Ninjaboy said:
the swatstika is a copy of the buddhist symbol, so obviously it's not offensive over here
But it's not the Buddhist symbol when used as described on this thread. It's use in that context is an entirely different depiction from the Nazi memorabila stylee stuff discussed here.
on the flipside, i offended koreans shitloads when i arrived here by being well into japan and knowing fuck all about korea or japan's appaling treatment of koreans throughout history
And the Chinese of course. Somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 slain at Nanking alone, in 1937, a sizeable town wiped out. Men, women, kids, tortured and then murdered - a large number by bayonette. Brutal!
Many people here are (still) none to fond of the Japanese and, of those in their fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties, I could probably say
most and still be accurate.
Virtually, the whole of East Asia suffered under Japanese imperialism.
There are still a few unresolved issues, but unfortunately these've now become politcal tools to be dragged up and bandied about according to opportunity. There
are tensions that run throughout the region, a complex, intra-East Asia web; always have been, and not just about Japan.
Nevertheless, Japan's continued refusal to behave in any kind of sensitive manner speaks volumes and gives others a real axe to grind. China, in particular, talks great pleasure in grinding it. There could always, of course, ultimately, also be compensation issues hinging upon the depth of any official apology. But most of it is just political fencing.
It's quite predictable really.
Woof
