Forum - View topicINTEREST: Isao Takahata Offers His Thoughts on War, Constitution
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Fronzel
Posts: 1906 |
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Or rather how they got into the last war in the first place? Take over Korea -> take over Manchuria to protect position in Korea -> invade China to protect position in Manchuria -> attack Western powers to stop them supporting China -> get thrashed |
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mdo7
 Posts: 6253 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Hayao Miyazaki said something similar last week.
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Tuor_of_Gondolin
 Posts: 3524 Location: Bellevue, WA |
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I have to say that Takahata is a very wise man, at least in my estimation. He is completely correct in the fact that once a war has started, it is too late to do anything about it. You have to change things *before* war becomes immanent. And I also agree that not only Japanese people, but people in general really haven't changed much over the years. We always think we've advanced so far, namely due to advances in technology, but when it comes to inner changes -- changes within ourselves as people -- well, in that respect we've changed far less than we'd like to believe.
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mgosdin
 Posts: 1302 Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA |
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The slope that Japan finds itself slipping / slithering down is treacherous, like it is, because it is so well worn and it is so damn crowded. Takahata-sensei's lament at Japan's cultural inclinations is a lament for human nature, because the Japanese are human - subject to the same human strengths and weaknesses as the rest of us. If they can get off of the slope hopefully it will make it a little less likely that someone else will fall. Mark Gosdin |
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Levitz9
 Posts: 1022 Location: Puerto Rico |
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I'm not entirely sure I understood... is Takahata claiming that Grave of the Fireflies isn't an anti-war film because it doesn't have the ability to change policy enough to make people want to prevent wars?
That's... kinda sad. 
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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Is Japan still the kind of country that's chomping at the bit to get into conflict? These statements make it sound like Japan's only being restrained by Article 9, otherwise they'd be 1937ing all over. Otherwise, it sounds like he's also kind condemning the way the Japanese people should just not stand out or be opinionated on important matters, especially ones that don't jive with the current flow. |
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Tuor_of_Gondolin
Posts: 3524 Location: Bellevue, WA |
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I think he's saying that the mentality in Japan is one that won't stop Japan from heading in that direction in the future. That's why he said it's not "cooperation", but "agreement". |
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Kaioshin_Sama
Posts: 1215 |
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Between Takahata, Miyazaki and Tomino veteran anime creators really don't seem to think much of the current Japanese government and it's policy at all. Tomino has been the outright most harshly critical offering that he can't believe how these people can even call themselves politicians and wondering how they got elected. Takahata seems the most reserved in his criticism but essentially seems to be saying pretty much the same things at the end of the day about how they've handled policies on energy and the military. This is why I find it funny though that Tomino gets absolutely lambasted and there's an insistence he STFU every time he speaks up on political matters while Takahata is considered a sagely old man.
Anyway I wonder how Tezuka would have weighed in were he still alive today. I have a feeling he'd have some pretty similar things to say. |
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Hameyadea
 Posts: 3679 |
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Given that Japan has a few ongoing territorial disputes with Russia, China, Taiwan and South Korea, as well as the issue of North Korea both abducting Japanese people and building up its nuclear weaponry, the Japanese government, should Japan be allowed to rebuild the Japanese Army proper, might abandon the political path that they had to take (for they don't have a military option), and settle some of the disputes with a coat of "nationalism", "patriotism" and "honor".
Then again, it might not happen, I don't know, and maybe it is fine if Japan will rebuild the Army. There isn't a simple, single, clear-cut answer, really. |
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Hiroki not Takuya
 Posts: 2514 |
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I agree with Kaioshin and appreciate Takahata-sensei and Miyazaki-sensei as people who aren't too afraid to say what they think. I sincerely hope not too many Japanese are saying "next time we'll do it better, we'll win" (maybe against China?) because a young Chinese aquaintance of mine suprised me by saying his countrymen "would like to punch thier smug little faces in". Takahata-sensei is correct that the real battles in democratic societies are for public perception and opinion and must be fought before course is set. In that connection, I believe Grave of the Fireflies was indeed a realsitic "anti-war" film in that it was made so people would see how it really was and think how horrible things were so they might think twice about supporting that course of action.
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Kaioshin_Sama
Posts: 1215 |
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Well pretty much the key scene in that film makes essentially the same point. It's the one where they talk about the military procession at night and where the people come out to cheer on their forces and fall in step while Seita can't help but think the procession reminds him of fireflies being guided by the light towards their graves. |
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Yttrbio
 Posts: 3652 |
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SilverTalon01
Posts: 2402 |
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I don't think that is the case. Notice how the article mentions how Abe is altering the interpretation instead of trying to get it amended? The reason for that is because pretty much every poll has shown that the public supports article 9. |
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Hiroki not Takuya
Posts: 2514 |
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The reason China hasn't "hit" Japan is because it hasn't been able to likely do it effectively until recently, given the historic US backing as pointed out, and that despite rhetoric on both sides, responsible people in power realize more can be gained in general by economic cooperation. Witness Toyota car factories in China. SilverTalon01 makes a good point though, I also don't believe the Japanese people are "spoiling for a fight". My point was that I have seen deep-seated animosity on both sides that could provide momentum to war if one side or other "pushed" too hard. Conceptualizing countries as in Hetalia, I think most people's personal experience teaches that if someone pushes you, doing nothing doesn't keep them from "taking a swing" and so military action can become necassary and you have to be ready. But about that US backing? Ask PM Netanyahu and the Saudis how reliable US support against Iran has been lately.
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Surrender Artist
 Posts: 3264 Location: Pennsylvania, USA |
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Japan having any military at all, proper or not, seems hard to square with anything but an 'imaginative' reading of Article 9. The exact genesis of Article 9 is ambiguous, but I believe that it was imagined a more or less absolute prohibition. Such a prohibition, however, became unpalatable to the Americans as the cold war emerged. If I recall correctly, Japanese soldiers are technically police and the SDF operates under a lot of rather arbitrary or contrived rules as to what is an 'offensive' weapon, therefore forbidden.
As much as I disdain the kind of 'muscular' right-wing nationalism that Prime Minister Abe indulges in, it seems well-rooted in Japan and compelling to men in general. (Believe me, I'm American, we've got it real bad too) I suspect that adhering to Article 9 is infeasible and attempts to do so partially untenably incoherent. Unfortunately, I can imagine any unraveling could be a self-perpetuating, self-fulfilling prophecy as resurgent Japanese militarism provokes old resentments and fears among neighbors, yielding hostility to spur that militarism right along. *sigh* Is there anything that I can't see ending up in destruction, failure, bloodshed or oppression anymore? |
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