(OT) NHK Commissioner Says Emperor is "Living God" for the Japanese to Worship and Die For, and Abe Administration OK with Her Personal Opinions

NHK, a (forced) "public-supported" television/radio in Japan, has mostly toed the line of whoever at the top of the political hierarchy in Japan. Still, I thought it was over the top when the new chairman of the NHK Commission expressed his personal conviction and belief in a very public way (press conference and testimony in the National Diet) that Japan didn't commit war crimes, that any military anywhere in the world has had so-called "comfort women" (not again...).

Then I was flabbergasted when I heard about another recently appointed Commissioner who adores the Emperor of Japan as "living god" to whom the Japanese should sacrifice their very lives to preserve "the state of things where the Emperor is the ethical, spiritual, political center uniting people" (that is what 国体 kokutai is, as used in Japan before and during the World War II), and who praises a ultra-right wing yakuza who shot himself in the Asahi Shinbun building in 1993 after praying to the Emperor.

(Time Magazine has an article summarizing the way it is now at NHK under the Abe administration.)

Who's this Commissioner? Ms. Michiko Hasegawa, 67-year-old professor emeritus at Saitama University. She is a Tokyo University graduate (elite), an outspoken proponent of the way we were, so to speak, when women stayed home while their men earned the living, when the government started the war in the name of the Emperor and people went to war to kill and get killed. Ms. Hasegawa was born in March 1946, about 7 months after the imperial Japan surrendered unconditionally.

But what appalled me was not NHK Chairman nor Commissioner Hasegawa. Instead of at least cautioning the Commissioners for their views that are not widely shared by the population, Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Abe Administration said he had no comments on the private views of the Commissioners of the public broadcaster under effective control of the government.

From J-Cast News (2/5/2014), comments from Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga during the Diet session on NHK Commissioner Hasegawa:

「その（長谷川氏について報道されている）部分については承知していなかったが、我が国を代表する哲学者、評論家として活躍している。文化にも精通している。そういう中で政府として国会に提出して一部野党の同意もいただいて決定した。それ以上でもそれ以下でもない」

"I wasn't aware of the particular remarks (of Ms. Hasegawa that are being reported), but she is one of the most prominent philosophers and critics who represent Japan. She is thoroughly versed in cultures. That's why our government submitted her name [as a candidate for NHK Commissioner] to the National Diet, and it was approved with the votes from some opposition parties. Nothing more, nothing less."

「いちいち、経営委員の言動について政府がコメントすることは差し控えたい」

"I'll withhold my comment as the government official on every single word and deed of the Commissioners."

I guess Mr. Suga and his boss Prime Minister Abe have no right to comment anyway. Both of them gave three "banzai" to the bewildered and clearly annoyed emperor and empress on April 28 "Restoration of Sovereignty Day" last year. I wonder how the government celebrates that day.

And all this while NHK pressures commentators who appear on their programs not to talk about nuclear power, particularly about anti-nuclear movement after the Fukushima nuclear accident, during the Tokyo gubernatorial election campaign, which is ending on February 8.

Private broadcasters are no better, with Asahi TV blurring the faces of former prime ministers (Hosokawa and Koizumi) as they spoke to an enormous crowd in Tokyo in their campaigning for the governorship (for Hosokawa) and switching right back to the LDP/Komei candidate, showing full face.

Both the national government and national media have also been busy repeating again and again that the Tokyo governor race is not so much about anti-nuclear (or beyond-nuclear) but much more about jobs, Olympics, welfare, your (small) lives. In fact, nuclear issues shouldn't be in the gubernatorial race anyway, they say, because Tokyo does not have nuclear power plants. Supporters of Mr. Kenji Utsunomiya, left-leaning attorney who is anti-nuclear and backed by Social Democrats and Communist Party, take advantage of this government/media characterization to attack the anti-nuclear former PM duo instead of attacking the other two right-leaning candidates (Masuzoe, Tamogami).

It is snowing heavily in Tokyo on Saturday February 8. If this snow deters many voters on February 9, Mr. Yoichi Masuzoe, backed by LDP/Komei and particularly by Prime Minister Abe, will probably win handily, thanks to organized votes from Komei Party and labor unions who support Masuzoe this time instead of their usual support for left/liberal candidates.

And thanks to NHK and the rest of the media, and fragmented anti-nuclear people.

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Japan's Emperor to Minamata Disease Victims: "I Would Like to Build a Society with You Where We Can Live in Truth"

His Majesty's remark was unscheduled, and frighteningly candid particularly when a new national security legislation is slated to become the law of the land despite 80% of unprecedented 90,000 public comments received by the national government in 15 days in September this year are against hasty adoption of the law.

Asahi Shinbun (10/28/2013) reports that the Emperor and the Empress visited Minamata City in Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu for the first time and spoke with the victims of Minamata disease - neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968.

His word about a society where people can live in truth came after talking with the victims, many of whom hid the disease and didn't apply for recognition as the disease victim in fear of discrimination.

From Asahi Shinbun, the emperor's words, after he heard one of the victims who hid his disease:

本当にお気持ち、察するに余りあると思っています。やはり真実に生きるということができる社会をみんなで作っていきたいものだと改めて思いました。

I can't even begin to imagine how you must have felt. I would like to build a society with everyone where we can live in truth.

　本当に様々な思いを込めて、この年まで過ごしていらしたということに深く思いを致しています。

I am deeply feeling [your pain] that you have lived with so many thoughts and feelings.

　今後の日本が、自分が正しくあることができる社会になっていく、そうなればと思っています。みながその方に向かって進んでいけることを願っています。

I hope that the future Japan will become a society where one can be his/her true self. I pray that we can all move toward that direction.

The maternal grandfather of the Crown Princess was the president of Chisso Corporation from 1964 to 1971. Some hold him responsible for the delay in saving and compensating the victims.

Just like TEPCO today, Chisso was kept as a corporation, instead of bankruptcy, under the pretext that Chisso needed to make money so that it could pay the victims.

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April 28 Is Restoration of Sovereignty Day in Japan, and PM Abe Has a Special Message to Okinawans

During the ceremony in Tokyo with the Emperor and Empress on April 28, 2013, Prime Minister Abe said, according to TBS News,

「沖縄が経てきた辛苦にただ深く思いを寄せる努力をなすべきだと訴えようと思う」

沖縄が経てきた辛苦　Hardships endured by Okinawa

ただ深く思いを寄せる simply deeply sympathize

努力をなすべき should try to, make effort to

訴えようと思う I think I will appeal

I think I will appeal to people that an effort should be made to simply and deeply sympathize with hardships endured by Okinawa.

Got that?

TBS News also captured the awkward moment when "three banzai" for the Emperor occurred, supposedly spontaneously, as the Emperor and Empress were leaving the stage. Totally out of proper protocol, to say the least. The Emperor and Empress look very awkward and almost embarrassed. (At about 1 minute into the news):

Emperor did not utter a word during the ceremony.

Under the current draft constitution by Liberal Democratic Party, the Emperor would be expected to attend events at municipalities, not just on the national level.

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Emperor to Minister of Reconstruction on Disaster Debris Disposal: "It Must Be Difficult with Asbestos..."

(CORRECTION: His Majesty's word on asbestos was to the Minister of Reconstruction, not to the Chief Cabinet Secretary, as was in the original title.)

The emperor of Japan continues to be one of very few people in public positions to express genuine concern over the March 11, 2011 disaster and its aftermath. At the one-year anniversary ceremony on March 11, 2012, the emperor spoke about the radiation contamination in Fukushima in a clear, straightforward, and compassionate manner:

"Further, this disaster [earthquake and tsunami] triggered a nuclear power plant accident. People had to evacuate from areas made dangerous by the nuclear accident, where they had lived and worked for many years. In order for them to go back and live safely there, we have a difficult problem of radiation contamination to overcome."

Sankei Shinbun, which has always covered the imperial family in a positive light, has this bit (last paragraph) from the recent luncheon at the imperial palace　(12/22/2012):

天皇陛下と皇太子さまは２１日、皇居・宮殿で、野田佳彦首相をはじめとする閣僚らとの午餐（昼食会）に臨まれた。各大臣と副大臣、宮内庁幹部ら約５０人が出席した。

His Majesty the Emperor and the Crown Prince attended the luncheon at the Imperial Palace with the cabinet ministers including Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. 50 people including the ministers, vice ministers and officials from the Imperial Household Agency attended.

招かれた大臣は１９人で、全員が出席した。午餐はこの時期恒例のものだが、今回は民主党が直前の衆院選で惨敗したため、城島光力財務相、田中真紀子文科相ら、バッジを失うことになった議員が多数出席するという異例の開催となった。

19 ministers were invited, and all attended. The luncheon is a customary one at this time of the year. However, it was unusual this year because the Democratic Party of Japan just lost heavily in the recent Lower House Election, and many ministers including the finance minister Jojima and the education minister Tanaka lost in the election.

午餐に先立ち、陛下は今年の活動をねぎらった後、「どうか健康を大切にされ、来年がよい年であることを願っております」と述べられた。

Before the luncheon, His Majesty thanked them for their work this year, and said, "I hope you will remain in good health, and your new year will be a good year."

続いて飲み物を持ちながらの懇談となり、陛下は野田首相と数分間話された後、落選した藤村修官房長官のもとへ。「官房長官は忙しかったでしょうね」「健康を大事にしてください」などとねぎらわれた。

Then they spoke intimately over drinks. After speaking for a few minutes with Prime Minister Noda, His Majesty went to Chief Cabinet Minister Osamu Fujimura, who lost in the election, and thanked him for his work. "You must have been busy as Chief Cabinet Minister." "Please take good care of yourself."

平野達男復興相とは、被災地のがれきに含まれる石綿（アスベスト）を話題に。陛下は、石綿は放射能のように機械で測定できないことを挙げ、「（処理は）なかなか難しいんじゃないですか」と話された。さらに、「年をとってから携わった人が後悔しないよう、気をつけないといけませんね」と述べられた。

With Minister of Reconstruction Tatsuo Hirano, asbestos in the disaster debris was the topic. After pointing out that asbestos cannot be [easily] measured like radiation, His Majesty said, "Isn't [the disposal of disaster debris that contains asbestos] rather difficult?" Further, His Majesty said, "We should pay attention so that people involved in the disposal won't regret it after they get old."

In the press conference on December 19 for his birthday (December 23), the emperor continued to express his concern and sympathy for people affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami and nuclear disaster:

(Imperial Household Agency's official translation)

Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the concern shown me by the people when I underwent heart surgery in February of this year, such as those who came to sign the register books at the Palace and elsewhere during this period. I would also like to thank all the people who continue to wish me well.

A year and nine months has gone by since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the cold, harsh winter is back again in the afflicted areas. There are people who are unable to return to their homes they used to live in because of radioactive contamination, and people who must spend their second winter in temporary housing covered in snow. My heart goes out to all those afflicted. The number of dead or missing at the time of the disaster was reported to be over 18,000, but since then, there have been more than 2,000 disaster-related deaths, bringing the total number of victims to over 20,000. Many who survived the terrible earthquake and tsunami lost their lives because of harsh living conditions where sufficient medical care and other needs could not be provided. I feel this is indeed a tragedy. Recovery and reconstruction efforts in the afflicted areas include radioactive decontamination, removal of possible asbestos-containing debris harmful to health, and other dangerous tasks. Many of these operations pose health risks to those engaged in them, which is of deep concern. The Empress and I observed the radioactive decontamination operation being carried out in the village of Kawauchi in Fukushima Prefecture. The work consisted of climbing onto a roof and hosing away the contamination with water, work requiring great caution and concentration, which could lead to an accident otherwise. I sincerely hope that all operations will be carried out safely.

(In the original Japanese)

今年は2月に心臓の手術を受け，多くの人々に心配を掛けました。誕生日に当たり，当時記帳に訪れてくれた人々を始め，今も私の健康を気遣ってくれている多くの人々に対し，感謝の気持ちを伝えたく思います。

東日本大震災から1年9か月がたち，被災地に再び厳しい冬が巡ってきています。放射能汚染によりかつて住んでいた所に戻れない人々，雪の積もる仮設住宅で2度目の冬を過ごさなければならない人々など，被災者のことが深く案じられます。震災時の死者行方不明者数は1万8千人余と報じられましたが，その後，2千人以上の震災関連の死者が生じたため，犠牲者は2万人を超えました。地震や津波を生き抜いた人々が，厳しい生活環境下，医療などが十分に行き届かない状況の中で亡くなったことは誠にいたわしいことと感じています。また，被災地の復興には放射能汚染の除去や，人体に有害な影響を与える石綿が含まれるがれきの撤去など，危険と向き合った作業が行われなければならず，作業に携わる人々の健康が心配です。放射能汚染の除去の様子は福島県の川内村で見ましたが，屋根に上がって汚染を水流で除去するなど，十分に気を付けないと事故が起こり得る作業のように思いました。安全に作業が進められるよう切に願っています。

Imperial Household Agency translated as if this were a cliche-ridden, politician's speech, with as little "I" as possible. In the original Japanese, it is much more personal; I could interpret that every single sentence is about how he thinks and feels. When he says "Many who survived the terrible earthquake and tsunami lost their lives because of harsh living conditions where sufficient medical care and other needs could not be provided", it is a harsh criticism of what the government did (rather, did not do) after the disaster. Not to mention describing decontamination and disaster debris disposal as "dangerous".

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