この間、読売新聞の記者にインタビューされました。私についての文章（記事の最後のほう）を独訳しました。
Für einen Artikel zum 70. Jahrestag des Beginns des japanisch-amerikanischen Krieges (nach dem Überfall auf Pearl Harbor) wurde ich von einem Journalisten der Tageszeitung Yomiuri-Shinbun interviewt.
Für den Artikel mit der Überschrift „Die Erinnerung an den Krieg verblasst“ wurden mehrere Leute interviewt, darunter ein amerikanischer Professor für Friedensstudien, ein japanischer Kriegsveteran und ein Zuständiger für ein Kriegserinnerungsmuseum. Ich fand den Artikel ganz gut, deshalb möchte ich gern die Passage über mich übersetzen (der markierte Bereich im unteren Teil des Artikels).
Teilüberschrift: Licht auf das Dunkel der Geschichte
„In Deutschland wird es stark hervorgehoben, dass die Nazis einen Angriffskrieg geführt haben. In Japan ist das Bewusstsein dafür, wer den Krieg begonnen hat, nur schwach ausgeprägt. Das fällt schon auf, bedenkt man die ähnliche Geschichte der beiden Länder“, so Sascha Klinger (31), deutscher Koordinator für Internationale Beziehungen der Stadt Miyazaki. In Deutschland ist es üblich, dass es in der Grundschule Klassenausflüge in ehemalige Konzentrationslager gibt, wo die Schüler z.B. Unkraut jäten. Auch Herr Klinger hat mehrere KZ besucht. „Dadurch hat sich mein Verständnis von Deutschland geprägt.“
Seiner Meinung nach werden im japanischen Schulunterricht Themen wie der japanische Angriffskrieg oder die Zwangsprostitution im Krieg (Trostfrauen) zu wenig behandelt. „Ein Austausch zwischen japanischen Jugendlichen und alten Menschen aus Korea oder China würde mit Sicherheit viel zum gegenseitigen Verständnis beitragen. Wenn man Licht auf das Dunkel der Geschichte wirft, löst sich das Dunkel auf“.
Januar 27, 2012 um 1:06 pm |
Trage weiter dazu bei, Licht auf das Dunkel der Geschichte zu werfen, so wird wohl auch nach und nach Licht auf das Dunkel der Gegenwart fallen.
Ingrid Klinger
Februar 3, 2012 um 1:04 am |
Guten Morgen,
How are you? It’s quite an interesting article, isn’t it? It’s probably true that we feel we are the atomic bombs victims, rather than the one who massacred tens of thousands of Chinese and Korean civilians. As for comfort women, so-called, 従軍慰安婦, it has recently turned out that they were only prostitutes and made as much money as they could buy 20 to 30 houses at that time. When I was in elementary school, I was taught that the Japanese army had forced Korean women to work as sex slaves. I of course found it outrageous and unforgivable, and thought that Japan should give those victims as much support as it can. Naturally, the Japanese government has given them apologies and compensation several times. They still insist that it’s NOT enough. They even put up a statue of a comfort woman right in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. The Japanese ambassador to Seoul asked Korea to remove it immediately. The prime minister, however, has rejected it. Some argue that he had to do so in order to earn some brownie points for the coming presidential election. The rest of the world knows that those comfort women are just spongers. Also, regarding the Takeshima island, South Korea has illegally invaded its soil. The international law clearly specifies that it is a part of Japan. Japan has suggested that this issue should be judged by the International Court of Justice in Netherlands. In order to do so, both countries, Japan and South Korea have to agree. However, South Korea again rejects it. Again, back to the war, “there are no innocents in the war”, says an American guy who took a picture of the atomic bomb from the sky. We still have a lot to learn, don’t we?
Februar 6, 2012 um 4:30 am |
Thanks for pointing out this statue, I had not heard about it! It was erected just recently apparently. In one article I red about this topic, one representative of the former Korean comfort women said “the Japanese government should kneel before our grandmothers”. I think exactly that is what should happen, as the Japanese government represents a nation that is responsible for terrible war crimes.
I want to see anybody standing up in front of a woman who received some pity compensation for being raped over and over, saying into her face “you are a sponger”. It seems like there are a few Japanese nationalists who are ashamed to face the truth. (There are also some pathetic Neo-nazis who deny the Holocaust).
They should imagine how they felt if their mother had been a sex slave of American soldiers or something. I don’t think people of Okinawa are proud of what happened in Henoko during the Vietnam War, and that was not even rape.
I wonder if those nationalists have heard the stories about embryos being cut out of their mothers belly and killed in front of her. That seemed to be a common practice by Japanese soldiers with their war prostitutes.
Anyway, all the money in the world can not bring back peace for those women, but we should highly respect their outcry.
Februar 11, 2012 um 1:40 am |
Guten Morgen,
Thank you for commenting back. Have you ever heard about “Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea” in 1965? Korea agreed that it would make no more claims or complaints about the war, and that it would receive 8billion US dollars as financial, economic aid from Japan. Japan requested the South Korean government to distribute the money to its war victims. The government however failed to do so and used it for the infrastructure. The money itself was never given to those victims. Nearly two decades passed since then and during that time, South Korea never made claims or complaints according to the agreement. Suddenly, Korea started to insist that comfort women issue had not been settled yet. Sure enough, the Japanese government’s reaction was like “What? You agreed in 1965 that you would make no more claims or complaints regarding the war and also received the money from Japan after all”. Don’t you think that this is very odd? During wartime the former Japanese army heavily recruited women who were “willing” to work as prostitutes, and most of the applicants were unfortunately Korean women. Japan acknowledges this since there is some evidence, technically, job advertisements. The problem is that those women insist that they were FORCED to work as sex slaves. Some even argue that they were FORCEFULLY taken by the Japanese army. The vast majority of the Japanese citizens are very sceptical about this, since no eye witnesses have so far come forward. Working as comfort women was profitable business at that time and it is totally different from “rape” or “sex slaves”. You have pointed out that the Japanese soldiers cut out of pregnant women, and that it was their common practice. I must say that I doubt it very much, as condoms were distributed to soldiers in order to avoid sexual diseases. It is the U.S. soldiers who raped tens of thousands of local women. We of course should highly respect one’s outcry as long as it is really based on the fact. Remember that Japan is not afraid to face the truth. We feel very uncomfortable especially when we hear the word “従軍”, since those women were NOT forced to work as prostitutes after all.
Februar 13, 2012 um 4:52 am |
Hi Tomo,
thanks for sharing your intriguing thoughts again. To be honest, I do not have the patience to discuss details, as “a reader” was so generous to do.
First, may I ask you to write comments in Japanese, because this is a German/Japanese blog and many readers dont understand English very well (though in this case I am glad they dont).
Second, please read the Wikipedia entry about Comfort Women. Not because Wikipedia is the ultimate truth, but because it resembles the general opinion about this topic, as much as I see it, including my personal opinion, and including Japan. Most Japanese people I have talked to see to share the international view that forced prostitution is a terrible (war)crime, although I have to admit I dont talk much to nationalists, who seem to be ok with that.
Februar 15, 2012 um 7:29 am
Wikipediaは何度も読みました。一部の日本兵が暴徒化したのは事実かもしれません。しかし、だからといって日本軍・日本政府そのものを批判するのはおかしいとは思いませんか？女性を強制連行した兵士達は戦後罰せられています。そして、本件に関しては謝罪も賠償も済んでいます。そもそも、1965年の日韓基本条約において、8億ドルにのぼる経済支援と戦争に関して今後一切タッチしないということに合意しました。このとき、唯一解決されなかったのが竹島問題です。条約から数十年経過し、韓国が竹島問題から従軍慰安婦の問題にすり替えてきました。竹島問題は韓国のものだと主張し、以来、不法占拠が続いています。オランダの国際司法裁判所で公的に客観的に裁いてもらいましょうという日本の提案を韓国は拒み続けています。国際司法裁判所で裁判を行うためには両国、つまりこの場合、日本と韓国の同意が必要です。韓国の領土と主張するのであれば、何故、正々堂々と国際司法の場へ出てこないのでしょうか。そして、従軍慰安婦の問題に戻りますが、韓国は日韓基本条約を「反故」したことになります。8億ドルの経済支援は国民に配るよう日本政府は伝えましたが、実際、韓国政府はインフラの整備に充てました。そればかりか、条約に違反して、戦争問題を持ち出してきたのです。これを受けて、不本意ながら、日本は賠償及び謝罪をしました。それでも尚、「足りない」と被害者を装う女性達（韓国人女性）は主張しているのです。挙句の果てに、ソウルの日本人大使館前に売春婦の像を建立する始末。世間では、これを「たかり」といいます。本件がお金目当てでなく謝罪目当てであれば、解決済みのはずです。謝罪はしました。韓国もアメリカも自身の国が犯した罪を棚に上げていませんか？慰安所は作らなかったにせよ、韓国もアメリカも民間人女性を強姦しました。サシャさんがおっしゃった妊娠中の女性の腹部を切り裂くのは、韓国人がベトナムで行ったことです。韓国、アメリカはそういった被害者に「賠償、謝罪」すらしていないんじゃないですか？それとも、自国の戦犯は目を瞑って正当化されるのでしょうか？声高々に日本を糾弾するのは結構ですが、自国が行ったことも省みなければいけないのではないでしょうか。大体、いつまで従軍慰安婦の問題を取り上げ続ける気なのでしょうか。謝罪しても賠償しても、執拗に非難し続けて・・・。これは未来永劫続くのですか？堂々巡り、水掛け論という言葉がぴったり当てはまる問題（あくまで韓国にとっての問題です。日本としては解決済みです。）です。日本は震災から復興しなければいけないし、長引く不況から脱しなければいけません。いつまでも、隣国・韓国の「狂言」に付き合っている暇はありません。生活保護にたかる在日韓国人は一刻も早く日本から出て行ってほしいと切に思います。本当に生活保護が必要な日本人に行き渡らず、祖国・韓国に帰ればいいのに日本で生活保護を不正受給してのうのうと暮らす韓国人。そして、戦後から長々と続く朝鮮学校での反日教育。国策の1つとしてK-POPを推しているが、日本では殆ど相手にされていないのが現実。反日にも拘らず、お金のためなら日本へ平気な顔をしてくる韓流スター、K-POPアーティスト。慰安婦の件も含め、金に卑しいお国柄のようですね。
Februar 13, 2012 um 4:26 am |
> Nearly two decades passed since then and during that time,
> South Korea never made claims or complaints according
> to the agreement.
Nobody asked the victims.
> Suddenly, Korea started to insist that comfort women
> issue had not been settled yet.
You fail to realize that this issue is mostly not about money.
> taken by the Japanese army. The vast majority of the
> Japanese citizens are very sceptical about this,
> since no eye witnesses have so far come forward.
This is simply not true. Among several, there is for
exmple Jan Ruff-O’Herne. Moreover few of the victims
are alive at all, and a lot are ashamed. Moreover
eyewitness accounts are only evidence.
> We feel very uncomfortable especially when we hear the
> word “従軍”, since those women were NOT forced to
> work as prostitutes after all.
Even though you imply it, I doubt that you speak for every
Japanese citizen. But then again, a simple statement as:
“There were several horrible wrongdoings done by the
Japanese Government, the Japanese Army and the Japanese
Emperor during the wartime” is probably all that most
victims would like to hear. Nevertheless it seems
to almost impossible to state that so clearly in Japan.
Februar 15, 2012 um 6:02 am |
>Nobody asked the victims.
Is it okay to breach the agreement between nations then? Korea should give all the money it received in 1965 back to Japan. Other countries would never have an agreement with a country like Korea.
>You fail to realize that this issue is mostly not about money.
If this issue isn’t about money, why have those Korean women pretending to be victims asked for “compensation” and apologies so many times? They have already been given as requested, and the rest of the world acknowledges it. What else do they want? They only want to make “easy money”.
>a lot are ashamed
They should come forward like those Korean women then or are the Korean women only shameless? You could of course call them “brave” to sound positive though. Some objective evidence must be needed. “No innocents in the war” after all. Korean and American soldiers might not make any comfort stations at all but they raped local women. They did exactly the same or worse things during the wartime, and now are condemning only Japan for the made-up wrongdoings concealing their own wrong doings. If you ask me, how could they possibly say that?
>it seems to almost impossible to state that so clearly in Japan.
Not really but almost no one would listen to you. need apologies? They may be given again. compensation? “No way”.