2002  August

The Idea of Korean Han  [020804-10]

It is said that there is an idea of Han in Korea. This idea represents the emotion to long for something lost, which can be described by the phrase ‘if it were, …’. “if they were not occupied by Japan”. This is the common emotion among Korean people, but this emotion extends all kind of their social and individual matter such as the conflictions among regions and families.

I know this Korean idea by Inuhiko Yomota’s writing: Watashi no sukina Kankoku (Korea that I like). In this book, he introduced many other interesting things about Korea. He pointed out that Korea is a rare homogenous nation even compared with Japan, and there is no China town in this country. Therefore, Korean people have exclusive consciousness to other people and it sometime causes troubles, for example the apathy of African American people against Korean in U.S.

It is hard for Japanese people to make clear such Korean truth publicly, because Japanese people once harmed Korean so hardly. However, this Korean feature that Yomota pointed out makes so clear contrast with Japanese characteristic, which have been a reason why Japanese people does not tend to like Korea.

What is ironically for me is some Japanese people who propose new textbook of history against Korea and China seem to share same kind of mentality with Korean. They have strong pride in Japan. Above all, they always hope if Japan were not the assailant of World War 2. They want to erase the fact of the war from their history. It likes distorted emotion of Korean Han.

If the emotion of Han is wholesome, this emotion directs to hopeful future. Reflecting their negative past, people consider their own future. However, it has the danger that people sacrifice their future for erasing their past. Both some Korean and Japanese have missed their present because of their past. The emotion I dislike is the sprit of Han to deny their past with their future.

Petty Han spirit, so to speak, is very sensitive to others. However, it does not care itself. In the case of the text book of history, Japanese nationalists who support their ‘The Textbook of New Japanese History” critic Korean and Chinese history textbook on the contrary. They pointed out nationalistic Korean and Chinese prejudice against Japan. But it does not justify their prejudice against Korea and China. Their text is harmful to Japanese students, above all.

The noblest spirit that we need is the spirit to face up to ourselves. If Korean and Chinese History Textbook are polluted by petty spirit, it does not immediately relate to Japanese people. Rather, they will not come up with Japan, as long as such spirit influences them. Is it convenient for Japanese nationalists? Nevertheless, they do not seem to have the room considering this fact. It is because they are polluted by petty Han spirit. For the people who have petty Han mind, most important thing is to keep their sense of superiority to others.
 

Yasukuni Shrine – The Ironical Institution for Idle Worshippers  [020815-26]

August is the month for the dead in Japan. It is not only because there is Bon Festival in August, but also that this month is the month when the two atomic bombs were thrown down and the Pacific War was over. However, it is also the month that irritates me. Every year, some Japanese people dare to force the Japanese government to worship Yasukuni Shrine.

This shrine was founded in modern epoch to deify the solders that were killed in war. It is artificial institution to intensify the worship of Japanese nation and, in this sense, have played the roll for Idle Worship. So far, it is a result of human arrogance against God. Nevertheless, this shrine has been only place that can absorb human sentimentality of old Japanese soldiers. They have special contemplation to this shrine. ‘To meet again at Yasukuni’ was a watchword for them in hopeless situation. Although it is the artificial institution that leaded them misery war, it is also a symbol of their memory to confirm their own beings.

I find in this fact another aspect of idle worship. Usually it represents human arrogance. However, it also shows human silliness. The people who adhere to Yasukuni should have reason to recognize why this shrine is founded. It is only an artificial institution to suffer them. Nevertheless, their consciousness will not accept this fact. They have been ruled by the will of old governors who built it to concentrate and exhaust human power for Japanese nation.

This fact shows how idle worshippers are vulnerable to false pretending. Actually, they are easily cheated. We can find this kind of silly people in modern Japanese society. Even now, many young people attracted by dangerous new religions. On the other hand, older people have contributed to their companies (Kaisha), but they are regarded as burden by the companies. They easily believe in the organizations to which they belong. But what they depend on easily betray them. At last, their tragedy tells us how they are weak as individuals.

Stable individual cannot be without stable faith. Even if the faith is atheistic, it is true. To do something beyond anxiety, human beings need something to rely on. Unfortunately, idle worshippers cannot distinguish what they should believe from what should not. Their eyes attracted by concrete results of human power, because their standards to estimate themselves are others admirations. ‘Compared with others, …’, they usually worry about others. This complexity in their mind causes the desire to superiority to others.

Considering the people who worship Idle, for example Yasukuni, they usually conflict with others. The existence of enemy is essential to them, and in the case of Yasukuni, the enemy is Korea and China. If these two countries do not complain of the worship at Yasukuni by Japanese Prime Minister, how many people regard it so highly. I find the secret of idle worship here. At last, it is a product of desire to keep the sense of superiority to others, and here is self-incontinence and the fear to others.

Idle worshippers tend to cause the over growth of society, but it used to indicate war and the ruin of their own society. Their weakness makes our society weak. How seriously disturbs the claim that Japanese Prime Minister should worship Yasukuni against Japanese diplomacy! It will be main obstacle, if Japanese government advocates the ideal of human right and peace. Idle worship always harms the ideal based on divine order.

However, the most significant point is both side to support and to deny Yasukuni have the tragic history to kill or to be killed. The people who support Yasukuni also the sacrifice of the war, and it is only symbol to heal their tragedy. They are caught by one-sided symbol that cures only one side of sacrifices. As the system to cure Japanese sacrifices, Yasukuni does not have the standpoint to heal another side. Originally, it was built to hold the ceremony for Japanese modern nation. Therefore, the soldiers who were killed in the side of Edo-government at the Meiji Restoration are ignored.

It is necessary to have the mind of sadness, in order to overcome one-sided standpoint. But it is impossible, as long as they adhere to the emotion of revenge and the idle worshipping. In Japan, as long as Yasukuni is regarded as an only institution to cure old solders, people cannot recognize the standpoint of sacrifices in Korea and China etc. Also, as long as adhering the standpoint of nation, it is difficult to find the true sense of sadness in war.

Once a life is lost, it is impossible to recover it. Nobody can bring back to once died human lives. If this fact is recognized, you will be able to find both the people to kill and be killed are sacrifices. What we should do is not to blame another side or to justify own side. The people who recognized the meaning of human life and the mind of sadness will notice the tragedy that is now progressing. How many people are scarifying due to the battle among conflicting nations or parties? However, there is little standpoint to consider the fact from the standpoint of Yasukuni.

Idle worship lead us to the adherence of artificial beings that can be reconstructed in any time. However, true faith shows us the sadness of losing our life, and teaches the importance of misery beyond the one-sided adherence. Yasukuni tells us the fact that Japanese people have not yet reached the true faith beyond idle worship.