Japan will apologize for Korean Annexation 100 years ago and give back some war spoils. Bravo.
Posted by debito on August 10th, 2010
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Hi Blog. In another big piece of news, Japan is taking another step closer to healing the wounds around Asia of a cruel colonial past by saying sorry to South Korea. Good. Bravo. Sad that it took a century for the apologies and return of some war spoils, but better now than never. Let’s hope it further buries the ahistorical revisionist arguments that basically run, “We were invited to Korea, and did them a favor by taking them over.” — arguments that help nobody get over the past or help with neighborly Asian cooperation. Arudou Debito in Sapporo
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Japan To Voice Remorse Tues. Over Annexation of Korea 100 Years Ago
Kyodo World Service in English 1211 GMT 09 Aug 10 2010, courtesy Club of 99.
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=516523
Tokyo, Aug. 9 Kyodo — Prime Minister Naoto Kan is scheduled to release a statement for South Korea on Tuesday regarding the centenary later this month of Japan’s annexation of the Korean Peninsula, ruling party lawmakers said Monday.
The statement will include a phrase expressing deep remorse and apologizing for Japan’s colonial rule, stating also that Japan will return cultural artifacts taken from the peninsula that South Korea has been demanding, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The expressions used closely follow those of past prime ministerial statements — one by Tomiichi Murayama in August 1995 and another by Junichiro Koizumi in August 2005, the sources said.
The government told the Democratic Party of Japan that Kan is planning to release a statement in connection with the centenary after securing approval from the Cabinet on Tuesday, Goshi Hosono, acting secretary general of the DPJ, told reporters after attending a ruling party meeting.
While apologizing for the annexation, the statement will also be aimed at deepening future-oriented ties with South Korea, the sources said.
Kan is hoping to turn the page on bilateral historical issues, while enhancing cooperation with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak’s government in addressing challenges related to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and its past abduction of foreign nationals, the sources said.
On the transfer of cultural artifacts, the items in question are believed to be held by the Imperial Household Agency, including the Joseon Wangsil Uigwe, a meticulous record of Korean royal ceremonies and rituals.
The statement to be released Tuesday will only be directed at South Korea, whereas the Murayama statement apologized to Asian victims of Japan’s past aggression, the sources said.
The statement does not refer to Japan-North Korea relations, the sources said.
The release will take place before Aug. 15, when South Korea celebrates its liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
Kan’s Cabinet had been considering releasing the statement either before Aug.15 or Aug. 29, the day the annexation treaty was proclaimed 100 years ago.
Kan is slated to hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to explain his reason for issuing the statement.
Opposition to releasing such a document remains among conservative lawmakers within and outside the DPJ, with some expressing concern over renewed claims for financial compensation for the suffering inflicted during Japan’s colonial rule in some Asian countries.
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Edano said at a news conference that the party did not make any special request regarding the release.
Edano also said he has no concerns about reigniting the issue of compensation in Asia because of the release.
ENDS
August 10th, 2010 at 2:21 am
finally for a change the GOJ is growing some balls and doing whats right.
August 10th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Here’s the story in Japanese
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100809-00000081-mai-pol
I love how they use the term 植民地時代に朝鮮半島から日本へ流出した文化財 to describe cultural artifacts taken/stolen from Korea. The creative use of the term 流出 makes it sound quite passive and benign….
– As if treasure just managed to “flow” over here. As part of the Flog of War, mayhaps?
＜日韓併合１００年＞首相談話１０日発表「痛切な反省」
8月9日21時39分配信 毎日新聞
政府は９日、日韓併合１００年を迎えるに当たって、植民地支配への「痛切な反省と心からのおわび」を改めて表明する首相談話を１０日に閣議決定して発表する方針を決めた。９５年の村山富市首相談話に盛り込んだ歴史認識を踏襲したうえで、植民地時代に朝鮮半島から日本へ流出した文化財の「引き渡し」に応じる姿勢を示し、未来志向の関係を構築する内容で最終調整している。韓国側の主張する併合条約の「違法性」や、６５年の日韓基本条約で解決済みとしてきた個人補償請求権問題には触れない。【野口武則】
併合条約が締結されたのは１００年前の８月２２日、公布・発効は２９日だが、この時期に条約の違法性を盛り込まない談話を出せば韓国の反日世論が盛り上がる恐れもあると判断。終戦記念日の８月１５日も検討したが、韓国では植民地支配からの解放を祝う「光復節」の大統領演説が予定されている。韓国側との事前調整の結果、菅直人首相が先に談話を発表し、李明博（イ・ミョンバク）大統領がその評価を演説に盛り込む方向となった。
村山談話は「植民地支配と侵略」によって「アジア諸国の人々に対して多大の損害と苦痛」を与えたことを認め「痛切な反省」と「心からのおわび」を表明した。
今回の談話でもこの表現を踏襲。戦後補償問題には触れず、未来志向の日韓関係を構築する具体策として、サハリン残留韓国人への支援や朝鮮半島出身者の遺骨返還などに引き続き取り組むほか、新たに「朝鮮半島由来の図書」を引き渡す方針を示す。
日本政府は文化財の返還についても６５年の国交正常化時に解決済みとの立場。しかし、李氏朝鮮（１３９２〜１９１０年）の婚礼などの行事を記録した「朝鮮王室儀軌（ぎき）」が宮内庁に保管されていることが０６年に判明し、これを含む文化財の返還を求める声が韓国で上がっていた。談話に盛り込まれる朝鮮半島由来の図書は朝鮮王室儀軌などを指し、「返還」ではなく「譲渡」の形で引き渡す交渉を外務省は想定する。
ただ、日韓併合１００年に合わせて首相談話を出すことには、日本国内でも「謝罪外交」を嫌う保守派が反発。韓国側で新たな戦後補償への期待が高まりかねないうえ、賠償問題が解決していない日朝関係に影響する懸念もある。自民党の谷垣禎一総裁は９日、仙谷由人官房長官に電話し（１）請求権問題は解決済み（２）村山談話を踏襲した９８年の日韓共同宣言（３）未来志向の関係−−の３点で「逆行することがあってはならない」と申し入れた。谷垣氏によると、仙谷長官は「３点は踏まえてやりたい」と応じ、菅首相も谷垣氏に電話して談話発表への理解を求めたという。
民主党内にも「後退する談話は出せない。踏み込むと戦後補償に絡んでくる」（ベテラン議員）との慎重論がくすぶる。９日の政府・民主党首脳会議では仙谷長官が「１５日、２９日の前のタイミングで行いたかった」と時期についても配慮したことを強調した。
ENDS
August 10th, 2010 at 7:36 am
I don’t know about returning artifacts, but Japan has made many previous apologies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan
– I don’t know if people understand how apologies work, but an apology about something like this is not something you make once. You make them repeatedly, and sincerely, until… well until everyone (particularly the victim) agrees that it’s history and you’re forgiven. Which, given the gravity of the situation, will probably take generations.
As for returning artifacts, the amount of war spoils Japan has is immense (cf. Seagrave, GOLD WARRIORS), so this is but a sou back, but an important step.
August 10th, 2010 at 7:53 am
My husband was delighted to hear that yesterday on the news. I think, however, that this act will bring a wave of protests among empowered nationalists like this “Tachiagare, Nippon”party, for example, which may reflect on Korean citizen and enterprises located in Japan.
– It will blow over. Ignore the bullies or they just get stronger.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:31 am
“Which, given the gravity of the situation, will probably take generations.”
Debito, that is an excellent point. But the problem is that Japanese government does not understand the situation and think the apology is to put an end to its past. This wishful thinking by the GoJ is called “future-oriented ties with South Korea”. PM Kan is just to add another insincere apology to the list of insincere apologies.
In pragmatism, this is a bad diplomatic maneuver. No Western nation has ever apologized its colonial rule. I think this attitude is more sincere than tens of insincere apologies by the Government of Japan.
– No Western nation has ever apologized for its colonial rule? Does Clinton apologizing for slavery count? I’m sure we can find other similar examples (go for it, readers). But at least you’re accepting that it was a colonization. Some people won’t even do that.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I’m sure the black trucks had advance wind of this one, there were several doing laps of my office building yesterday. But Bravo for the DPJ! So nice to hear of a conciliatory gesture which aims at building bridges. If Japan is to survive the ascendency of China they will need to band together with other Asian countries like never before.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:52 am
With regard to Claytonian and Debito’s response, I’d add that an apology has to be sincere. Previous so-called “apologies” have smacked of mere formality, like the approval of minutes of the previous meeting at the top of the current agenda. Viz:
1. Apologise to Korea
2. Issue statement decrying Japan bashing
3. Remind China it is the “sick man of Asia”
4. Nippon banzai!
What? Why are you unhappy? We already apologised!
– If you’re referring to my response, I too said an apology has to be sincere: “You make them repeatedly, and sincerely…”
August 10th, 2010 at 11:16 am
“Opposition to releasing such a document remains among conservative lawmakers within and outside the DPJ,”
I m just a bit worried they will bow down to rightist pressure yet again. Sometimes I think some older people here yearn nostalgically for a “simpler” time, i.e. the 80s, when Japan was in economic ascent, had the full and seemingly unconditional support of the USA and so didn’t have to worry about China or Korea. Thats basically what the Tachigare Party and others are counting on; this “nostalgia”.
Their recent lives must seem very “mendokusai” in comparison,what with all these pesky gaijins complaining, and leading to the inward looking self-pity accompanied with rightist snarlings we are now seeing, but that’s just my take on it.
August 10th, 2010 at 11:46 am
“I’m sure we can find other similar examples (go for it, readers).”
Sort or related… in Australia the “stolen generation” was a generation of indigenous Australian children who were taken from their families to be cared for by christian missions. As one of his first acts, then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology in 2008 (after the previous right-wing prime minister refused to apologise countless times).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_generation
August 10th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
HO,
Oh for Pete’s sake. “No Western nation has ever apologized its colonial rule.” What are you talking about?
http://www.afrol.com/articles/16439
http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521872317&ss=exc
And really, you should look more at the issue of logical fallacies because they tend to litter your arguments.
The argument that Japan is in the right to do or not to do something based on what western nations are doing or not doing is called an Ad Hominem Tu Quoque argument, I believe. Simply put, just because someone else doesn’t help out at the scene of a traffic accident doesn’t mean it’s right for you not to do so as well. Think about it.
August 10th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I’m not sure that the USA has apologised for its colonisation of the whole of North America. Certainly, it’s making no move to give the seized territory back to the colonised, something even the British managed eventually, in the cases where we’d left some of the colonised alive. Granted, the British had the advantage of having Britain left at the end of the process, while the USA is all colony. On the other hand, the British are quite firm about not giving back the looted cultural treasures in the British Museum, ditto the French and the ones in the Louvre.
I think the apologies are a good thing, but to be honest Japan seems to do about as well as any other post-Imperial power at this (that is, not very well). Kudos to Mr Kan for doing this, in the face of domestic opposition.
August 10th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Giant Panda said: “I’m sure the black trucks had advance wind of this one, there were several doing laps of my office building yesterday.”
Off topic, but yesterday’s convoy of black (and blue, grey and white) trucks was the annual Nagasaki Anniversary outing. I assume they were out on Friday, too, but I wasn’t around to see them.
August 10th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=587
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=431
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_primary&id=164
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=505
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=464
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=169
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=167
http://political-apologies.wlu.ca/details.php?table=doc_press&id=536
Some examples of apologies and compensation for either colonial rule or for incidents that occurred during colonial rule. These aren’t enough, in my opinion, but they’re something at least.
As a Briton, I think Britain should apologise for it’s colonial past. However, it should be noted that even if a formal apology has not been forthcoming, Britain still readily educates school children about the dark side of it’s history. It has also had a progressive and successful immigration and integration policy regarding the descendants of former colonies, particularly India.
Congratulations to Mr. Kan for making the apology.
– Now, in the spirit of capitulation, can we get HO to admit he was wrong?
August 10th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
USA has definitely apologized for its role in the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy.
http://www.hawaii-nation.org/publawall.html
August 10th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
@Rob, Britain need not apologize for colonialism, only for atrocities when commited.The situation is markedly different from Japan.
Britain gave countries independence when they asked for it in most cases, and most former colonies were ok to join the Commonwealth as equal parties. I m not saying everything was sweetness and light, though.
This is different to Japan’s short-lived attempt at an “empire”. They murdered millions in recent genocidal wars and were kicked out at the end of it. Other than certain elements of Taiwan and the junta in Myanmar, I don’t see any of these former colonies rushing to join a Japan-style commonwealth.
There is a difference, and thats why they need to keep on apologizing. For as long as their former victims want them to.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Brad, in your first link, German Government did not apologize for colonial rule nor for colonization war but for war crimes during colonization war.
The second link is about apology to its own citizen, as opposed to foreign government in diplomatic relation. The theme of the essay is national membership. A government loses nothing by apologizing to its own people. By the way, when will Australia return the land to Aboriginal Australians? Koreans restored their land 65 years ago.
Rob, your first link is indeed an apology for colonial rule. I correct my comment to “No Western nation except Italy has ever apologized for its colonial rule.”
The 2nd link is not a government apology but a personal apology by a descendant of a slave trader.
The 3rd link is not an apology for colonial rule but for spreading of diseases, shooting by police and removal of chiefly titles.
The 4th and 5th links are not an apology for colonial rule but for slavery.
The 6th and 7th links are not an apology for colonial rule but for rapes and deaths and injuries due to explosion of left behind explosives.
The 8th link is not an apology for colonial rule but only for “potato famine” suffered by the Irish.
I think all of these except Italian case have a message that colonial rule itself is not a bad thing.
Joe, I read the link and felt it is more of a list excuses than an apology. What the Congress apologized for is this.
“(3) apologizes to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the people of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893 with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States, and the deprivation of the rights of Native Hawaiians to self-determination; ”
So, “participation of agents and citizens of the United States” in spite of US government instruction to the contrary. Then again, this is an apology to its own people. Are there any plans to make Hawaii an independent nation?
Thank you all. I learned a lot by the information provided.
– You certainly learned how to wriggle and nit-pick. Actually, I don’t think you needed to learn.
August 10th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
NZ to Samoa…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2025041.stm
August 10th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Ho – You exhibit a behavior that I see too often in Japan – you decide what is appropriate for Japan to do, or how to act based upon how western nations have behaved…
How western nations have or will act in the future is fundamentally irrelevant.
You do your nation a disservice when you apparently need western nations to act first in order for an action to be justified. If Kan thinks now is the time and this is the way, and you agree, just say so. If you disagree, say so. At this point, comparisons only cloud the issue.
I assume that as the leader of Japan, Kan has access to much more detailed information regarding Japan’s occupation of Korea. Based on that information, he has come to this course of action. Good for him. I hope this heals some long festering wounds on both sides.
Since no western nation occupied Korea for 50 years, your comparison is irrelevant.
Take pride in your nation, but be adult enough to admit when your nation behaves inappropriately.
August 10th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
HO, I did point out initially that the links represented “examples of apologies and compensation for either colonial rule or for incidents that occurred during colonial rule”. I think that makes it perfectly clear that I’m not saying all these incidents are direct apologies for colonial rule. However, it’s equally important to apologise for incidents that occurred during colonial periods, which were directly brought about by colonialism.
“I think all of these except Italian case have a message that colonial rule itself is not a bad thing.”
Yes sure, if you accept that actions carried out by colonialists during colonial periods can be easily seperated from the colonial rule itself. I don’t think they can, and I think each of these apologies and offers of compensation contain an implicit criticism of colonialism.
Wouldn’t it be a far less sincere apology that ran “I apologise for colonising your country, but not for raping women, blowing people up with bombs, spreading diseases, sanctioning police brutality, and failing to provide an agricultural infrastructure that would have prevented the decimation and exodus of your population through famine”?
You argue that “No Western nation has ever apologized its colonial rule. I think this attitude is more sincere than tens of insincere apologies by the Government of Japan.” My reading of your words here is that not apologising is “more sincere” because the countries simply don’t care about their colonial pasts. On the contrary, my links show countries sincerely apologising for specific events. That seems more sincere to me than a blanket apology for colonialism.
You disagree, which is fine. I’d appreciate it if you could do it in a less sarcastic, point-scoring way next time though.
– I think you mistook HO for a person who actually reads what we write, not knee-jerk reacts as if we’re all out to get Japan.