Yasukuni

Monday I had some free time in between classes so I thought I would go to the museum that they have at Yasukuni shrine. It is pretty interesting and worth a visit for anyone in the Tokyo area. In the lobby are a plane, a train and something else big. And it's described as what made Japan great for so long. Inside the museum is a look at Japanese history from the beginnings of the many civil wars in Japan to the end of WW2. This museum however is quite different from others. After the civil wars there is a room about Comadeer Perry opening up the ports of Japan. (he's described as rude and imperialistic, which is acceptable considering he did come with hundreds of warships demanding Japan open up) but then there is a huge map with arrows coming all from western countries and pointing to different parts in Asia saying "Western encrouchment on Asian soil" or something like that. And the room is dedicated to showing that western powers were brutalizing the people of Asia. Which I found out is the most commmon excuse for Japanese old people for why they went to war. Japan had a noble duty to "free" their asian brethern from western imperial powers. So all through the museum is about how Japan was just "helping" Korea and "freeing" China by taking them over and killing vast amounts of people.

At the end, right before the pictures of all the war dead, is a map with countries all over Asia and their respective independence dates from western powers. And it's written that, although Japan ultimately lost the war, Japan was able to show freedom to the Asian area to give them motivation for freedom.

All of this opinion is a vast minority only held by a few crazy old men who still think the war is going on. But it's still interesting. Not that I know the truth behind every historical event.

I can't put my thoughts into coherent sentances anymore, ahh Japan what have you done to me?