Koizumi is in N. Korea right now and he met with Kim Jong Il today. They discussed some of the most important topics between North Korea and Japan and perhaps may lead to some improvements in North Korea/Japan relations. Some topics include N. Korean nuclear weapons, N. Korean kidnapping of Japanese civilians, Japanese development aid to N. Korea, etc.

I personally feel sorry for the North Koreans and absolutely despise the N. Korean government. Especially their extreme anti-Japan stance (seen in their foreign policies, movies, and even in their elementary school textbooks). What do you all think about Japan and N. Korean relations and how things may change after this meeting?

I am disgusted by it. I am disgusted by the fact that koizumi would send food and aid to these people "just to talk about getting several of the 80 people back". It would not have bothered me if kim said he would return all of the japanese he kidnapped back. That was not the case and never will be.

I don't think that anything will change in reality. I believe that kim is simply bait koizumi by allowing him to simply think that he will allow relations to improve. I don't believe that kim wants to resolve anything. He only wants to get as much aid from japan as he possibly can. I don't feel sorry for the north koreans. I feel sorry for the japanese fools that believe north korea will ever be friendly with japan.

Also don't think that anti japan stance is anything new to asia. China and south korea also receive just as much if not more anti japan education as north korea.

at least koizumi was able to bring 5 hostages back to japan

It is not enough considering all he spent to even talk about it with that "man". Five is nothing. 40 or 50 would have been a good job.

theres more than 50 hostages? wow i didnt know that

Most of the hostages are probably already dead and the North Koreans don't want to admit that. They pretend that they are still alive and that they will return them some day. If they're not dead, they've been brainwashed so that they love N. Korea or they are being used as bait to fish for things the N. Koreans need/want. Personally, I believe that 5 people is a great accomplishment considering the kind of person Koizumi is dealing with. I watched last night as the 5 children got off the plane yesterday, arriving in Japan for the first time in their lives, and I wondered how they feel towards a country that they've never lived in and cannot speak the language of. Is it beneficial to us or even the hostages themselves to try to help them? Although I am angry towards N. Korea for commiting crimes against my nation's people, I can't help but thinking this is getting to be a lost cause. Too much time has already passed and the hostage problem can't be resolved.

Correct.



As sad as it is to let these japanese vitctims suffer and die in that country. One two things must happen. Kim should either give us the remaining victims that he did not murder all at once. Or koizumi should stop giving the country ANY form of aid. Some thing has to happen.

Japanese should just let bygones be bygones and move on. It's in the past.




Isn't it ironic.

Japanese should just let bygones be bygones and move on. It's in the past.


Incorrect. It is NOT in the past. North korea continues to harm and exploit japanese people TODAY. As we speak. There will not be a bygone until this situation is resolved.

Unlike what the Japanese did to the Koreans during WWII, what the N. Koreans are doing to the Japanese is happening now and has been happening for over thirty years. Saying, "Let bygones be bygones," is a good display of your ignorance.

Some bygones that Japanese have forgiven:
Russian atrocities against Japanese citizens during WWII and post WWII Manchuria including rolling over people with tanks.
Russian atrocities against Japanese citizens at concentration camps in Siberia.
The First Nanjing Incident.
Two atomic bombs.
Injustice and unfairness at military war tribunal (an illegal act in the American judicial system) for the war criminals.
Firebombings in every city of Japan leaving almost 60% of the country destroyed on average.
and more...

Some bygones that Koreans/Chinese have not forgiven but should:
Second Nanjing Incident
Comfort women

Some bygones that the World has forgotten but should not have:
Japanese led development (sewage systems, railroads, city planning) in Korea and China.
Japanese aid to fight for independence to persecuted nations
Japanese aid to Jewish in order to help them escape Hitler's Holocaust.
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was not a surprise attack.

"Japanese led development (sewage systems, railroads, city planning) in Korea and China."

A big WTF? So called "developement" consisted of nothing but building industrial bases in occupied NE China to enhance military production for the war. Railroads? Give me a break, there were already tons of existing railroad lines in China at the time. The only railroad tracks the Japanese built were in NE China so they could mobilize troops faster to the fronts. They bombed/dismantled railroads in other regions to prevent KMT troops from doing the same. In fact, the bulk of swords used by Japanese officers during WWII were made from railroad tracks from occupied territory in China that had been stripped away and melted down for the steel. Property and collateral damage caused by fighting in cities destroyed what in modern day currencies would be worth trillions of dollars. Developement in occupied Korea and Taiwan were the same. The overhaul of their economies wasn't for their benefit no matter how much you'd like to think so. The sole aim was to enhance Japanese industrial output for war. Or in the case of Taiwan, which was turned into an agricultural colony, to provide food for the Japanese army. Agrilcultural exports from Taiwan were enormous and per capita wise, even double that of Japans. Of course the people living on Taiwan were placed on strict food rationing because all of it went to either industrial workers in Japan or the military. Such claims by revisionary Japanese that the developement of industry and agriculture during WW2 was for the benefit of occupied territories is preposterous. It would be akin to burning down a farmer's crops, then post-fact claiming that the razing, was beneficial for the farmer because it fertilized his ground.

"Japanese aid to fight for independence to persecuted nations"

The promotion of Taiwanese separatism by the Uyoku doesn't count. Or do you mean the "liberation" of the Phillipines... into a Japanese colony. Or Indochina? Dutch Java?

Japanese aid to Jewish in order to help them escape Hitler's Holocaust.

One Japanese diplomat handing out passports out of Nazi territory because of sympathy doesn't constitute "Japanese aid". He wasn't able to get many passports at that considering it caused friction with his bosses in Tokyo and in Berlin, but at least it was something. Citing this singular example is ludicrous, its like saying Germans aided the Jews in escaping the holocaust solely by the example of Oscar Schindler.

"Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was not a surprise attack."

I would wager the American soldiers in Pearl Harbour were mighty surprised that morning of December 7th. Not that surprise attacks are neccessarily a bad thing, because war has no rules besides the objective to win.

Unlike what the Japanese did to the Koreans during WWII, what the N. Koreans are doing to the Japanese is happening now and has been happening for over thirty years. Saying, "Let bygones be bygones," is a good display of your ignorance.

Agreed.

I think it takes a whole lot of courage to make an outrageous claim like Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack. America still hides documents about Pearl Harbor for "national security" reasons.

Japan created the army in India that fought for its independence. Taiwanese former President has written a book praising Japan recently.

Development in Korea and a little bit of China may have been for inpure reasons but that does not mean that they didn't happen. China didn't get as much development because they weren't invaded for as long as Korea and Taiwan. Taiwan got the most amount of help because of the length of the occupation. Taiwan as a country would have failed if not for Japanese aid.

Stating one example is not right? Then how am I suppose to support any of my arguments? That's just bull.

Japan created the army in India that fought for its independence.

This is correct. However japan did this for it's own selfish reasons. It was not out of niceness. They were to be rallied against the british.

South Korea still remained an agricultural nation before the korean war, most of the industries Japan build was located in N.Korea. North Korea's industry was a huge advantage against South Korea during the war. Besides, 95% of whatever industries we had in the pre-war was now destroyed after the war.