[The last renewal of this page: August 18, 2007]

1. To respect myself, and to respect China

My history to meet countries that gave me a great opportunity to learn started from U.S.A. then fllowed to --> Spain --> Thailand --> Korea --> Philippines. The summary of each steps is available at "Origin of the Bridge to Philippines" of Bridge to Philippines Forum.

The points of each steps are:

1. U.S.A. that made me built up my own sense of value and my own view of the world in my young age to form the ground of the growth later on.

2. Spain, a country of passion, where the people enjoy their life naturally, and set me free from the U.S.A. a country of freedom but being bound up with bunch of rules.

3. Thailand, a Spain in Orient where the peoples are unlimitedly artless and pure.

4. Koera, the roots of Japan.

5. Philippines, my final stop where the peoples are extremely happy, artless and pure.

After all of these experiences, I retired from a city bank after 30 years of work, and closed my first step of the life.

My first half of the life has been a series of pursuiting and groping for. Now I beleive my next half of the life will be the step where my own real and true value will be questioned.

In my first half of the life, I met so many people and worlds, but they can be devided into two categories. One is the world that atracted me.(fills up my sense of value) The other one is the world of my roots.

The world which attracts me is a Latin world where the sun is shinning bright and is warm, after all. (The Latin world exist in Asia as well, such as Thailand, Philippines, & etc. other than Spain.) However, as I'm going to live in the last half of the life, what I'm strongly feeling on the other hand is to know our neighbours and love them, so that I could respect my existance and live like myself.

I found my roots in Korea, but the roots of Korea exsit in China. As I know more Korea, especially to learn their hisory, deep relationship with China appears. That means, my basic roots as a Japanese exist in China. Fortunately, I have many friends in China now. I think I will strengthen friendship and learn more each other.

China, Korea and japan are very unique coutries linguistically as they are only three countries which language is based on Chinese characters. All the cultures and langugage are spread form the west to the east, starting from China, and developed in Korea, and the lastly in Japan. So comparing caractristic features of those languages and cultures are very interesting.

The problem is, there still remains dark histories between Japan and rest of two countries, despite that we all are so close like relatives.


2. History that we have to repaint

One of my good Chinese firends is from ChangChun city, Jilin-sheng (state of Jilin), and I had a chance to vist the city together a few years ago. It is a shameful talk, but I did not know the city was the nucleus of the stage of the history of the dark past, which is a captal city of Manchurian empire. When I watched an exhibit full of hatred for Japan at the museum of Changchun City in sequence, I really felt a shock.

Because of the fact that most of Chinese staying in Japan know how current Japan and how Japanese think about China and Chinese peoples, they have a favorable feeling for Japan and Japanese peoples. However, the way of thinking of the people who are living in China is various, and the major trend would be anti-Japan. For me, that is a kind of irritating. There is a recognition incorrect an misunderstandigs, and I feel like anti-Japan sentiment is bred and encouraged more than necessary.


Please take a look at "The national anthem of China(MIDI/MP3)" page of this forum. The melody is very brave and powerful, and sounds good. However, after knowing the words and background history, this national anthem reveals how high the barriar between Japan and China, and how deep its roots.

This song was a march of the volunteer army in the anti-Japanese war, saying "Don't to be slaves of Japan impire! Rise up! Stand up!". It sounds like saying as if "Go to hell, Japs!".( It is true that acutually there exist many Chinese peoples thinking in that way.) The reason of the fact that this national anthem is still sung being loved after its enactment in 1935, is not only becouse of their pride "Don't forget that humuliation! We never forget that till our posterity!" but also the country's political control aiming to uplift of the national consciousness.

After knowing the fact that this is the battle cry of Chinese people, my feeling is really complicated when I listen to this anthem in Olympic game or other sports competitions


[My Feelings]

1. Nowadays, the tendency of Japan's consensus denies the aggression to China and rule in the past, and is repentant for that considering as a mistake.

2. Especially young generations who were born after the second World War were surprized to know the fact in the past, and feel very sorry for that.

3. It is true that the Japanese citizen itself was a victim of the Japanese imperialism, too. (Everyone was educated to accept tje imprialism and was made to believe, and killed his life by himself as a special attack unit.)

4. Majority of present Japanese is in favor of his neighbour, China and Chinese people, and wish to keep friendship.

5. It is certainly regretable that the fact that the many Chinese peoples still keep a strong feeling of hostility against Japan (or being educated to be so), is visible in many occasions brings up Japanese meaningless new hostility against China.

6. History is repainted only by history. The most important thing which I believe is, from now and on, even if it will take a long time, one by one of both the nations repeat and develop small but warm exchanges and faith.


I decided to open this "Bridge to China Forum" believing that to respect China who is our neighbour, and to recover warm ties to get it grow up is the missions as a Japanese now.

I am planning to add Chincese pages to all the forums of the MAFNET, to have the MAFNET five language modes. I would appreciate very much if those who sympathize with me would support and cheer up this site.

August 16, 2007



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