HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gang@ms.uky.edu (Gang Li)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
    <1992Aug18.200618.29685@news.iastate.edu> <36976@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>      
    <1992Aug18.175812.11714@ms.uky.edu> <1992Aug19.24935.24267@ms.uky.edu>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 17:27:15 GMT
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences

borders@ms.uky.edu (Johnny Borders) writes:

>gang@ms.uky.edu (Gang Li) writes:

>>>It is ok to hate the history books, but if you hate the people, you

>>Good idea! It is ok to hate the gun, 'couse that is the thing which kills.

>But give a man a club and he'll still beat you to death, gun or not.

>This is off-topic, but I just can't resist:

Resist to show your true face.
>-- 
>*******************************************************************************
>* The University of Kentucky is not responsible * AIX: Marketing or lunacy?   *
>* for me, by reason of "Bureaucrats Syndrome,"  * "I never used anything by   *
>* a crippling form of insanity.                 *  IBM that I liked."         *
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan
From: wohfuchi@splash.Princeton.EDU (Wataru Ohfuchi)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 00:43:10 GMT


In article <1992Aug19.12530.13333@ms.uky.edu> gang@ms.uky.edu (Gang Li) writes:
>I don't see any deep-seated hatred to Japanese people with no reason among
>Chinese. But do Japanese people all have this feeling?

  Do you mean that you wonder if ALL the Japanese feel the Chinese
hate them with no reason? No. I, at least, do understand anger and
frustration among the Chinese and the Koreans.
  I think, however, there is a kind of frustration among SOME of the 
Japanese, too. They themselves have been feeling very sorry for a long
time for those Chinese and Koreans who suffered during WWII. You may
blame their ignorance but some of them (I mean some of some of the
Japanese) would feel that "Isn't it enough for them to blame ME? Why
those people never forgive ME even though I've felt sorry for this long
time?"
  I am NOT justifying this attitude here. I am just concerned about it.

>Is it dangerous to talk about the truth of the War in Japan? Are people
>there afraid to talk about this? Do you think this museum will keep openning
>for long time?

  It is not dangeraous at all. Maybe it is if you talk to extreme right
wingers.
  Perhaps WWII is not a very comfortable topic for some of the Japanese
to talk about. Honestly, I would feel a little uncomfortable if I talk to a
Korean lady about WWII.
  I do not know about the museum at all. (I've been in the US for 3 years
without being back to Japan.) Is there anyone who would tell us more about
this museum?

>Do you think they can say "yes, thoese soldiers did a lot of things bad to
>the other people."? Or they feel this kind of words would hurt their felling?

  I hope yes for the former and not for the latter. There is no doubt
about how terrible brutality by the Japanese Imperial Army was.

...Wataru
-- 
  ...Wataru Ohfuchi
     Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University
     w1o@gfdl.gov
From: atluri@berlioz.nsc.com (Venkata R. Atluri)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Penpals from Japan: Wanted !
Date: 18 Aug 92 20:20:03 GMT
Organization: National Semiconductor Corporation
Originator: atluri@monet


Hello,

        I would like to make some penpals from Japan, About myself
I am a 30 year old engineer, single male, living in the Silicon valley
USA. I will give more details If I hear from some one. 

Thanks

--atluri

atluri@berlioz.nsc.com
From: japlady@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Rebecca Radnor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: About the usage of "Japs"
Date: 20 Aug 92 16:31:08 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.


Well, As the self named Japlady, I should point out that in the US the term
has two meanings.

1) it refers to a Jewish American woman of middleclass or better income,
usually the beloved child of her father, who tends to whine and complain a
bit.

2) it is a negative term adopted during world War II to differenciate
Japanese from other Noth Asians (chinese, Koreans, mongolians, etc.) as
until then all such peoples (as lumped by appearence) were lumped under the
derogatory term of Chink.  During the war americans became for possibly the
first time aware that there was more than one group of people out there, so
a new term was coined for those who feel the intense need to insult
someone.  By the way, the term for my group is Kyick (spelling?).
-- 
Rebecca Radnor                \\ I know everything,
NU Anthroplogy Department     \\ I know nothing
JAP= Jewish.American.Princess \\ I used to put sticks under the back porch 
     & Japan specialist	      \\      and wait for them to petrify.
From: ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Happy Birthday in Japanese
Date: 18 Aug 92 23:40:16 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <41618@ogicse.ogi.edu> riks@ogicse.ogi.edu (Rik Fischer Smoody) writes:
>In article <1992Aug18.030154.11639@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au> pauline@mips.cs.murdoch.edu (Pauline Day) writes:

[stuff deleted]

>("Happi" is pronounced as "hop" followed by the name of the letter P)
>Happi basu dei tsu iu
>Happi basu dei tsu iu
>Happi basu dei dia <what'sYerName>.
>Happi basu dei tsu iu.
>
>Same trite melody.
>Honest: my Nihonjin colleagues sang this at each other on birthdays,
>not just to me.
>
	Yes, this is true.  If you can't follow the Japanese sounds well, 
	just sing it in English.  The same rythm, the same melody, and the 
	same words just pronounced in Japanese way.


				Tetsuya Nishimura
From: kim@magneto.physics.auburn.edu (Han-jung Kim)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japan
Date: 21 Aug 92 05:41:32 GMT
Reply-To: kim@magneto.physics.auburn.edu (Han-jung Kim)
Organization: Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Message-I.D.: <3741@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov>Lines: 52

>   
>that there has been intentional or unintentional losses of records regarding 
>the atrocities. Probably, the best way to solve this problem is to assemble
>a joint research group of Japanese and other Asian historians under a 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>5-year (or so) project financially supported by the Japanese Ministry of 
i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Education and to have them perform a thorough and unbiased survey/analysis
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>of documents and information regarding WWII. Their final report should be
>regarded as the official record for the participating countries. 
>
>   What was done cannot be undone. We cannot erase the historic facts.
>To reveal and admit the most embarrasing part of our history would not lower
>ourselves. It is even an opportunity for us to show our morality, ethical 
>standard and gentle(wo)manship to the people of Asia and of the world. 
>
>   Have I motivated you enough, my government buddies?
>
>Michiaki Masuda

Really progressive idea!!

   Japanese government officers, have Masuda sang motivated you enough?

 Masuda sang gave very nice and practical way to prove the fact that so called 
Japanese governors really want peace in asian section and has strong will
to be a good friend or another new big country who can play a role
of POLICE COUNTRY AS USA HAS BEEN during the  LAST DECADE, so all of 
the neighbours can
rely on, if Japan really want to be the nationn of the first ranked people.
( I have a concept that Japanese government is eager to build the strongest
and most powerful country in human history, though the Genral japanese public
are not interested in such a topic. They seem to remain as peaceful as they
can. But as previous japanese netter pointed out, Japanese people is so
obedient to something, this may be the problem. 
Someday Japan may have a really good leader who has good mind and who can 
respects their people's desire, peace and coorperation, justice.
Then the Asian area can be one of the most peaceful and friendly society
which the westerner envy to join.
if not, so sorry)

Japan can initiate this project if she can have a will. Then no more
bad feeling no more national conflict. 

We can get our life in harmory each other.

I hope that someday if a chance is given, Masuda sang may propose this
project to the Japanese ministry of education. If physicst is needed to
analyse something, I will join to that project volunterily. 

     Kim from Korea . 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: hank@westford.ccur.com (Hank Cohen)
Subject: Re: Potato (was Re: Response to the open letter...)
Organization: Concurrent Nippon Corp. Tokyo  Japan.
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 02:33:46 GMT

In article <3738@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda) writes:
>
>P.S. I wonder if the "potato" story was reported in Japan.

Yes it was.  Complete with subtitles and commentary by the 
announcer/reporter.
How embarrassing!  Perhaps if Bush is "the education President" he
should start with his stand-in.
-- 
Hank Cohen
Concurrent Nippon Corp.  	Shuwa yanagibashi Bldg. 5F
Yanagibashi 2-19-6 Taito-ku 	Tokyo 111, Japan
Denwa: 03-3864-5714 	Fax: 03-3864-0898
From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: mountain bikes & gifts
Date: 16 Aug 92 23:49:07 GMT
Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
In-reply-to: TY.A62@isumvs.iastate.edu's message of 9 Aug 92 13:27:28 GMT

In article <1992Aug9.132728.7170@news.iastate.edu> TY.A62@isumvs.iastate.edu
   (jeffrey cross) writes:

 =}    Last year, I visited Japan for two weeks.  I noticed many people
 =}    riding bicycles but I didn't see any mountain bikers or mountain
 =}    bikes.  Are mountain bikes very popular in Japan?

   They are popular.  And their popularity is groing.  The reason you
will not see many is that they are too expensive...  about 400-500 US
dollars for a cheap low quality one...  easily 1000 US dollars for a
decent quality one...  One can get a good deal on importing a high
quality mountain bike if one looks hard enough or has the right
connections.

 =}    Also, In January, 1993 I will be going to Tsukuba, Japan to
 =}    work at a government laboratory.  I know gift giving is a very
 =}    important part of life in Japan.  Could anyone suggest some gift
 =}    ideas for my co-workers, host and boss?

   Some advice that might help is "don't consider gift giving an
important part of life"...  Gift giving is a custom that is more
highly organized in Japan but the actual giving of a gift is in
itself pretty much the same as everywhere else.  Liquors,
chocolates, souvenirs from ones home area and such are all popular
gifts...
From: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Have some cash
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:07:42 GMT
Reply-To: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Organization: Horizon Research

In article <oo6kebo@fido.asd.sgi.com>, jice@echo.asd.sgi.com 
(John Eisenman) writes:

=> In Japan I exchanged my US traveler's checks for yen.  I did this at
=> a bank.  The exchange rate for traveler's checks was much lower
=> (at least 8 yen/dollar) than the exchange rate for cash, and even
=> that was not very good.

I don't understand this at all. At the Narita Bank offices
and every bank I've ever changed money at in Japan, they
always give a preferential rate of 1-3 yen for using traveller's
checks. I expect that if this did happen, it was some sort
of anomoly.

- Bill Lambert
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan
From: ikeda@vxcrna.cern.ch (IKEDA,M./EP)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 10:49:00 GMT

In article <SMITTIE.92Aug15105246@beach.csulb.edu>, smittie@beach.csulb.edu (Smittie) writes...
>A curious thought. Who will apologize for all the other wars in history? I
>don't mean that because no one does no one should. I only mean that I don't
>think any country, nation, or people group are ever very honest with
>themselves. Hell, most people are not very honest with themselves.
> 
>It has been 50 years. My wife (Japanese citizen) thinks that most Japanese know
>the reality of what happened during WWII. Maybe that's true, maybe it's not.
>The history books are being changed albeit slowly. Even if the Emperor does
>apologize, if things run true to the norm, his sincerity will be questioned
>along with his motives. The Chinese will continue to ask for some great formal
>apology and the Japanese will continue to look to the future. Not much ever
>changes.

Which is unfortunate.  True, *governments* and *businesses*
in both countries will run whether there is an apology or not.
But something is lost if the Japanese government does not
do something in facing the past.  There will always be this
barrier between the two *peoples*.  And it will be felt at the
personal level as well, generation after generation.  It does
not have to be that way.  Germany and the rest of Europe have
laid the past to rest because Germany has satisfied the
requirements of providing true education to its people and
compensation to other nations (including the state of Israel).

It's true not all nations apologize and no apology will ever be
enough.  But for the sake of the Japanese, Chinese, and other
Asian peoples, the Japanese government must formally apologize
and take corrective measures and the other Asian peoples must
forgive.

-- Makoto

P.S.  Let's hope the Chinese government will not wait 50 years
      to face the same thing for its Tianeman Square massacre.
From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Date: 20 Aug 92 23:00:49 GMT
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

gang@ms.uky.edu (Gang Li) writes:

>davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane) writes:

>>Yes, I think so. And the more you hate, the more you will get it
>>back.

>So if you hate Nazi, the more you hate the more what.
>What most people hate is the wrong doing in the war. But some in Japanese
>Government try to hurt peoples felling once and once. The more you hurt people
>the more hate you get back. You want to hurt people but at the same time want
>them to not hate, is this possible?

This is totally irrelevant to the point I was making: Hate is not
necessarily the most effective response to being hurt. While it may
seem so at the time, hate clouds your mind. Not being able to see
clearly you do things that aren't in your own best interests. 

>>Right. Agreed. I'm for it. So now we come to the practical details
>>of how to go about this. I think there is a lot to learn about how
>>to say what you need to say in order to feel you've expressed
>>yourself but at the same time you want to do so in such a way that
>>the other person can understand you. 

>OK, lets talk. See below:
>
>    start war|------------------------------| justice
>	start hate|--------------------------------| stop hate		(1)
>
>    start war|-------------------------------------| justice
>	start hate|-------------------------| stop hate			(2)

>Ask your professor, which formula gets higher score.

IMHO, there are no professors (or anybody else) any place in the
world capable of deciding such issues as there is no universally
accepted definition for 'justice'. 

>BTW: Do you think Japanese would stop hate before get those islands back?

I would say there are some people who never learn how to get out
from under their own hate in this lifetime. Too bad for them. 

Dave

--
Dave McLane 
JUNET: davidg@aegis.or.jp (ONLY within Japan: post otherwise)
Nagaokakyoshi, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81-75-951-1168 Fax: +81-75-957-1087
Xref: sparky soc.culture.japan:7151 soc.culture.china:23651 soc.culture.hongkong:10058 soc.culture.taiwan:12263
From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Fare from Osaka Airport into town
Date: 12 Aug 92 23:36:59 GMT
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

ajeans@hplred.HP.COM (Albert Jeans) writes:

>I took a shuttle bus into Kyoto from Osaka airport and although I don't 
>remember the exact cost, I don't think it was more that US$5. Going into
>Osaka shouldn't be much different.

Sounds about right. A friend of mine just went to Osaka Intl that way.

But IMHO there are other considerations and while it may be the
cheapest, I don't think it is necessarily the most convenient,
depending on where you want to go. If you want to connect to
anyplace on or near the Hankyu line (goes to Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe)
then I think it might be easier to go that way. 

And for those people concerned with saving money, if you are
worrying about whether it will cost you $10 instead of $5, maybe you
had better think through your economic expectation for Japan :-)

Dave

--
Dave McLane 
JUNET: davidg@aegis.or.jp (ONLY within Japan: post otherwise)
Nagaokakyoshi, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81-75-951-1168 Fax: +81-75-957-1087
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: sala8864@hgc.edu (gustavo salas)
Subject: Re: Irresponsibility (Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japan)
Organization: The Hartford Graduate Center
Distribution: soc
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 13:21:50 GMT

In article <SMITTIE.92Aug17185802@beach.csulb.edu> smittie@beach.csulb.edu (Smittie) writes:
>But Japan has no known facilities for producing any kind of nuclear weapons.
>Japan has one of the most active anti-nuclear groups in the world and the Japan
>currently have no delivery systems for any kind of nuclear device. The
>plutonium in and of itself proves nothing. Plutonium can also be used in
>nuclear power plants.
>

But we both know that they have enough technologies to produce such
weapons, if they want. 

Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: jonathan@psych.psy.uq.oz.au (Jonathan Dwyer)
Subject: Re: Have some cash
Followup-To: soc.culture.japan
Organization: Psychology Department, University of Queensland
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 02:11:33 GMT

Hi all,

I solved the problem of cash/cheques/rates by using a system American Express
has.  It's called "Cash Advantage" or something similar...  They have linked my
bank savings account to my Amerex card, and I can use Amerex cash machines
in Japan to withdraw yen cash.  There's a machine at the Amerex office in Ginza
which I have used a lot, also one at Narita and one in the third floor lobby at the
Hilton in Osaka.  I think there are about 4 others spread around the country.  The
people at the Amerex office said that they were negotiating with one of the major
Japanese banks for ATM use, which would then mean thousands of ATMs to use.
There is no charge for the service, and it is separate from my card account, that is,
nothing to do with international ATM usage appears on my monthly statement,
it is advised separately.  The money is taken directly from my bank account about
2 weeks after the transaction.  

I am thus able to use money in Japan _exactly_ the same way as when I am home in
Australia... a credit card where possible, with cash (from an ATM) for when it's not.
I have never had to use t/chqs at all, as IMHO they're mostly for safety against money
being stolen, which isn't exactly a problem in Japan.

The exchange rate was slightly less than the USD --> Yen rate, but totally worth it
for the vastly improved convenience ..... IMHO.

--
           ____
   /\  /\ / __ \ Jonathan Dwyer (FAX+6173654466) 
  / / / // / / / Department of Psychology
 / / / // / / /  The University of Queensland
/ /_/ // /_/ <   St. Lucia, 4072. AUSTRALIA 
\____/*\_____/*  jonathan@psych.psy.uq.oz.au
From: yeonwook@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mark Choi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: What do most of Japanese think of Korean (Re: An open letter..)
Date: 22 Aug 92 20:35:54 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <Aug22.173716.36810@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura) writes:
>In article <1992Aug22.155241.13261@u.washington.edu> yeonwook@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mark Choi) writes:
>
>[stuff deleted]
>>
>>Hmm, they copy Chinese! =). I've always thought Japanese called Koreans
>>"chosen-jin", maybe I am mistaken? However, I know for a fact that there
>>is a name for Koreans and Chinese, and it isn't just "Gaijin".
>
>	gaijin		white Americans, anyone that looks like them, 
>			anyone that speaks English
>
>	gaikokujin	probably non-white foreigners as in "gaikokujin 
>			roudousha (foreign workers)"
>
>	kokujin		anyone of any nationality whose color of skin is far
>			darker than Japanese
>
>	chuugokujin	a Chinese
>
>	choosenjin	a North/South Korean
>
>	kankokujin	a (North)/South Korean
>
>	firipinjin	a Philipino
>				*the last four groups of Asian do not
>				 belong to "gaijin"*
>
>
>	These are often used in daily life, except specifying a nationality of
>	a person as on TV and newspapers.   Some people use these with humili- 
>	ation agaist those they are refering to.  Ordinary people use them 
>	WITHOUT such a kind of prejudice against anyone, which I don't like,
>	though.  (some of us are too innocent to be good)
>
>
>	Just for a reference.
>
>					Tetsuya Nishimura


Why are the "*jins" degrading? Do they have any specific negative definition?

-- 
    .  .      +---------------------------------+
  --|--|      | Mark Yeon Wook Choi             |
   /.\ |      | yeonwook@hardy.u.washington.edu |
  --|--|      +---------------------------------+
From: kenji@reseau.macrofield.or.jp (Kenji Rikitake)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Moving discussion of life in Japan to fj
Date: 14 Aug 92 01:51:57 GMT
Reply-To: kenji@reseau.macrofield.or.jp (Kenji Rikitake)
Distribution: soc
Organization: Macrofield Corporation, Toyonaka-city, Osaka, Japan
Posting-Front-End: Terakoya-u kaku 2.06 DEBUG 11-AUG-1992

In article <36802@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>
	ecovingt@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Maiko Covington) writes:
>Hmmm. I agree that it would be nice to have a group dealing with
>life in Japan. However, I sort of wish it didn't have to be in the
>fj hierarchy. [...]

I have no objection to have a fj newsgroup for non-Japanese 
residents in Japan - topics there may be something different from 
that in soc.culture.japan. And most of Japanese Internet domains 
only subscribe fj due to the language barrier.

>	Well, my sysadmin is not subscribing to the fj hierarchy
>because there are not enough people at this university who read
>Japanese to make it "worthwhile". [...]

You can have a partial feed of a newsgroup - that's what I do (who 
wants to read ALL soc newsgroups? :)) Or seize control of a ucsd.
edu subdomain - then you can NNTP something by yourself :)

// Kenji
_.. .   .___ .___ .____ _... _.. _.._ _.._. ...__   _ ___ _.__ ___ _. ._ _._ ._
"Humour is by far the most significant behaviour of the human mind."
                                -- Edward de Bono, "I am Right - You are Wrong"
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan