From: keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Recommend History Books/Authors?
Date: 12 Jan 1993 06:58:42 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: wapsy.psy.uwa.oz.au

yeonwook@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mark Choi) writes:

quoting my previous posting:

>>Indeed, a few of HSs came from the colonies won the championship
>>and their school names were inscribed in a monument outside
>>the ballpark. It was a quite surprise for me to find out that Koushien
>>High School baseball tournament is a sacred national institution that
>>trenscends even a petty boundary between the mainland Japan and her
>>colonies.  

>NEVER use a the verb "transcends" in its active form! NEVER!
 
Beg your pardon?  To transcend can be used as a transitive verb
that is followed by a noun or a noun like expression as a direct
object. What do you exactly mean?  Could you elaborate on it?

>And NEVER, NEVER, NEVER call Japan "Mainland" Japan! This 
>implies that you regard Korea and Taiwan as colonies TODAY.
>This is wrong. I don't think you are that stupid, so please
>clear it up. From now on, call Korea and Taiwan, KOREA AND
>TAIWAN, don't refer to them as colonies.

My note described a historical condition existed at the time
when Japanese colonized Korea, Taiwan, and Manchuria and claimed
these territories as their own. Although I understand your
outrage regarding the transgressions Japanese committed during
the period, you cannot deny the fact that certain institutions
such as universities and baseball were also brought, and perhaps
were forced upon Koreans, Taiwanese, and Chinese etc., by
Japanese. I am neither justifying nor apologising about the past
history. I described what it was then and it perhaps is, which
is Koushien HS Baseball Tournament is a Japanese national 
institution. (In that sense, I used 'is' a present verb, which
caused your misunderstanding that I still regard Korea and Taiwan
as Japanese "colonies.")  

I am more than happy to change two verbs into the past tense
('is' to 'was', 'transcends' to 'transcended')  
and enclose the word you found very offensive, colonies, in
quotes to explicitly mark that I am refering to a historical
condition existed before and by any means such a word does not
apply to sovereign nations in the region, which are vital Japanese
allies.                   

Here it is:

It was suprise for me to realize that the Koushien High School
(strictly speaking it was Chuutou Gakkou (equiv of Post-WWII
HS) Baseball Tournament WAS a Japanese national institution
that transcendED petty boundaries between "the mainland Japan" and
her "colonies." And Koushien still is.

Again quoting my previous post:

>>Baseball is played as an exhibition sport at Olympics since 1984.
>>Japan won Gold; USA silver in LA Olympics in 1984. In 1988, USA
>>won Gold; Japan silver. At Barcelona, Cuba got Gold, Taiwan won
>>a silver medal and Japan had to settle for a bronze after beating
>>USA. What a shame for the two countries that regard baseball as their
>>respective national institution! 

Mark Choi said:

>No, it is not a shame. Baseball is not a national sport, it is an
>international sport. I think the U.S. should be proud that one of
>her cultural institutions is so popular overseas.

Bull! Baseball is a national passtime of the USA. It was born in 
the USA and now the Team USA came back empty handed being beaten
by Japanese! If you are an American baseball fan, you surely have
some gut-level emotional response before rationalizing your
dissapointment. I said I don't expect anything but a gold for
both countries because I personally know how much baseball matters
to them. Never mind only one national team ultimately gets a gold.
I don't expect from Americans/Japanese anything but the best when
it comes to baseball! (I'm just like God who loves both so much
so let them sort out by themselves.) 

Anyway, Mark, may I suggest to reflect upon your own comments
with the same degree of historical and political correctness?
I am rather surprised to read your last statement in the paragraph.
Specifically, I don't know how Cubans or Dominicans react to your
comment.
Baseball, a value-free sport itself, is also an indelible mark of
American colonial influence in the region (Cuba, Dominican Republic,
etc.) just as much is of the Japanese colonialism in the far east.
Personally, I don't have temerity to state: "I think Japan should be
proud that one of her national passion is so popular overseas."
to my Asian friends.