Japanese culture never seems to surprise me. Today, as I found out which teachers were staying for sure, I had a great talk with one teacher about the flag and the anthem. According to her, the reason that there is so much opposition against the flag and the anthem has to do with the left over feelings of world war 2. The defeat they faced as well as the war crimes committed during the war has left a lot of ill feelings. Japanese people went to war for their emperor, for the flag and their country, and so now, with the memory of defeat, and continual occupation of the united states army, they feel that the flag and anthem should be changed. They don't want to stand up and celebrate the meanings that go along with those symbols. With Japanese troops now occupying Iraq, the silent protest has been to stay seated when the anthem is played. There have been protests to change the flag and anthem since world war 2 ended, but the government has refused. The opposition it seems is growing stronger. And in a country where the saying "a nail that sticks out gets hammered down" is constantly reinforced, even this silent protest appears to be a bold one.

What happens when a nation has been shamed? Should people forget that past and opt for new beginnings?

I'm continually amazed by the harmony and peacefulness of this country and it's people, and I have to wonder why Prime Minister Koizumi has gone against the constitution and sent troops to Iraq? Even in the face of all the protests and continual outcries of the citizens. Has a president's vendentta determined international politics to such a degree that the Prime Minister would defy the consitution? Fueling hate and killing with hate and killing doesn't seem to be the answer. But it does fuel economic growth in some industries, and isn't money and economic growth what it is really all about?

What are we doing with the world we live in?

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