masayuki yoshida wrote:

> "Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
> news:3F3251EC.8A998928@yahoo.co.jp...
> > masayuki yoshida wrote:
> >
> > > "masayuki yoshida" <ysd_m@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
> > > news:bgqnp2$rinn0$1@ID-201147.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > >
> > > > > > Isn't it. How come some Japanese investigators would even know about the
> > > > > > existence or activities of Unit 731, not known or revealed to the public
> > > > > > until the 90s, fifty years ago? I should say that
> > > > >
> > > > > Um, you're gonna have to clear up these dates; did you mean the 60s? Ienaga
> > > > > wrote about it.
> > > >
> > > > Correct.  I have once heard that the first report over Unit 731 popped up in a
> kasutori
> > > > magazine or something in the 50s.  Seiichi Morimura, mystery novelist, published a
> > > > documentary book on the subject, the book became a million seller in 1981 or 1982.
> > >
> > > http://tinyurl.com/jafz says:
> > >
> > > <<Most Japanese citizens were unaware of the unit's activities until 1981, when author
> > > Seiichi Morimura exposed the unit's dark history in a book, "The Devil's Gluttony". Many
> > > of the unit's doctors and researchers became heads of medical and pharmaceutical firms
> > > in post-war Japan.
> >
> > Why don't you dispute this quote that "most Japanese" were ignorant before 1981, or even
> > later? Why don't you keep on claiming the Japanese public knew since the 1950s?
>
> Do you want to intend to change the subject?

Nope.

> You really said '1990s',

Yes. And Japanese are even ignorant right now. Why don't you recall it is you posting a quote
about even 1998?

> but according to this
> citation it is '1981'.  Since I thought this citation correctly answered your question, I
> provided it to you.  That's all.

What question?

> I presume that the Shinsou kasutori magazine had its 200,000-300,000 readers in 1950,

Out of a hundred million? Glad they represent the Japanese public.

> because I think that the then people were quite hungry for not only foods but also stories
> about the truth of war times history.
>
> I have no idea of the exact circulation of books on Unit 731which were published in the 60s
> and 70s, but it is possible to say that over a million people accessed to public and
> university libraries' selves.

Out of a hundred million? Would Japanese be satisfied by a million Americans knowing about
Hiroshima, and saying Americans know about it? Is one percent what you call Japanese knowing
their history or the truth?

> In 1981 'Akuma no houshoku' (Devil's greed) was published by Morimura and his assistant
> (ex-Akahata journalist of the JCP).  Although their book got a best seller, it soon came to
> be out of print because right-wingers condemned minor drawbacks or little weaknesses of the
> book such as wrong pictures.  However later a revised version was published.

If you are going to point out even individual books as some argument about Japanese knowing,
then you should acknowledge the publications of the right wing, war apologists and deniers,
such as best selling Kobayashi, who can make TV appearances as a commentator alongside
academics and politicians.

> I remember that Morimura and his colleague often addressed the summarised story of Unit 731
> and were interviewed in TV wide shows and general magazines.  Their efforts must have
> enlightened people's ignorance of not only Unite 731but also other Japanese war history.  In
> those days, 'maruta' (the implicit term 'body') was a word in vogue.

Right. And all the writings, words, and TV appearances of the right wingers, apologists and
deniers means nothing.

> > > The Japanese government has never formally apologized for Unit 731's activities,
> >
> > Any disagreement from you?
>
> I don't know about the governmental attitude toward Unit 731 and its activities.

Why don't you guess from their handling of the issue?

> Japan and
> the US must share top secrets of Unit 731 with each other for natinal security.  On the
> other hand, it would be right to say that your nation may be like a coyote which ate
> contagious Chinese flesh, Mr Takabayashi aka Mr Ranting.

Yes, the US uses Japan, as well as a great many other people, and yes, I have ranted about
that.

> > > and did not even admit to its existence until August 1998,
> >
> > Any disagreement from you?
>
> I don't know either.  Honestly speaking, I don't care about the contemporary politics.  I
> care about Japanese history.
>
> > > when the Supreme Court ruled that the
> > > existence of the unit was accepted in academic circles.
> >
> > My goodness. As recently as 1998, it was necessary for the Supreme Court to decide that
> even
> > just among ACADEMICS, was the mere EXISTENCE of Unit 731 "accepted" (as opposed to FACT
> > known and accepted by the Japanese public).
> >
> > Please, Masayuki, Mike, or anyone else, please, please, tell us all about how much
> Japanese
> > know about the Unit 731 issue since the1950s.
>
> It is a fact that Japanese know the fact that the project of Unite 731 existed and the US
> pardoned war criminals involved with the project.

When you are arguing a readership of maybe 300,000 or a million, you say that represents
knowing?

> In particular amongst socialist scholars who often write history books for Aoki Shoten
> publishing company, one of publishers under the JCP's dominance, Unit 731 was not only a
> subject of social science but also a means of their own political movements.  Can you tell
> us what and which books on the subject you did read.
>
> Those who read some books on Unit 731 in the 50s know the Unit.

Yep.

> Those who have known ever since 1981 know the Unit.

Yep.

> However, those who are not interested in history are not interest in the Unit.

Yep.

> By the way, you who often say that Japanese are ignorant about their own history know who is
> the first Japanese immigrant who sued the US government for claiming equality under law?

Not offhand.

> Tell us his/her name.

Nice deflection from the issue at hand.

--
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- A 12-year old reader from California, CA USA