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Tojo's Granddaughter Campaigns in Japan
AP via ABC News ^ | Jun 11, 2007 | HIROKO TABUCHI

Posted on 06/11/2007 2:21:42 PM PDT by james500

Every morning for the last three months, Yuko Tojo has prayed at a war shrine for Japan's fallen soldiers including her grandfather, Gen. Hideki Tojo, the executed World War II premier who ordered the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Yuko, 68, will fight her own battle in July, when she competes as an independent in elections for parliament's upper house. An ultra-nationalist, her mission is to restore Japan's honor by scrapping its pacifist constitution and enacting a full-fledged military, giving the country the clout she says it deserves.

"I was born as Hideki Tojo's granddaughter, and as a Japanese national. I cannot see Japan go on like this, with no confidence or pride," Tojo told The Associated Press. "I do not think the war dead gave their lives for a country like this."

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Japan; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: japs; nipponrevisionism; tojo
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His granddaughter has defended the general's legacy, contending he reluctantly took Japan to war after a U.S. oil embargo threatened the country's survival.

"Japan did not fight a war of aggression. It fought in self-defense," she said. "Our children have been wrongly taught that their ancestors did evil things, that their country is evil. We need to give these children back their pride and confidence."

1 posted on 06/11/2007 2:21:43 PM PDT by james500
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To: james500

Tell that to the survivors of Japan’s rape and pillage in China.


2 posted on 06/11/2007 2:25:19 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: james500
Yuko-san is just one step removed from the idiots in sound trucks who drive around with martial music blaring and can occasionally be seen parked outside Shinjuku station and haranguing people changing trains to get home.

She may manage all of 3% of the votes in her district if she campaigns really, really hard.

3 posted on 06/11/2007 2:26:04 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: james500

you never know she could win. Mussolini’s Grandaughter is a political leader in Italy


4 posted on 06/11/2007 2:28:05 PM PDT by DM1
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
and the Philippines and Burma and Korea....
5 posted on 06/11/2007 2:31:36 PM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: DM1
you never know she could win. Mussolini’s Grandaughter is a political leader in Italy Maybe Yuko can get a Playboy spread as well.
6 posted on 06/11/2007 2:32:35 PM PDT by MuttTheHoople
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To: james500; TigerLikesRooster; Jet Jaguar; AmericanInTokyo; All

Tiger I didn’t know Tojo offspring was politican???


7 posted on 06/11/2007 2:33:39 PM PDT by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: james500

I wonder if Robert Oppenheimer’s grandkids have any aspirations for the next few years.


8 posted on 06/11/2007 2:34:05 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum.)
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To: MuttTheHoople
oh yeah she is a real babe ;) she could make the grannies edition of playboy
9 posted on 06/11/2007 2:34:22 PM PDT by DM1
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To: james500
"Our children have been wrongly taught that their ancestors did evil things, that their country is evil. We need to give these children back their pride and confidence."

Ms. Tojo, The people of Japan have much to be proud of in their history and they can still be proud of their country's accomplishments and still acknowledge they did some really despicable things, particularly to the people of Korea and China.

To deny your country's despicable actions towards other nations will not give future generations any pride in their country.

His granddaughter has defended the general's legacy, contending he reluctantly took Japan to war after a U.S. oil embargo threatened the country's survival.

No, Ms. Tojo. Japan's warmongering in China and its horrible occupation of Korea threatened your country's survival and it certainly paid a price for its arrogance and war crimes.

10 posted on 06/11/2007 2:35:29 PM PDT by Tamar1973 (Riding the Korean Wave, one BYJ movie at a time!)
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To: james500
His granddaughter has defended the general's legacy, contending he reluctantly took Japan to war after a U.S. oil embargo threatened the country's survival.

Was that oil embargo before or after the "Rape Of Nanking"? /rhetorical question.

Japan was already at war long before the US embargoes, they didn't declare war on the US until we stopped supplying needed war materials.

"Japan did not fight a war of aggression. It fought in self-defense," she said. "Our children have been wrongly taught that their ancestors did evil things, that their country is evil. We need to give these children back their pride and confidence."

I believe the Japanese are taught precious little about WWII that doesn't involve the bombing of Japan, but I'm not sure of that, I did not go to school in Japan. I have spoken with a Japanese fellow who felt that by using the atom bomb, Harry S saved his life. His job during the invasion was to dive under a tank and detonate the satchel charge he was to carry.

11 posted on 06/11/2007 2:39:12 PM PDT by magslinger (Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors. And miss. R.A.Heinlein)
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To: DM1

Appears that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The belief is probably strong among Koreans and Chinese that the Japanese, in their current we-were-victims-too attitudes, are a pack of unrepentant racist murderers.


12 posted on 06/11/2007 2:40:57 PM PDT by elcid1970
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To: james500
Ignorance is bliss, apparently even if it is willful.
13 posted on 06/11/2007 2:41:19 PM PDT by Boiler Plate ("Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame." Benjamin Franklin)
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To: DM1; MuttTheHoople
Oh thanks, now I need some:
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
14 posted on 06/11/2007 2:42:27 PM PDT by magslinger (Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors. And miss. R.A.Heinlein)
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To: elcid1970
The belief is probably strong among Koreans and Chinese that the Japanese, in their current we-were-victims-too attitudes, are a pack of unrepentant racist murderers.

You're right! The popularity of Korean media & culture in Japan have a lot of Koreans scratching their heads a bit as well (and hauling all the yen to the bank, LOL!)

15 posted on 06/11/2007 2:42:44 PM PDT by Tamar1973 (Riding the Korean Wave, one BYJ movie at a time!)
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To: james500
"I do not think the war dead gave their lives for a country like this."

The Japanese are fortunate that the United States did not treat Japan like they did when they conquered a nation.

16 posted on 06/11/2007 3:04:11 PM PDT by fortheDeclaration (We must beat the Democrats or the country will be ruined! - Lincoln)
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To: elcid1970
Actually the Japanese have become ultra-pascifists because of these actions. Let me tell you that China and Korea will never let them forget, however I believe it is time for Japan to move on as to counter balance China’s dominance in Asia.

Anytime Japan moves towards increasing its military, China screams about pre-world war II atrocities all the while building an army/navy to dominate Asia and compete with the US.

17 posted on 06/11/2007 3:04:19 PM PDT by lt.america (Captain was already taken)
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To: DM1

In that picture she is standing in front of the Yasukuni shrine, a monument to Japan’s World War II “martyrs.” Tojo’s ashes are interred there.


18 posted on 06/11/2007 3:25:21 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: magslinger

rape of nanking was dec 1937. oil embargo was jul 1941 after the japanese “took” all of indochina from the vichy france government. they were warned after moving into northern indochina the embargo could happen if they moved south and they did anyway. i think they had one year of reserve oil stored in japan. they were going to ship oil back from the dutch east indies but, of course, didn’t build additional tankers to do this. by 1944 half the fleet was based in the singapore area because that was where the oil was. two of the three fleets attacking the us at leyte gulf came from the south.

the japanese in ww2 (as in starting in 1931 in manchuria) were vile people and probably worse than the nazis. dropping the bombs saved even more japanese than allied soldiers and sailors.


19 posted on 06/11/2007 3:38:40 PM PDT by bravo whiskey (everybody's shot. drive the truck)
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To: james500
"I was born as Hideki Tojo's granddaughter, and as a Japanese national. I cannot see Japan go on like this, with no confidence or pride," Tojo told The Associated Press. "I do not think the war dead gave their lives for a country like this."

It's a pity that Tojo's relatives were not executed with him.
20 posted on 06/11/2007 3:41:27 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (Current tagline banned under hate speech laws.)
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