low born they might be. It is a common story all over the world. On the whole, the family remained happy and the Empress had the joy of becoming a grandmother. She visited Europe and the United States with HM the Emperor and became known as the “Smiling Empress” because of her friendly disposition, but while perfectly genuine, few foreigners knew that it was the sort of positive countenance and pleasant demeanor that was instilled by years of preparation.

To the very end, she was a dutiful and attentive wife and was heartbroken when, on January 7, 1989, His Majesty the Showa Emperor departed this life. Her Majesty was re-titled as Empress-Dowager but her own health had deteriorated so much while she focused all of herself on the Emperor that she was too frail even to attend his funeral and after his death she went into seclusion for the rest of her life. Her Majesty, Empress Dowager Kojun died on June 16, 2000 surrounded by her immediate family, at the age of 97 in the Fukiage Omiya Palace in Tokyo. She was buried near her husband at the Imperial Cemetery on July 25, 2000. Her passing marked the end of an era and a last, living, connection with the old Empire of Japan that had existed since the Meiji Era was lost with her. It was a great sadness but Japan was also fortunate to have had such a remarkable lady for so long. She was a shining example of the best virtues of old Japan and the traditional elite. She lived by an ancient code, was firm and unyielding in her principles and showing no favoritism, was devoted to maintaining what had been handed down. She was a devoted wife and mother, a supportive and dutiful Empress consort, a faithful, strong and tireless daughter of Great Japan.

Betrothal of HIH Princess Noriko

From The Yomiuri Shimbun

The engagement of Princess Noriko, 25, second daughter of the late Prince Takamado, and Kunimaro Senge, 40, a priest at Izumo Taisha grand shrine in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, has been formalized as the Nosai no Gi traditional rite of betrothal was conducted on Friday morning at the official residence of Prince Takamado in Minato Ward, Tokyo.

The wedding ceremony will be held as early as October at Izumo Taisha after the Kokki no Gi rite announcing the wedding date.

The rite started at 10 a.m. in the reception room. In the room hung a portrait of her father, Prince Takamado, who died in 2002.

Yoshihiko Senge, 64, the uncle of the fiance, who served as an emissary of the Senge family, said to Princess Noriko and her mother, Princess Hisako: “I would like to start the Nosai no Gi. Please receive our gifts.”

The emissary handed a list of gifts such as three bottles of sake, fabric for a dress to be worn at the wedding reception and money for fresh sea bream to Princess Noriko, who was clad in a celadon silk skirt.

She replied, “I humbly accept them.”

Afterward, Princess Noriko visited the Imperial Palace with her mother to convey the holding of the rite to the Emperor and Empress.

According to the Imperial Household Agency, Princess Noriko told them that she was happy that Nosai no Gi had gone smoothly.

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