Japan Fever in DC

Recently there has been one event after another on Japan, talks about US-Japan alliance, rise of China, tense Sino-Japan relations and history issues including Mr. Koizumi's Yasukuni visits.

From the regular people's point of view, talks of Japan seems to be replacing interests in China. Maybe it is because with the coming of the spring, cheery blossom in DC will be in full swing, and some talks on Japan to go with.

As annual event gets more crowds, I certainly can't wait for sushi, sake tastings and Ninjia kind dance perfermance.

A glorious battle for Chinese men?

In a Foreign Policy magazine article, reported by Washington Post, titled, “The Geopolitics of Sexual Frustration.”, and the real meat is the subtitle-"Asia has too many boys. They can't find wives, but they just might find extreme nationalism instead."

The latest data I saw, compared to 100 new born girls in China, there are 113 new born boys. Put in a best case scenario, all Chinese girls, instead of wedding Laowai (foreigners) or HongKongnese/Taiwanese, which is getting more popular in a “flat” world, and marry Chinese husbands, thirteen boys still need to fight for a bride.

It’s a public secrete in China, that with current technology, most baby girls will be screened out and aborted, thus boys can be screened in. The practice is so wildly spreading that a vicious results already have taken it toll. The most obvious one is women kidnapping and trafficking.

Zhang is my junior high classmate, and his sister, disappeared without any notice. Zhang’s family sank into a panic after days of waiting. Two poor brothers spent a year and scorched every corner of China, and there is nowhere their beloved sister can be found. About five years later, the girl finally got back to home after being sold to a rural family in a remote area as somebody’s future daughter-in-law.

No wonder my mom always says to my younger sister, “don’t ever talk to a stranger, you will be sold and you may never return home.”

How are Japan, China and the US viewed?

According to a BBC poll, out of 33 countries polled, people of 31 view Japan having a positive influence, the two exceptions? China and South Korea. 71% of Chinese and 54% of South Koreans said that Japan is having a negative influence.

In terms of the US, overall, views are evenly divided with 40% seeing the US role as positive and 41% negative。22% of Chinese think the US positively, while 62% think the US negatively.

How are people of other countries viewing China?

Bad news, the poll shows that among 20 countries polled both in 2004 and 2005, the number rating China mainly positively has dropped from 13 countries in 2004 to eight today, while those rating it negatively have risen from three countries to seven. While 35% of Americans view China mainly positive, 55% negative.

Cook the book or something else?

Recently in Japan, Horiemon, nickname of the president of Livedoor, is linked with 粉饰决算(Cook the book). The allegation is that he faked numbers to turn the company profit form red to black, and used the profit to buy more companies and made him an overnight celebrity.

Talking of cooking, weather cook the book, or cook the foods, In Japan, Food as the Ultimate Show , something like “Iron Chief” but certainly has more exotic flares. One show I saw is about finding golden fish dish in Beijing, as in everyone’s imagination, Chinese literally eats everything. However, it turned out the fish is made of floor. The whole show is cheesy but it certainly has raised your appetite.

Mistrust between China and Japan

Dr. Duan Yuezhong is a president of Institute of Japan-China Exchange, he advocates more grassroots exchange between China and Japan.

he mentioned there are three mistakes in handling the bilateral relations:
"三重三轻”

重政府(Emphase role of the governments) 轻民间(ignoring grassroots)
重会社(Emphase role of groups) 轻个人(ignoring efforts of individuals)
重远(Emphase role of history) 轻近(ignoring current developments)

不能期待政府，要加强民间交流(Instead of relying solely on the two governments, grassroots should take a front role in a better relationship)

Outsider and Gaijin

From the tragedy several days ago, when a Chinese immigrant killed two kindergarten children in Shiga, Japan, the focus is on how to be considered an insider in Japan.

In Japan, a Gaijin (foreigner) is consistently reminds of being a foreigner. “When are you going to return to your own country?” you will likely being asked by your coworkers, your landlord, even a stranger. Japan has a relatively short history of immigration. Several years ago, Osaka city government denied a Korean immigrant's right to work for the city even she was a certified civil officer.

In China, a Laowai (foreigner) is defined as a westerner, and American is defined as a blond, blue eyed Caucasian. Many second or even third generation Chinese Americans, who speak no Chinese, find it is extremely hard to let locals to believe they are Americans.

A Japanese girl at her 30s

A friend of mine, who is an African American from Gabon, was shocked that his Japanse girl friend dislikes Chinese and other Asians, and she can't wait to marry a White guy.

The lady, seems to be "immature", is at her 30s. According to her, Japanese culture is closer to western culture than Asian culture. She met a french man, and boken up as the guy could stand her. Now the Japanese lady is hanging out with another white guy, and he treats her like a tool, calling her at crackdown hours of early morning.

You go, lady, good luck and have a good night.

Anime, All things Katsu

Speaking of Anime, there’s a big celebration in Washington DC this past weekend, Kastucon 12. On its website, the event is going to “full of the sights, sounds, experiences and all things Katsu that you love”. The Washington Post has a lengthy feature on Japanese Anime in the US.

Anime is getting trendy, with the proliferation of Sushi bars and Saketinis. The book version of Anime, Manga is gaining popularity, too. Young, mostly males, mostly urban professionals crowd Comics stores in Georgetown or Manhattan, get their pot of thrill.

For these Washingtonians, if you like Manga, check out
bigmonkeycomics and bigplanetcomics

Akari says Japan is not only about Anime

Akari, a satellite to monitor atmosphere in the space, was successfully launched by JAXA at 6:28 a.m. on February 22, 2006 (Japan Standard Time,JST). It is the third successful launches in a single month, for JAXA, it is certainly a huge boost, after a several failures and mid-air explosions, and in facing fierce competition from Chinese, who have launched a man stuffed shuttle into the space.

On a similar note, US congressmen, who visited Chinese Space Launch sites in Jiuquan, Gansu Province in January, expressed interests to cooperate with China in exploring the space.

JAXA is going head to head with its Chinese counterparts

05 Sino-Japan trade a new record high

According to a report released by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), a Japanese government related trade promoter, bilateral trade between Japan and China reaches $189.3 billions, the seventh year of setting highest record since 1998.

Export to China increases 8.9%, and import from china increases 15.7%. Audio video equipments are the main items exported to China, and import items are PC and Digital portable music players.

Cool biz, Warm biz

Inside a town office in Japan’s rural area, every work is wrapped up like chimaki, armed with sweaters and coats, jackets, they seem to dress for outdoor instead of sitting inside a office.

As a effort of Koizumi cabinet to reduce CO2 emission and prevent global warming, warm biz is being promoted all over Japan, staring from central, local governments to schools, hospitals, even some business follow up. Fashion is being set like this, in summer, gone neckties and suits, in short sleeved shirts; in winter, gone the women’s short shirts, in the thick warm trousers.

There are certainly unhappy people with such manmade fashions. Last summer, Japan necktie industry made uproars as they see need for their products are being cut back. However, as cool biz turns into warm biz, there seems no more such oppositions.

Cool biz, warm biz, Japan as the energy saving image is the biz

Blackmail cause Japanese Diplomats suicide in Shanghai

According to AP (Associated Press), Japanese foreign ministry (MoFA) has made it public, that in 2003, a Japanese diplomat in Shanghai was set up by Chinese national security authority. The Japanese diplomat was seduced to have an affair with a Chinese women at a night club, and then was threaten to disclose Japanese government secrets. The diplomat was too ashamed about the whole thing, and committed suicide.

Chinese foreign ministry has been denying to disclose any details regarding this issue, spokesman repeatedly said, the issue has been settled by both sides, and it is irresponsible to make it public. Chinese also criticized Japanese media that firstly reported the issue, and Japanese government that picked up the report and conducted a investigation.

Who is to blame for the facing up between two countries at a lowest ever point of relationship? Instead of finger pointing, each side needs to make a good gesture to each other. For Japan, considering its own national interests, play down the media report but work closely underneath with the Chinese government; for China, trying to cover up serves no good except making things more published, the lesson should have been learned from SARS early outbreak. China should work closely with Japanese to sort things out, and discipline security agents who crossed the line.

Olympics in China and US

1. Olympics is a big deal in China, TV viewership shot out of roofs, if not millions disappear from the streets, at least some 10 thousands stay home watching openings, and games that Chinese athletes compete. In the US, most viewed event during the whole Olympics is the opening ceremony, so people got a chance to know other nations’ names.

2. It is to US business’s interests to draw people’s attention to the games, global companies such as Coco cola and McDonald hope you watch the TV commercials. It is to Chinese government’s interests to the Olympics, so people won’t pay much attention to domestic issues.

3. How much worth a medal is? People are shocked to know that in China, the government hands out bonus to athletes who get medals, and different price tags for gold, sliver or brown. It is unheard of in both the US and Japan, where athletes got money from endorsements from companies, so, extremely popular athletes such as Michelle Kwan, even never got (will never get) a gold medal in Olympics, she made 2-3 million dollars, more than many less popular gold medalist.

Michael Green on Yasukuni Visits

Michael Green, fromer special assistant Bush and senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council (NSC) talked about Yasukuni during an interview with Japanese TV network, TBS.

"I have confidence that Japanese political leadership thinking about national interests, thinking about honoring these who fallen in the war, thinking about Japan's international position, I am confident that there will be a good 落としどころ(common ground) on this, and it won’t continue like the current situation."

Is China politicizing Yasukuni problem?

"It (Yasukuni visit) should not be decided based on Chinese pressure, and it should not be decided based on U.S. pressure。Frankly, if Japan makes a decision on Chinese pressure, that would be bad for the U.S. Because China should have the right to determine what's right or wrong in Asia."

A tragedy of an outsider in Japan

Toady, a Chinese immigrant mother killed two kindergarten children. Both victims are 5 years old, and both the boy and the girl died with more than 10 knife wounds in chests and Abdomens.

On the morning of the killing, Zheng took a knife with her from kitchen, and drove the two kids along with her own kid to a kindergarten.

Zheng Yongshan immigrated to Japan 7 years ago. One year later, Zheng married to a Japanese citizen and had a child. In 2004, she moved to the current location, Nagahama city in Shiga prefecture.

One of the reasons for the killing, according to media reports, is even as a mother with a child of same age, as a Chinese, Zheng has problems communicating with other Japanese young mothers, she is described as silent, lonely. One Japanese woman said, Zheng seems to be a person doesn't belong to a Japanese mother’s circle.

Even Zheng took a Japanese name and become as Taniguchi Mie, and joined other three Japanese mothers to take turns driving children to school; she is still an outsider, not being accepted by other Japanese.

Mushi, meaning “ignore, isolate” in Japan, is one kind of Japanese way to treat an outsider. In Japan, you either in or out, and if you are out, you are treated with either bullying( ijime) or mushi (ignorance).

Mushi kills.

You say Hi, I say Hai

Do you believe there are misunderstandings and miscommunications among Chinese, Japanese and Americans?

Or, do you think there is a lack of understanding and communicaiton?

The other day, I ask why in the US so many schools are named after somebody, either dead or alive, either a donor or a wellknown figure, but that is not a case in Japan and China, whose schools are named either by location or numbers, Why?

You may also see so many Chinese or Japanese ladies who married Americans, mostly white guys, but few Chinese or Japanese guys have American wifes, if there is one, most likely she is white, Why?

Sounds interesting? Let's get the questioning started.

普通人也能改善中日美关系(Citizen Diplomacy Era)

Normal people have better feeling for relations among US, China and Japan.

It is so ture, as we head towards a more open and information sharing world, foreign policy making is no more a preveliege for a few politician and academia.

Concerned citizen can and are collectively contributing to this process. A good example, National Council for International Visitors in the US, their slogan is, "International Understanding Through Citizen Diplomacy", So ture!

Yes, welcome to a Citizen Diplomacy Era!

China US news roundup

U.S. mulling WTO cases against China - USTR Rob Portman
(Routers)
Fresh U.S. Outrage Ahead of China Internet Hearings (Routers)

China Japan News Roundup

日官房长官安倍和外相麻生均否认A级战犯是罪犯(Abe and Aso denied that A-class War Criminals are criminals) (Xinhua News online)
中国国联大使、「アジア一本化」示唆 (Chinese UN ambassador supports Korean FM Pan's candidicy for UN General Secretary)
(Asahi News Online)
中国残留邦人诉讼 (Tokyo Court Dismissed the lawsuit by Japanese orphans left in China after WWII(Yomiuri Online)

麻生太郎発言 (what Japanese FM Aso has said)

靖国参拜について

靖国参拜をするのは　基本的に中国と韩国たけですので(05/11）

中国が言えばいうだけ　いかざるを得ないことになりますよう。当たり前でしょう。やめるやめるといっていくんだから。そのこと　当たり前でしょう、あと。タバコなら　どうしても　やりたくない。(06/01）

（靖国）祀られたいる英灵のほうからみれば　天皇陛下でために万岁と言った　やって　総总理大臣が万岁歳といった　ゼロですよう。天皇陛下の参拜それは　一番。(06/01)

中国胁威论

邻国で10亿の民を持って、原爆を持って、その国の军事费が每年二桁の伸び。连续17年间。内容は極极めて不透明というのであったら、どんなことになるかなということに関しましては、かなり胁威になりつつある、そういう意识はありますね。 (05/12)

more of NYT's editoral on Aso

"People everywhere wish they could be proud of every bit of their countries' histories. But honest people understand that's impossible, and wise people appreciate the positive value of acknowledging and learning from painful truths about past misdeeds. "

"Then there is Japan's new foreign minister, Taro Aso, who has been neither honest nor wise in the inflammatory statements he has been making about Japan's disastrous era of militarism, colonialism and war crimes that culminated in the Second World War."

NY Times Editoral critized Aso Taro "Offensive"

it is titled as "Japan's Offensive Foreign Minister"

The tone is harsh, and during the recent history, it is rarely for a major US newspaper to slash out a cabinet member of a close ally, especially when US and Japan is still in a Wa (harmony).

Some good ones include:
"Mr. Aso has also been going out of his way to inflame Japan's already difficult relations with Beijing by characterizing China's long-term military buildup as a "considerable threat" to Japan."

"Mr. Aso's sense of diplomacy is as odd as his sense of history."

So, No love to Japan?

Yasukuni is a Reflection, Not Roorts

What's the roots for troubled Sino-Japanese relations? How to solve it? What the US should do?

Akira Chiba, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Dr.Bojiang Yang, Chinese scholar, and Mr. Randy Schriver, partner of Armitage International discussed the topic on Feb. 13th at a AEI(American Enterprise Institute) event.

Mr. Chiba on Yasukuni Visits

From 1978 to 1985, three Japanese PM visited Yasukuni Shrine, and the visits got no protests from outside of Japan.

April, 1985, Japanese Prime Minister Nakasone visited Yasukuni at 8:45am, and then had lunch with Chinese leader Peng Zheng, and Peng gave a speech praising Japanese’s foods and bilateral relations

Only until August 1985, anti- Japan protest suddenly emerged.

“there is no link between shrine visit and Japanese militarism”

5.75% of total expenditure during the time that frequent visits are made
6.8% average during the 15 years since PM Nakasone decided not to visit the shrine
6.02% during the Koizumi's fiver visits

Towards the end, Chiba recalled a moment in China. When he finished a speech, one 80 year old Chinese senior graphed his hands, and said, “Your guys are just like us”, and Chiba said, that is a moment of reconciliation.


Dr. Yang first agree,
there are certain difference between Chinese and Japanese.
Chinese character also contributes to it

Secondly, she suggested genuine exchange between the two societies.
“今までは国交３０年　これから社交３０年” (after 30 years of normalization in bilateral relations, it is a time for normalization in two societies)

But he pointed out
1.Yasukuni doesen’t equal to Shinto. It is special for being a place with the war criminals

2.Koizumi's visit can't be equated to Nakasone's visit. Nakasone's is admired as a real statesman, he maintained a close relations with US president Ronald Reagan, as well as CCP secretary Hu Yaobang. Koizumi is simply “disappointing.”

He made three points,
1.put Sino-japan relatins into a profound background
2. Some opportunities after LDP’s election. (Hope is relied on a Post-Koizumi figure who will do something to improve the relations)
3.yasukuni is not roots, but rather a reflection of the troubled relations. The Roots lies in Strategic alignment and realignment. Or, a balance of power.

Mr. Shriver presents his view on the US's role:

1.Don’t think US likes to see the tension rising between Japan and China
2.Don’t want to pressure and persuade Japan solely, US has to look carefully where its interest lies and act accordingly
3.the assumption of a equal playing field betweem the US and the two East Asian rising powers is not a case. Even Sino-US relations are improving, As US’s strategic partner and trade alliance, Japan-US relations can’t be compensated

US needs to desegregate the problem

The US needs to stay out of the history issues.
US should meddle in the following,

1. Miscalculation and miscommunication between Chinese military and Japanese counterpart can get the US facing a crisis
2. The US should continue to pursue and continue to strengthen alliance with Japan. Support Japan as a normal country

Ultimate Victim

Japanese media, TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) picked up the topic of using children to pocket-pick in China. It is barely a surprise to most of Chinese, as such things going on everywhere in small towns and rural areas. However, what’s shocking is the report is about a Metropolitan area, the biggest city in China, Shanghai.

Where are the children from? Most likely, they are being kidnapped and trafficked to Shanghai, and then trained and forced to be a theft.

Along China’s ever-expanding gap between rich and poor, and sole motivation for adults is money, the ultimate victim is the children.

Partner or Threat? US Congress View on Sino-US

Feb 8, Congressmen Kirk(R-IL) and Larsen (D-WA), coming back from a trip to China in January, provided update on US-China relations.

No Change to Engagement

Both say, even there may be more than 600 views of china among 500 congressmen and women, the view of engaging china is strong.

Because, engagement with china is best to the US interest. In terms of a fight between the US and China, both lose, no winner.

When asked about Chinese views on Taiwan, Kirk mentioned in a recent trip, that some key problems are facing Chinese leaders, such as unrest and inequity, which are more dominating Chinese leader's mind.

The rest will be posted on Monday, Feb. 13, yes, US Whitehouse time.

you go girls, kotohime

Kotohime, the Koto Princesses, is a group based in Japan. They came to Washington DC on Feb. 1, held a wonderful performance.



Chinese Guzheng, mother of Japanese Koto and Korean Kayagum

All three instruments have 12-21 strings.



Gu Zheng performer xiao-qing Jiang, Japanese Koto Performer Noboko Baba, Korean Kayagum performer Sun-a-Pak. can you guess who is who?



these pretty princess represent a ture grassroot effort to improve the East Asian relationship.

Girls, You Go,Girls!

Beyond Yasukuni

Welcome to the first post!
our motto is

"Everything about Sino-Japan relationship"

there are so many things going on each day on this topic, I hope everyone of us can do what we can, and have more reasons to be optimstic than pessimistic.

Yasukuni is a like the Tai Mountain standing between Beijing and Tokyo, if we can do something to cross it over, a better future will be there.

Here is the something I start, and hope you will join me.