Published: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:31:19 +0000

This is some surprising news coming out of Japan concerning an issue from World War II that doesn’t involve comfort women for a change:

Japan’s defense minister said Saturday that the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States during World War II was an inevitable way to end the war, drawing [...]
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Read the interesting report on Singapore's Channel NewsAsia.

Let's look at the reactions over the remarks:

Survivors of the bombings told Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma to stay away from future memorial ceremonies in Nagasaki.

He was summoned by Abe and reprimanded for his controversial remarks:

"We must not hurt the feelings of atom bomb sufferers in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I want you to strictly refrain from making remarks that would cause people's misunderstanding,"

Kyuma, who represents Nagasaki in parliament, on Sunday apologised during a news conference in the southern port city for his remarks, which were denounced by ruling party and opposition lawmakers as well as victims of the attacks.

"His comments ridicule atomic bomb victims who have been campaigning to abolish nuclear weapons, fighting relentlessly despite their physical weakness," said Hirotami Yamada, a member of a group of A-bomb victims.

"We have sent a letter to Minister Kyuma saying that we will never allow his attendance at the peace memorial ceremony held on August 9," he told AFP by telephone.

Some 100 demonstrators staged a rally at Nagasaki Peace Memorial Park in light rain Monday, carrying a banner protesting that the defence minister's remarks "would lead to the justification of nuclear bombings."

"I want to express my strong feeling of regret (over Kyuma's remark) as it gave such a great shock to atom bomb survivors and the people of Nagasaki," Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue told the city assembly separately. - AFP/ch


Clearly, Japanese have not moved on when it comes to their own painful past.

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