And the Olympic gold medal for whingeing goes to…
Posted by ampontan on Friday, March 5, 2010
GIVE CREDIT to Robert Koehler of The Marmot’s Hole for being one savvy blogger.
As he notes in this post, he’s written about the contentions between Japan and South Korea regarding the island of Tsushima several times before.
But the weather’s warming up and that chauvinist sap has been primed by the Winter Olympics and the ensuing cross-strait cyberwar, so naturally the fancy of the dateless and friendless saps will turn to prowling the Internet on a Friday night looking for more pointless disputes to get involved with.
All the better to drive up the page views, my dear.
Rather than write about it again, he cops a quote from the blogger Kushibo, who wonders about the whacky Japanese getting upset about Korean behavior on the island.
Well, I’ve written about that issue too. And as those who have read this post know, there are more reasons than the day is long for the Japanese to “have a stick up their arse” about the Koreans on Tsushima. One of the best is the first, which appears in the introductory quotes before I got around to writing a word of my own.
Kushibo also thinks it’s weird that the Japanese are concerned about Korean restaurants with ties to the North in this country. We can give him a pass on that one, however. He doesn’t seem to know much about the decades of North Korean intelligence operations in this country, working through places exactly such as those. It probably would seem weird without the background information.
Indeed, the Marmot’s fishing expedition caught one in the very first comment.
What I find more interesting are the Japanese not being able to accept Kim Yuna’s gold medal win. I wish they just get over it. It’s becoming really annoying.
The Japanese? All 127 million of them? He doesn’t seem to know many people in this country.
If he can read the lingo, I can slip him some links to raving right-wing nationalists who sincerely congratulated Ms. Kim on her medal. Then I could slip him plenty more from normal people. More than he’s got enough time to read.
It’s a humorous note, really. He’s annoyed because they can’t get over it? Well, he could always do what the Japanese do when the Koreans can’t get over whatever the whinge du jour happens to be on the menu.
Ignore them.
Then again, the Japanese have had a lot more practice in dealing with annoyed Koreans. Such as those Koreans who got upset with the proposed design for posters for the joint World Cup because it used the outline of a soccer pitch. It too closely resembled the first kanji used to write “Japan” (日). They insisted the Japanese change the posters, and of course they did.
No, I am not making that up.
But not to fret, they’ll get over it soon. That might be hard to believe for someone whose experiences with Olympic controversies are limited to bitching about Apolo Ohno. That one’s lasted for the better part of a decade and three Olympic games, and also spilled over to pollute a World Cup soccer match. With that sort of background, I suppose we should give him a pass too. It must be a novel experience to have the shoe on the other foot for a change.
Be that as it may, I have to admit that if I were dateless, friendless, and reading a South Korean site on a Friday night, I’d probably get irritated myself.
Here are all the Google ads attached to The Marmot’s post: Meet Japanese ladies, Earn your MBA in Japan, Want to Work in Japan, Japan News FT.com, Japan Investments, and HVAC Contractor in Japan.
That last one’s for refrigeration solutions, which is fitting. It’s long past time for some people to chill.
But I won’t hold my breath.
Robert said
I try. I try.
Boo! Boo!
ike said
bill, off the topic again, hope you dont mind, just fyi
said on the train by a haafu living in japan – “it’s because the japanese are afraid of us.”
just wondering whether it might apply as well to your kids, who, having bilingual skills and cross-cultural rep under their belts (not sure how many kids you have) from the 1st day.
http://goinglocoinyokohama.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/live-from-locohama-s1e14-envying-the-kids-on-the-train/
slim said
I took Kushibo’s post to task in the Marmot’s Hole comment section, in greater detail, for largely the same reasons you present.
But I think you cheapen your comment by including that gratuitous dateless on a Friday night line — and surely you know that the Marmot has no control over what ads Google spins up to match any post. Here in the USA, at this moment, it generates an ad for a master’s degree in international diplomacy and a Korean dating site.
Edward said
Slim,
I think Google ads are using the cookie information on each individual computer to spin the banners in a customized way. Well, maybe IP information at least. I get nude Russian dating sites and degrees for basket weaving. JK… jk…
Jason said
Bill, I’m sure Robert refers to the “Japanese” in much the same manner you refer to the “Koreans” every so often.
—–
Jason: Thanks. If you’re talking about that comment about the skater, that was a commenter to the post and not RK.
I make an effort to make distinctions. I may have said “Koreans” in an exchange with you in the comments section for convenience, but I think you’ll find in my posts that I do make distinctions.
Such as the one about Tsushima.
- A.
James A said
I’ve just about had it with the Marmot’s Hole. The only person’s posts who I can stand on that blog is Robert Neff’s, mainly because he actually posts informative and interesting stuff on Korea that is well-researched.
Aceface said
I second with Slim.Google should be blamed for the google ads.Not the blogger.
Marmot hole is a useful site to learn about Korea and it’s comment section can be useful to study how the expats mindsets are influenced by living there.
—————
But Aceface!
You don’t understand! It’s unfair!
The culture was stolen! The C in Corea, cimchee, and Cim Jong-il was stolen! The names of the East and West Sea were stolen! Dokdo and Daemado were stolen! Shimane was stolen!
All the maps must be changed! All the history books must be changed!
And now those people at Google can’t even arrange their entire organization to keep ads for those Japanese off a South Korean site!
You can never understand! We must have a candlelight vigil! We must tear up the paving blocks in the sidewalk and throw them at policemen!
We must Photoshop till we drop!
- A.
What? Can’t Gideon Rachman Find a Date on Friday Night? | The Marmot's Hole said
[...] in a post Bill at Ampontan is sure to love, the FT’s Gideon Rachman writes that Japanese are increasingly anxious about South [...]
Aceface said
”The culture was stolen! The C in Corea, cimchee, and Cim Jong-il was stolen! The names of the East and West Sea were stolen! Dokdo and Daemado were stolen! Shimane was stolen!”
Just make you feel any better,Japan “stole” the whole country for about 36 years.So far what Koreans did to Japan are nothing but ranting.Irritating for those who believe in J-K friendship,but predictable for those who has some ideas on the country.
I interviewed quite a few Koreans in Tokyo when I researched on “Kimchi war” back in 2001.Everyone understand the “war” is nothing but a empty argument and seemed much more worried about possible blowback caused by Korean media’s hyperbole.Too bad some bloggers help accelarate these trend on covering J-K relation.
Hinomaru said
These people who want to constantly stir up the pot by stating that Japan is always bad and Korea is the innocent victim.
As they keep exaggerating their victimhood, they have no proof of such. Koreans were willing accessories, not innocent victims.
If Korea was so ‘good’ and Japan was so ‘bad’, they need to show proof. The Koreans proof and statement need to be carefully scrutinized, when ‘the victims’ testimony constantly changes.
Below are proof to be reviewed, as it has more credibility than what the Koreans and their sympathizers provide:
http://mikomo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/menu00.htm
under 日韓の対立を解消し友好な関係を
by M.J.Rhee, the doomed empire: Japan in colonia Korea, her professors told her Japan’s colonization was a lot better and name which country developed like KOrea and TAiwan, if Japan was so bad, why would his Korean student brag about his father graduating from Japanese universities. That is acknowledging what Japan did was good.
金文学 「韓国民に告ぐ！」より 150 years behind Japan and his grandfather who told him of the good Japan did in Korea. His book provides pretty good details. The author is a China born gyopo.
Kim Wan Sop 親日派の弁明, Takeshima should be returend, as Korea stole from Japan, his junior in school told him that when he was in the Korean Army, the Korean soldiers bragged about what atrocities they committed in Vietnam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_under_Japanese_rule#Controversial_statements_regarding_Japanese_rule_in_Korea
says that according to Ji Man-Won, a retired Korean military officer and author said that only around 20% of the Korean women were forced, while the remaining 80% volunteered to make money.
On Youtube:
日本が韓国の植民地【村田春樹】こんな授業受けたかった① There was a Korean deputy elected to the Japanese pariliament using his real name, Mr. Park in the 4th electoral district of Tokyo, w/o Japanese voters, he would have not gotten elected.
従軍慰安婦に謝罪と賠償が大好きな変態極左集団を桜井誠が徹底論破 BS that comfort women were forced based on US Army documents, 50,000 Korean prostitutes in Japan right now, a Korean woman named Moon Ok Shin sued Japan to recoup her lost deposits of $1 million US dollars she saved up in 3 years as comfort woman. What did Korean soldiers did to Vietnamese women in Vietnam war.
従軍慰安婦は存在しない！早稲田大学とＷＡＭ前で抗議活動, where a Korean deputy said that there are 30,000 Korean prostitutes in Japan right now and before criticizing Japan over the comfort woman, Korea should take them all back to KOrea 1st. If they are voluntarily selling their bodies in good economic times, what makes you think, they were forced back then
朝鮮人が認めたがらない朝鮮人の歴史(正直な朝鮮人出演)【後編】Professor Che said that there is no if in history and Koreans in the USA said that the lifestyle they had in Japan, they were living in dignity, unlike in Korea.
韓国】反日運動に異論を唱えるソウル大教授
Without Japan, KOrea cannot explain the economic development.
Tei TAikin said that Koreans were not forced to come, most came voluntarily. The kyousei renkou is a myth invented by Koreans to justify their status in Japan, as the North KOrea returnee program was a failure.
Those that were drafted were the ones that returned to Korea on the same boat that repatriated Japanese in KOrea after WW2.
西岡力 日韓歴史問題の真実 (3-1) Japan- Korea history is all false and all issues resolved, even despite Japan and Korea never went to war with each other and got money.
Korea signed a contract with Japan, in exchange for taking $800 million US dollars, both Koreas, all entities and citizens forfeited all future claims against Japan. It’s game over. Even despite that, the Koreans keep screaming their victimhood.
Take a look at the following youtube videos and you can see the ‘real Koreans’:
韓国の反日行動, how Koreans react, when they don’t like what Japan says.
韓国テレビ取材に西村修平がアドバイス, which the Korean journalist admitted that it is impossible to talk with Koreans.
日本人弁士を襲う韓国人 ! When a Japanese politician says he doesn’t like Koreans, the Korean beat him up.
終戦から６２年 日韓それぞれの引揚げ01, Japanese old lady said that they had to shave their heads bald and dress like boys to avoid getting raped and killed by Koreans, which she refused to do. Where is this good Koreans?
1/2在日のタブー☆朝鮮進駐軍☆について【どうか見てください. The true history of what Koreans did, which Koreans failed to apologize nor pay compensation.
The recent causing damage to the 2 channel server in San Francisco USA, because Koreans didn’t like what the Japanese bloggers said about Korea.
AS you can see from the above, Koreans are not ‘victims’, but lie about history and ‘very dangerous’.
That’s why the Japanese do not want to associate with Koreans because the Japanese has seen too many ‘real Koreans’. If Koreans do not like Japan, the Koreans in Japan should just go home. That will alleviate all their problems in Japan.
For non- Japanese, take it from the Japanese, don’t believe what the Koreans say about their exaggerated history.
Aceface said
Via from Marmot Hole:
Poster Hoju Saram says,
“I wouldn’t be too concerned about Ampontan’s snottish comments. When he’s not ragging on Korea, he’s bashing, well, everyone. I used to read his blog (sorry – polemical diary or whatever the fuck he calls it), until I got so sick of his endless condescending posts of the ROK, Australia, the US etc etc.”
Huh? If my memory serves right,isn’ this the dude who used to show up here and go berserk when we had talk on Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith was barking at anonymous Anti Australian You-tube video and we thought that was a bit of childish?
I wouldn’t call that as “endless condescending post”on downunder,anyway he doesn’t seem to care about reading “endless condescending post” of Japan at Marmot hole.Talk about yet another Aussie hypocrisy,if you ask me.
Now the big guy says.
“I like his blog. Or non-blog, as it were. Don’t always agree with his views about Korea, but I appreciate his take on things none-the-less.”
Give credit to Robert Koehler of The Marmot’s Hole for being being one savvy blogger…..
Hinomaru said
Ampontan isn’t being snottish. The Koreans and their sympathizers are being snottish.
if Koreans hear opinions that criticize them, the criticizers are evil and Koreans are poor little victims.
Man, grow up.
As on the previous posting, if they are criticized, they overload computer systems, beat people up, destroy property, etc., the same thing that the Koreans did both in Japan and in Korea after WW2.
Did Koreans apologize for what they did after WW2, Vietnam War, etc. I have yet to hear any and never will cuz they will play their victim tantrum.
That’s why in Japan, the yakuza to a point is looked up on because the GHQ refuse to do anything and while Koreans, Chinese and Allied troops were robbing, raping and killing the Japanese, the yakuza was ‘protecting’ Japan, until finally the GHQ decide to something about it when it got out of control.
If you want respect, you have to show you are entitled to it and not throw tantrums when things don’t go your way.
M-Bone said
You know Hinomaru, if you’re right and nice you’re twice as right.
kushibo said
First off, it would be nice if you’d provide a link to the post you’re referring to so that people could gauge the accuracy of your characterization of what I actually wrote.
Ampontan wrote:
Rather than write about it again, he cops a quote from the blogger Kushibo, who wonders about the whacky Japanese getting upset about Korean behavior on the island.
Maybe I’m protesting a bit too much, but it seems you’re suggesting that I’m characterizing “the Japanese” in general as whacky, which I did not and do not. I wrote …
If you have been deluded into believing it is only whacky Koreans that have a stick up their arse about Japan, and not the other way around, look again. Japanese nationalists frequently talk up the danger of zainichi Korean residents in their midst — especially those associated with “pro-North” organizations because they provide something of a lifeline to their relatives in the DPRK — but this occasionally extends to tourists, especially those on Tsushima.
… which is pretty clear (to me at least) that the only Japanese I’m calling whacky would be nationalists (and not even necessarily all of them) going after Korean tourists. And that’s a term many Japanese I know would also use.
And as those who have read this post know, there are more reasons than the day is long for the Japanese to “have a stick up their arse” about the Koreans on Tsushima. One of the best is the first, which appears in the introductory quotes before I got around to writing a word of my own.
The JT article I was referring to talks about national security as it relates to Tsushima, not environmental damage or the dangers of money flooding into the region. The post you cite talks about the tertiarily, yes, but in the JT article, the MSDF says that there is no basis for the nationalists’ worry:
“Although the MSDF says the presence of the lodge does not present any problem with its activities, we feel as if we are being kept under surveillance” by the South Koreans, said Masayoshi Matsui, who heads the local chapter of the Japan Conference, a group of conservatives.
In fact, one of the things that stuck out for me was the similarity of the Japan Conference’s claims about the Koreans and claims of Japanese-American fisherman deliberately locating their fishing boats rights next to naval facilities on Terminal Island in Los Angeles County, which were used as a justification for interning Japanese immigrants and their offspring en masse during World War II. It just sounds like it’s designed to exacerbate — not just reflect — xenophobic paranoia, even though the MSDF itself says “no problem.”
Kushibo also thinks it’s weird that the Japanese are concerned about Korean restaurants
Japanese residents …
with ties to the North in this country.
Huh? Where did you get that I think it’s weird that Japanese are concerned about it. They should be… and I even provided a link describing the connection between pachinko and North Korea. Now being concerned is a bit different from being obsessed, such that you think there’s a Pyongyang-supporting spy under every bed in every lodge.
We can give him a pass on that one, however. He doesn’t seem to know much about the decades of North Korean intelligence operations in this country, working through places exactly such as those. It probably would seem weird without the background information.
Go do a word search on my blog for Megumi Yokota and then tell me what don’t seem to know.
And slim, you’re welcome to venture to the actual source and leave your comments there, instead of everywhere but.
———————
One of the things that stuck out for me was your failure to mention high-ranking Korean naval officers talking openly about Tsushima, and artists/propagandists whipping up chauvinist sentiment in South Korea , while reaching into Alpha Centauri for this particular comparison.
- A.
Aceface said
I second with M-Bone.
ampontan said
By coincidence, if you believe in it, along came this article about commenters on the Web today.
“It was as if the writers had had an abscess waiting to burst, and it had burst over me. I was but the occasion, not the cause of, the discharge.”
Aceface said
Related.
http://dokdoisours.blogspot.com/2009/09/festivals-canceled-due-to-swine-flu-k.html
Ken said
Korean Skate Federation was upset with the broadcasting and saying that Japan TV is appealed to contradict Olympic charter to International Skate Federation.
I wonder if they know what the charter is.
http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2010&d=0302&f=national_0302_021.shtml
Here is the evidence of the doubtful judge that only one judge graded ‘-2′ though other judges graded ’0′ or even ‘+1′.
‘-2′ is graded only on falling down.
http://minus-k.com/nejitsu/loader/up38715.jpg