When we think of the Executive Order 9066 which was signed on February 19, 1942 by FDR, we think of the people of Japanese ancestry who were forcibly removed from their homes in America's West Coast and sent inland into the so-called "Relocation Centers." When we think of the "West Coast," we normally think of only the Pacific Coast of the continental United States, from Washington down to California. We really don't include Hawaii which is farther west, and we don't think of Alaska either, which is also farther west than any of the three Pacific Coast states in the Lower 48.
Another thing that we don't think about is the fact that Washington, Oregon, and California were not the only states that were affected by the Executive Order 9066. States such as Arizona and Nevada, and some other states west of Mississippi were also affected and its population of Japanese ancestry people were removed from their homes and sent to Relocation Centers. Hawaii, despite its very high percentage of people of Japanese ancestry, still had a small number of Japanese, I believe about 200, who were held in a Relocation Center in Hawaii, then moved to the Continental United States. Alaska, as strange as it may seem, did also have a small population of its residents who were of Japanese ancestry, and they too were removed from their homes and moved to a temporary "camp" at what was then Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Today that military installation is known as Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which is shared by the U.S. Air Forces and U.S. Army. After a short stay at the temporary camp at Fort Richardson, these people were moved to the Lower 48, mostly to an isolated camp in Idaho. There were, in total, about 200 Alaskans who were classified as being of Japanese ancestry who were subjected to this terrible, cruel treatment.
In 1907, Shonosuke Tanaka moved to Juneau, Alaska from the lower 48. Tanaka was not a farmer, so he did not want to work in the fields in Hawaii or the West Coast. Instead, he came to Juneau, Alaska and opened a café/diner called the City Café. It became a very popular place for all the locals and Tanaka and his growing family ran the popular and successful business until that fateful day in 1942 when they were all forcibly removed from Juneau and put in a camp at Fort Richardson. There they stayed with other families of Japanese ancestry until they were all scattered once more to camps in the Lower 48.
The extreme, draconian nature of the Executive Order 9066 was that anyone who was at least 1/16th Japanese was subject to this law! This essentially guaranteed that anyone with a Japanese surname would be put in a "Relocation Center" as these concentration camps were euphemistically called by the government. It meant that someone who's great, great, grand parent was Japanese was subject to this law! Just think about it! The popular Hollywood actor Richard Gere is 1/4th Japanese (his grandmother is Japanese) and he would have been subject to this law! It did not matter whether you physically looked Asian or not, if you had a Japanese surname or were known to be at least 1/16th Japanese, then you were subject to removal to a "Relocation Center." Caucasian or non-Japanese women who were married to Japanese and had a Japanese surname were subject to this law. Caucasian wives of Japanese were encouraged to drop the Japanese name to keep from going to these camps. Some did drop their Japanese married name and stayed out of the camps. A few refused to change their name and followed their husbands to the camps. Other non-Japanese wives of Japanese who were Asian, were not given that option.
In Alaska, there were native Alaskans with Japanese surnames, just as there were and still are many with Russian surnames. That is because of Alaska's closeness to both Russian Siberia and Japan. Besides, Alaska was Russian territory at one time. Japanese fishing vessels often came to Alaska even in the 19th Century, and as is often the case, some Japanese sailors/fishermen stayed behind and fathered children by marrying native women. These descendants all had Japanese surnames but were no more Japanese than those natives with Russian or English surnames. Yet, because of this incredibly cruel law, Executive Order 9066, many of these Alaskan natives were rounded up and sent to Relocation Center! The stupidity of this law and those who administered it is absolutely mind numbing!
At the conclusion of World War Two, the Alaskans who were incarcerated in the Relocation Centers in Lower 48 returned home. Unlike what happened to the Japanese who returned to California and other West Coast locations, the Alaskans did not lose their property and were not treated like outcasts. The Tanaka's were welcomed back to Juneau and their City Café remained intact and once more opened for business. The Alaskans, it seems, had a much better sense of fairness and loyalty to their former residents than those in the Lower 48! In California, for example, many Japanese returned to their former homes only to find their homes and businesses had been confiscated or simply commandeered by non-Japanese squatters, so they had to move on and start all over! There was still a lot of animosity directed at people of Japanese ancestry for several years after the end of the war. When I was with academia in the 1970s, I had a good friend, a fellow academic who was a Japanese American and who started college in 1945. He told me that in order to be accepted to University of California with a Japanese name, you had to have better grades, much better grades than what was required for admission for others! Many changed their names to avoid discrimination. A popular Hollywood comedian and actor Jack Soo was really born Jack Suzuki, but changed his name to Chinese so that he could get bookings as a standup comedian during and right after the war! Jack lived in Chicago where he was not subject to relocation!
This ugly past in our history should not be forgotten or ignored. It is easy to forget that such things could take place, since this happened over half a century ago. But despite all the advances in equality in our country, keep in mind that all it takes is just some act or incident to trigger panic and hatred which can cause the creation of another Executive Order 9066, perhaps not directed at Japanese, but another ethnic or racial group.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
UN Sanctions and North Korea
The latest news involving North Korea centers around the UN sanctions that have been imposed, supposedly the strictest sanctions in 20 years. Of course, those strict sanctions of 20 years ago did not work, so why should these latest ones work? But never mind, both our Secretary of State John Kerry and our UN Ambassador Samantha Power say that these are the "toughest" sanctions ever and that North Korea will be paying a heavy price. According to their explanations, the new sanctions will be imposed which will require that all ships and planes carrying goods with end-user documents listing North Korea will be thoroughly searched for materials that are not "allowed," i.e., material that can be used to make weapons. This, we are told, is going to prevent North Korea from acquiring goods that can be used for weapons making.
I am a little confused as to who exactly is going to impose these sanctions. UN is great at talking tough, but has so far proven to be the proverbial "paper tiger"! The last time UN did any fighting was in Korea, more than a half a century earlier! Since then, UN has been more or less a toothless organization that seems to create more controversy than good. The latest controversy involves some African nation UN peacekeeping force that allegedly is involved in rampant criminal misbehavior, namely raping of women! The other time that the UN peacekeepers were in the news was more than 20 years ago when Pakistani UN peacekeepers refused to send their armor to help the besieged U.S. Army Rangers in Mogadishu! UN has not had a very good record when it comes to peacekeeping!
If I sound somewhat cynical, it is because UN's track record has been lousy! Just how are they going to manage to control and sift through all the traffic that is found in the airways and sea lanes around the world. It is a known fact that many illegal items are shipped to different countries using false end-user documents. For instance, how is UN going to determine what is really heading to North Korea? A ship headed for Japan, Russia, China, or South Korea with appropriate end-user documents will not be stopped. Who is to say that this ship will not divert its course at the last instance and find port in North Korea or off load the goods to a smaller craft in the middle of the night? But the bigger issue is that North Korea does not get most of its "illegal" material from ships and planes coming in from outside. They get their stuff overland by trucks from China! I had blogged about this problem earlier, that China is the biggest supplier of "forbidden" goods to North Korea.
According to all the latest news agency reports, China was the main supporter of this latest UN sanctions. I had to laugh when I read that. Of course China will be the biggest supporter of sanctions. It makes China look good before other members of UN, especially the Security Council of which it is a permanent member! But more importantly, the heavier the sanctions, the more dependent North Korea becomes on China, something that China wants! Never fear, no matter how stiff the sanctions, North Korea will continue to receive what it needs to build its war machine! Is UN going to set up shop along the North Korean border with China and do inspections? Not very likely! That part of China is mostly off limits to anyone outside of official Chinese!
North Korea may find the new sanctions annoying, but it is in no way going to slow down or stop their weapons development. As if to thumb their nose at everyone, UN in particular, North Korea immediately launched a half dozen missiles into the sea upon hearing about the new sanctions. It was as if they were saying, "Here, take that! That's what we think about your sanctions!"
As long as China can benefit form North Korea's belligerent behavior and existence, they will continue to supply material to North Korea to build weapons. China benefits from this in two ways. First, it makes money off the sale of goods. Then, just as importantly, it keeps North Korea as a threat to South Korea and Japan, China's two biggest economic competitors in the world! China would like nothing more than to get Japan's and South Korea's share of the world market, especially the U.S. market. What better way is there to keep those two competitors nervous, and spending money on defense than having a belligerent, unpredictable North Korea with a crazy leader and nuclear weapons!
I am a little confused as to who exactly is going to impose these sanctions. UN is great at talking tough, but has so far proven to be the proverbial "paper tiger"! The last time UN did any fighting was in Korea, more than a half a century earlier! Since then, UN has been more or less a toothless organization that seems to create more controversy than good. The latest controversy involves some African nation UN peacekeeping force that allegedly is involved in rampant criminal misbehavior, namely raping of women! The other time that the UN peacekeepers were in the news was more than 20 years ago when Pakistani UN peacekeepers refused to send their armor to help the besieged U.S. Army Rangers in Mogadishu! UN has not had a very good record when it comes to peacekeeping!
If I sound somewhat cynical, it is because UN's track record has been lousy! Just how are they going to manage to control and sift through all the traffic that is found in the airways and sea lanes around the world. It is a known fact that many illegal items are shipped to different countries using false end-user documents. For instance, how is UN going to determine what is really heading to North Korea? A ship headed for Japan, Russia, China, or South Korea with appropriate end-user documents will not be stopped. Who is to say that this ship will not divert its course at the last instance and find port in North Korea or off load the goods to a smaller craft in the middle of the night? But the bigger issue is that North Korea does not get most of its "illegal" material from ships and planes coming in from outside. They get their stuff overland by trucks from China! I had blogged about this problem earlier, that China is the biggest supplier of "forbidden" goods to North Korea.
According to all the latest news agency reports, China was the main supporter of this latest UN sanctions. I had to laugh when I read that. Of course China will be the biggest supporter of sanctions. It makes China look good before other members of UN, especially the Security Council of which it is a permanent member! But more importantly, the heavier the sanctions, the more dependent North Korea becomes on China, something that China wants! Never fear, no matter how stiff the sanctions, North Korea will continue to receive what it needs to build its war machine! Is UN going to set up shop along the North Korean border with China and do inspections? Not very likely! That part of China is mostly off limits to anyone outside of official Chinese!
North Korea may find the new sanctions annoying, but it is in no way going to slow down or stop their weapons development. As if to thumb their nose at everyone, UN in particular, North Korea immediately launched a half dozen missiles into the sea upon hearing about the new sanctions. It was as if they were saying, "Here, take that! That's what we think about your sanctions!"
As long as China can benefit form North Korea's belligerent behavior and existence, they will continue to supply material to North Korea to build weapons. China benefits from this in two ways. First, it makes money off the sale of goods. Then, just as importantly, it keeps North Korea as a threat to South Korea and Japan, China's two biggest economic competitors in the world! China would like nothing more than to get Japan's and South Korea's share of the world market, especially the U.S. market. What better way is there to keep those two competitors nervous, and spending money on defense than having a belligerent, unpredictable North Korea with a crazy leader and nuclear weapons!
Monday, February 22, 2016
Japan Industrial Club - "Nihon Kogyo Kurabu"
It is commonly believed that General Douglas McArthur was responsible for the sparing of the Imperial Palace and other specific locations in Japan from bombing during World War Two. Like so many other "facts" concerning the war and McArthur's role, it is not true. First of all, McArthur had nothing to do with the bombing campaign of Japan. If any military person had any input, it would have been Air Force (Army Air Corps) General Curtis Lemay, who was in fact in charge of the bombing campaign against Japan. But the real decision makers in this case were in the White House and the Joint Chief of Staff's Office. They were the ones who dictated as to which places were to be spared from destruction.
Aside from Kyoto and Nara and their historic sites, the Imperial Palace in Tokyo was one of the better known places that was spared from bombing. Considering that this was before the age of so-called "smart bombs", it is amazing how many of the designated "safe" locations were spared from destruction during those seeming indiscriminate "carpet bombing" attacks! It is truly a testament to the remarkable skill of those airmen of long ago who had to work with what would be considered totally inadequate equipment today!
The city of Tokyo was in complete ruins. Since most of the buildings were constructed of wood, the fire bombing completely destroyed the city. The area in what used to be Tokyo looked almost like a lunar landscape with only occasional buildings still left standing. In contrast the Imperial Palace with its surrounding moat was left intact as was the Akasaka Palace. There were other "green" areas that were spared. The Meiji Park with its temple was spared as was the Ueno Zoo and the surrounding park area. Hibiya Park was spared as well, and across from Hibiya Park, Frank Lloyd Wright's old Imperial Hotel was left intact, as well as the Takarazuka Theater building near by. In downtown Ginza, the old Mitsukoshi Department Store was left standing, as was the Nichigeki Music Hall in Nishi-Ginza. Of course the grand brick Tokyo Central Railway Station was spared as well.
Scattered here and there throughout Tokyo, some key buildings were spared. In Toranomon area the old American Embassy chancery was untouched. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters building was also untouched as well as some business buildings nearby. The Japanese Diet, the Parliament building was also untouched.
In the financial district of Marunouchi that is in Chiyoda-ku, most notably the Daichi Mutual Life Insurance Building, the tallest building in Tokyo before the war, was also spared. This building's top floor (sixth floor) became the Headquarters of General McArthur when he took over as the reigning Tsar during occupation. Not far from McArthur's HQ, the Japan Industrial Club (Nihon Kogyo Kurabu) building was also spared in the bombing.
It seemed somewhat odd at first that the Japan Industrial Club building was spared while surrounding buildings were destroyed. This was especially puzzling since the building housed members who were of the infamous zaibatsu, the industrial/financial conglomerate that was considered to be the engine that drove the Japanese Imperial war machine! The club was founded by the members of zaibatsu in 1917 and it was sort of a social gathering place for all of the Japan's rich and powerful! The building was constructed with finest materials and emulated one of those exclusive old English Gentlemen's clubs. In fact, much of the woodwork and other appointments were imported from England. The building reeked of "old money."
As mentioned in the previous blog, McArthur, upon landing in Japan, immediately outlawed zaibatsu. But then, whether under advisement of others or on his own, McArthur lifted the ban on zaibatsu when he was trying to get Japan back on its feet. So, although the old members of zaibatsu kept a low profile for a few years, they resurfaced in the rebuilding of Japan and once more became prominent leaders of Japan. The Japan Industrial Club never closed its doors, except perhaps during the worst period of bombing. Its members continued to meet regularly, socialize, hold dinners.
In 1980 while I was with our embassy in Tokyo, I happened to befriend some younger members of the new Japanese industrial and financial community. In short, they were members of the "new" zaibatsu. I was very flattered when they invited me to speak before their group at the Japan Industrial Club. They wanted me to speak on the general subject of American society at the time. Since I had been in academia recently and had contact with the younger Americans, they wanted to get a feel of what the younger generation thought, felt, etc. Obviously, they were interested in learning as much as possible about America and Americans, their main customers for their products and wares! Apparently my first talk was successful and they like it, for they invited me to speak at the club regularly, once a week for the remainder of my time in Tokyo. So, for about a year, once a week I went to the Japan Industrial Club and spoke before a gathered group. It was a very informal setting, very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. My talks were certainly not formal lectures, they were in fact more like friendly conversations. The members often interrupted my talk and asked questions, etc.
I was very surprised at the informal and relaxed attitude of these leaders of Japan's industrial and financial complex. I suppose I had somewhat of a stereotypical view of what the Japanese top executives would be like.....dressed in somber, conservative suits with stiff manners and very formal. They were indeed mostly dressed in dark, conservative suits, but stiff and formal they were not. They were very informal, friendly and relaxed, complete opposite of what I thought they would be like. They all spoke English, although the fluency levels varied considerably from one to another. Some struggled to understand my "lectures" which they wanted to be in English. Others had no problems understanding and helped those whose fluency was lacking.
It was a fascinating experience for me and allowed me to see another side of Japanese people. The Japan Industrial Club is one of the older "modern" institution in Japan and is considered a very prestigious place. There are businessmen in Japan who strive all their lives to become members of this Nihon Kogyo Kurabu and never achieve that goal. As a gaijin, I was very fortunate to have had that experience, to have been invited to that club.
Aside from Kyoto and Nara and their historic sites, the Imperial Palace in Tokyo was one of the better known places that was spared from bombing. Considering that this was before the age of so-called "smart bombs", it is amazing how many of the designated "safe" locations were spared from destruction during those seeming indiscriminate "carpet bombing" attacks! It is truly a testament to the remarkable skill of those airmen of long ago who had to work with what would be considered totally inadequate equipment today!
The city of Tokyo was in complete ruins. Since most of the buildings were constructed of wood, the fire bombing completely destroyed the city. The area in what used to be Tokyo looked almost like a lunar landscape with only occasional buildings still left standing. In contrast the Imperial Palace with its surrounding moat was left intact as was the Akasaka Palace. There were other "green" areas that were spared. The Meiji Park with its temple was spared as was the Ueno Zoo and the surrounding park area. Hibiya Park was spared as well, and across from Hibiya Park, Frank Lloyd Wright's old Imperial Hotel was left intact, as well as the Takarazuka Theater building near by. In downtown Ginza, the old Mitsukoshi Department Store was left standing, as was the Nichigeki Music Hall in Nishi-Ginza. Of course the grand brick Tokyo Central Railway Station was spared as well.
Scattered here and there throughout Tokyo, some key buildings were spared. In Toranomon area the old American Embassy chancery was untouched. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters building was also untouched as well as some business buildings nearby. The Japanese Diet, the Parliament building was also untouched.
In the financial district of Marunouchi that is in Chiyoda-ku, most notably the Daichi Mutual Life Insurance Building, the tallest building in Tokyo before the war, was also spared. This building's top floor (sixth floor) became the Headquarters of General McArthur when he took over as the reigning Tsar during occupation. Not far from McArthur's HQ, the Japan Industrial Club (Nihon Kogyo Kurabu) building was also spared in the bombing.
It seemed somewhat odd at first that the Japan Industrial Club building was spared while surrounding buildings were destroyed. This was especially puzzling since the building housed members who were of the infamous zaibatsu, the industrial/financial conglomerate that was considered to be the engine that drove the Japanese Imperial war machine! The club was founded by the members of zaibatsu in 1917 and it was sort of a social gathering place for all of the Japan's rich and powerful! The building was constructed with finest materials and emulated one of those exclusive old English Gentlemen's clubs. In fact, much of the woodwork and other appointments were imported from England. The building reeked of "old money."
As mentioned in the previous blog, McArthur, upon landing in Japan, immediately outlawed zaibatsu. But then, whether under advisement of others or on his own, McArthur lifted the ban on zaibatsu when he was trying to get Japan back on its feet. So, although the old members of zaibatsu kept a low profile for a few years, they resurfaced in the rebuilding of Japan and once more became prominent leaders of Japan. The Japan Industrial Club never closed its doors, except perhaps during the worst period of bombing. Its members continued to meet regularly, socialize, hold dinners.
In 1980 while I was with our embassy in Tokyo, I happened to befriend some younger members of the new Japanese industrial and financial community. In short, they were members of the "new" zaibatsu. I was very flattered when they invited me to speak before their group at the Japan Industrial Club. They wanted me to speak on the general subject of American society at the time. Since I had been in academia recently and had contact with the younger Americans, they wanted to get a feel of what the younger generation thought, felt, etc. Obviously, they were interested in learning as much as possible about America and Americans, their main customers for their products and wares! Apparently my first talk was successful and they like it, for they invited me to speak at the club regularly, once a week for the remainder of my time in Tokyo. So, for about a year, once a week I went to the Japan Industrial Club and spoke before a gathered group. It was a very informal setting, very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. My talks were certainly not formal lectures, they were in fact more like friendly conversations. The members often interrupted my talk and asked questions, etc.
I was very surprised at the informal and relaxed attitude of these leaders of Japan's industrial and financial complex. I suppose I had somewhat of a stereotypical view of what the Japanese top executives would be like.....dressed in somber, conservative suits with stiff manners and very formal. They were indeed mostly dressed in dark, conservative suits, but stiff and formal they were not. They were very informal, friendly and relaxed, complete opposite of what I thought they would be like. They all spoke English, although the fluency levels varied considerably from one to another. Some struggled to understand my "lectures" which they wanted to be in English. Others had no problems understanding and helped those whose fluency was lacking.
It was a fascinating experience for me and allowed me to see another side of Japanese people. The Japan Industrial Club is one of the older "modern" institution in Japan and is considered a very prestigious place. There are businessmen in Japan who strive all their lives to become members of this Nihon Kogyo Kurabu and never achieve that goal. As a gaijin, I was very fortunate to have had that experience, to have been invited to that club.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
The "Nouveau Riche" of Asia - Part Two
In a way, the appearance of the new "aristocracy" in Asia is much like that of America. Because there was a time gap between when the true aristocracy disappeared and the new version, the nouveau riche surfaced in Asia, the situation is similar to what took place in America. America, being a very new country, never had an aristocracy in a real sense like the Old World in Europe. One could say that the founding fathers, some of whom were wealthy landowners, could have been considered America's early aristocracy. Certainly the rich plantation owners in the South would lay claim to being at the top level of their society. However, none were really aristocrats in the same sense as those in the Old World, those who were born into privilege for many generations.
I believe that the beginning of the 20th Century, which is referred to as the "American Century," gave birth to the new class of American "aristocrats," the nouveau riche. These were the industrialists, the bankers and businessmen who made it big like the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, the the Vanderbilts, and the Kennedys! Some made their fortunes running booze during the Prohibition, others made money earlier running opium on Yankee Clippers during the Opium Wars. In short, many had very dark pasts! But, they became very rich, politically influential, and considered the aristocracy of the New World! They built fabulous mansions and married their sons and daughters into prominent European families, some even earned titles through marriage! With the help of the media, they have become the "untouchables," the aristocracy of America!
In China the nouveau riche are possibly the newest of all in Asia, perhaps the world! Some have become millionaires overnight and have moved from squalid living conditions to luxury penthouses and mansions, and from riding bicycles to luxury cars! Luxury housing has become one of the fastest growing industries in China and it cannot keep up with demand! More cars are sold in China than in America, especially luxury cars! The new Chinese aristocracy really has no history to speak of and does not try to create new customs or revive old ones. They just like to live lavishly! Most nouveau riche Chinese earned their fortunes through sheer perseverance and hard work. A trade mark of Chinese practicality, they are interested in earning more money, not creating any new image or establishing new customs!
The Japanese nouveau riche in some cases are a mixture of old aristocracy and common folk. During the Meiji Restoration and even before that, going back as far as the late 18th and early 19th Century, when the old feudal system was dying out, the mixing started to take place. Many Daimyo and Samurai families found themselves in financial trouble. One solution was to marry off their sons and daughters to rich merchant families. The merchants (chonin) were anxious to elevate their social status, since in the old Japanese social order, the chonin were at the bottom, below everyone else! So it became common practice for chonin to marry into aristocracy and take the name of the titled family. By the time of World War Two, the most powerful families in Japan were those that belonged to zaibatsu, a conglomerate of industrialist and financial families that essentially ran the country! The best known members of the zaibatsu were Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Yasuda, and Sumitomo, still the giants of Japanese industry and finance. They may not have had family members directly involved in the government, but they had such influence that even militarists listened to them!
Although zaibatsu was outlawed by McArthur, it didn't take long for McArthur to allow the former zaibatsu members to start their businesses in order to revive Japan's economy and recover from the war. With the new anti war and military constitution, the Japanese turned their attention and focus completely on industry and business. In doing so, they shifted the warrior traditions to the new businessmen! The post war Japanese business executive became the new samurai, the new age warrior! As mentioned in the earlier blog, the businessmen began to actually study warrior philosophies and apply them in their "new" battlefields! Being the great adapters that they are, the Japanese quickly and easily adapted Western ideas as well and have developed this new hybrid philosophy that makes them so successful in the business world. At the same time they also adapted some Western social customs and incorporated them into their own. Modern Japanese society is a unique blend of new and old, Eastern and Western.
The Koreans (South Koreans) struggled mightily in the aftermath of the devastating war of 1950s. Through the 1960s they were still barely recovering from the war. However, South Korea's participation in the Vietnam War gave its economy a shot in the arm and got some of its industry going, like sneakers (from making jungle boots during the war) and clothing (from making uniforms). So, the 1970s and 80s saw growth, but nothing quite like what happened in late 1980s and early 1990s with the so-called "Han River Miracle." It seemed that almost overnight South Korea became a major player in the world economy.
The nouveau riche in Korea at first simply took advantage of their new wealth and lived a high life. But eventually, they started to create their own new culture by reviving some of the ancient social customs, especially those that were practiced by the old aristocracy, the yangban. They also started some new "customs" or trends. For example, weddings became more and more lavish. Although the weddings appeared on the surface to be Western style with the bride decked out in an expensive dress and the groom in tuxedo, the various procedures involved during the ceremony are quite different. In some cases, the procedures are inventions of the nouveau riche in what they consider proper etiquette. Both bride and groom as well as other official members of the wedding all wear white gloves, and there is an elaborate candle lighting and bowing ceremony. All in all, not your typical Western style wedding. Of course, there is also the traditional Korean style wedding with the bride dressed in a traditional hanbok and the groom arriving to the wedding on a pony, etc.
It seems that richer the family, the fancier and more elaborate the wedding and other ceremonies. Many of the old customs that were practiced only by the royal family and the aristocrats in the past have now become normal customs. During Japan's colonization of Korea in the early to mid 20th Century, many of these practices had stopped. The formal, kneeling and deep bowing was almost never done, but it was brought back and today seems to have become normal practice, not only with the nouveau riche but with just about everyone. The nouveau riche in Korea have set new trends and social behavior, it seems.
I believe that the beginning of the 20th Century, which is referred to as the "American Century," gave birth to the new class of American "aristocrats," the nouveau riche. These were the industrialists, the bankers and businessmen who made it big like the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, the the Vanderbilts, and the Kennedys! Some made their fortunes running booze during the Prohibition, others made money earlier running opium on Yankee Clippers during the Opium Wars. In short, many had very dark pasts! But, they became very rich, politically influential, and considered the aristocracy of the New World! They built fabulous mansions and married their sons and daughters into prominent European families, some even earned titles through marriage! With the help of the media, they have become the "untouchables," the aristocracy of America!
In China the nouveau riche are possibly the newest of all in Asia, perhaps the world! Some have become millionaires overnight and have moved from squalid living conditions to luxury penthouses and mansions, and from riding bicycles to luxury cars! Luxury housing has become one of the fastest growing industries in China and it cannot keep up with demand! More cars are sold in China than in America, especially luxury cars! The new Chinese aristocracy really has no history to speak of and does not try to create new customs or revive old ones. They just like to live lavishly! Most nouveau riche Chinese earned their fortunes through sheer perseverance and hard work. A trade mark of Chinese practicality, they are interested in earning more money, not creating any new image or establishing new customs!
The Japanese nouveau riche in some cases are a mixture of old aristocracy and common folk. During the Meiji Restoration and even before that, going back as far as the late 18th and early 19th Century, when the old feudal system was dying out, the mixing started to take place. Many Daimyo and Samurai families found themselves in financial trouble. One solution was to marry off their sons and daughters to rich merchant families. The merchants (chonin) were anxious to elevate their social status, since in the old Japanese social order, the chonin were at the bottom, below everyone else! So it became common practice for chonin to marry into aristocracy and take the name of the titled family. By the time of World War Two, the most powerful families in Japan were those that belonged to zaibatsu, a conglomerate of industrialist and financial families that essentially ran the country! The best known members of the zaibatsu were Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Yasuda, and Sumitomo, still the giants of Japanese industry and finance. They may not have had family members directly involved in the government, but they had such influence that even militarists listened to them!
Although zaibatsu was outlawed by McArthur, it didn't take long for McArthur to allow the former zaibatsu members to start their businesses in order to revive Japan's economy and recover from the war. With the new anti war and military constitution, the Japanese turned their attention and focus completely on industry and business. In doing so, they shifted the warrior traditions to the new businessmen! The post war Japanese business executive became the new samurai, the new age warrior! As mentioned in the earlier blog, the businessmen began to actually study warrior philosophies and apply them in their "new" battlefields! Being the great adapters that they are, the Japanese quickly and easily adapted Western ideas as well and have developed this new hybrid philosophy that makes them so successful in the business world. At the same time they also adapted some Western social customs and incorporated them into their own. Modern Japanese society is a unique blend of new and old, Eastern and Western.
The Koreans (South Koreans) struggled mightily in the aftermath of the devastating war of 1950s. Through the 1960s they were still barely recovering from the war. However, South Korea's participation in the Vietnam War gave its economy a shot in the arm and got some of its industry going, like sneakers (from making jungle boots during the war) and clothing (from making uniforms). So, the 1970s and 80s saw growth, but nothing quite like what happened in late 1980s and early 1990s with the so-called "Han River Miracle." It seemed that almost overnight South Korea became a major player in the world economy.
The nouveau riche in Korea at first simply took advantage of their new wealth and lived a high life. But eventually, they started to create their own new culture by reviving some of the ancient social customs, especially those that were practiced by the old aristocracy, the yangban. They also started some new "customs" or trends. For example, weddings became more and more lavish. Although the weddings appeared on the surface to be Western style with the bride decked out in an expensive dress and the groom in tuxedo, the various procedures involved during the ceremony are quite different. In some cases, the procedures are inventions of the nouveau riche in what they consider proper etiquette. Both bride and groom as well as other official members of the wedding all wear white gloves, and there is an elaborate candle lighting and bowing ceremony. All in all, not your typical Western style wedding. Of course, there is also the traditional Korean style wedding with the bride dressed in a traditional hanbok and the groom arriving to the wedding on a pony, etc.
It seems that richer the family, the fancier and more elaborate the wedding and other ceremonies. Many of the old customs that were practiced only by the royal family and the aristocrats in the past have now become normal customs. During Japan's colonization of Korea in the early to mid 20th Century, many of these practices had stopped. The formal, kneeling and deep bowing was almost never done, but it was brought back and today seems to have become normal practice, not only with the nouveau riche but with just about everyone. The nouveau riche in Korea have set new trends and social behavior, it seems.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Asia's New "Aristocracy" - the "Nouveau Riche" Part One
It wasn't too long ago that the list of world's richest, the billionaires, contained hardly any Asian names. However, it seems that in the last quarter of a century or so, the list of Asian billionaires has grown significantly. There are estimated 600 or so Asian billionaires today. When I say Asian, I am not referring to those Asians who made their fortunes in Europe or America, but rather those who got rich in Asia. If you look at today's list of world's richest 250 people, a list which is headed by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, Asians are now sprinkled throughout, surprisingly led by Chinese. Less than two decades ago, there was not a single Chinese on that list. Today, among Asians, Chinese have the largest number of billionaires!
Japan has always had some super rich represented since the 1970s. South Korea, as well as Taiwan and Singapore jumped into the fray around the 1980s. But it was the Chinese that appeared seemingly out of nowhere, now dominating the Asian rich list!
Aristocracy, as such, died out in Asia many years ago. With the exception of Japan and Thailand, and some small sultanates in Southeast Asia, there are no monarchies in Asia to speak of, and even Japan and Thailand, despite their long standing constitutional monarchies, seem to have shed most of their aristocracy along the way! Japan began the process during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th Century when modernization brought about a drastic change in social structure and hierarchy of Japanese society. The end of the Second World War was the final nail in the coffin, the death knell of the Japanese aristocracy. What happened in Japan thereafter was that the industrialists who prospered after the war, became the new aristocracy. They had the money and means to live lavishly, to travel abroad, and purchase power and influence! In China aristocracy died with the disappearance of the Ching Dynasty in the early 20th Century. For a short while the various warlords who ruled the splintered land were like the old aristocracy. But the Second World War and the rise of Mao and the Chinese Communists changed all that. From about 1949 until the 1980s, for a period of about 40 years it was the Chinese Communist Party bosses who were more or less the aristocracy. But that changed with the new free economy and opening of trade world wide. The new rich appeared almost overnight and now the new aristocracy are the rich CEOs and Presidents of various companies and corporations.
Korean aristocracy disappeared when Japan annexed and colonized Korea in 1910. Unlike Japan, even after the Second World War, there was no chance for Korea to develop a new aristocracy. The country was divided, and within five years a war broke out which devastated the entire peninsula. It wasn't until the 1970s when South Korea began to make a slow come back and some successful business enterprises began to enter the world market, like hat and sneaker manufacturers. Then in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the so-called "Han River Miracle" took place. The South Korean industry, particularly in electronics, literally exploded on the world scene. By the new century, South Korea was competing with Japan in many areas and had overtaken Japan as the leader in steel and ship building in the world! It isn't difficult to see the effect of Korean industry, both electronic and automotive, on the world. Samsung and LG have become a major competitors to Japanese electronics in the U.S., and in some parts of the world, they have taken the lead. The same applies to Hyundai and KIA automobiles. In Egypt, and many other parts of North Africa and Middle East, Korean electronics and cars have dominated the market beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In the new century, China has almost completely taken control in so many areas that it is hard to list all. Basically, just about all of the consumer goods, especially textiles, sold in the U.S. today are made in China. It is only the high-end products that are still made elsewhere! Chinese economy has become a monster! Take for example General Motors. Remember how it had to be bailed out by the government earlier only a decade or so ago? Today it is the leader in U.S. automotive industry. Toyota is still the leading seller in the world and even in the U.S. in some areas. But as a company, GM has outsold other U.S. makers because of its Chinese market! For the first time in the history of GM (or any other company for that matter!) more GM cars were sold in China than anywhere else in the world, including the U.S.! In short, it is the Chinese market that is keeping GM afloat! China has an astounding number of millionaires and billionaires, and there are new ones popping up each day!
So, now these new rich, the so-called nouveau riche, are the new aristocracy of Asia! They have replaced the old Mandarins of China, the Daimyo and Samurai of Japan, and the Yangban of Korea!
The Japanese were first to create this new aristocracy. They began by applying some ancient principles of warrior culture and philosophy to motivate their businessmen. Since Japan has a warrior tradition, yet the post war Japan was de-militarized, the Japanese simply transferred the warrior traditions to businessmen. Their aspiring executives became "new" samurai! They studied various concepts and philosophies of samurai tradition and applied them in the modern business world. Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings and Sun Tzu's The Art of War became bibles for Japanese executives! They exercised warrior discipline and practiced ancient tactics in their business ventures, and it worked! The Koreans did the same thing and revived some of the ancient traditions and brought them into their modern business practices, particularly philosophical aspects. Chinese, on the other hand, being the most practical of all, simply did whatever made them successful. There was no attempt on the part of the new Chinese rich to revive any old traditions or customs or apply any ancient philosophy or tactics in their businesses. The Japanese turned their executives into modern "samurai," the modern warrior who fought the financial and industrial battles. The Koreans mostly revived their ancient social customs and began to apply them in their daily lives as the new "yangban," the new rich and privileged class! The Chinese simply did whatever was necessary to make more money!
Japan has always had some super rich represented since the 1970s. South Korea, as well as Taiwan and Singapore jumped into the fray around the 1980s. But it was the Chinese that appeared seemingly out of nowhere, now dominating the Asian rich list!
Aristocracy, as such, died out in Asia many years ago. With the exception of Japan and Thailand, and some small sultanates in Southeast Asia, there are no monarchies in Asia to speak of, and even Japan and Thailand, despite their long standing constitutional monarchies, seem to have shed most of their aristocracy along the way! Japan began the process during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th Century when modernization brought about a drastic change in social structure and hierarchy of Japanese society. The end of the Second World War was the final nail in the coffin, the death knell of the Japanese aristocracy. What happened in Japan thereafter was that the industrialists who prospered after the war, became the new aristocracy. They had the money and means to live lavishly, to travel abroad, and purchase power and influence! In China aristocracy died with the disappearance of the Ching Dynasty in the early 20th Century. For a short while the various warlords who ruled the splintered land were like the old aristocracy. But the Second World War and the rise of Mao and the Chinese Communists changed all that. From about 1949 until the 1980s, for a period of about 40 years it was the Chinese Communist Party bosses who were more or less the aristocracy. But that changed with the new free economy and opening of trade world wide. The new rich appeared almost overnight and now the new aristocracy are the rich CEOs and Presidents of various companies and corporations.
Korean aristocracy disappeared when Japan annexed and colonized Korea in 1910. Unlike Japan, even after the Second World War, there was no chance for Korea to develop a new aristocracy. The country was divided, and within five years a war broke out which devastated the entire peninsula. It wasn't until the 1970s when South Korea began to make a slow come back and some successful business enterprises began to enter the world market, like hat and sneaker manufacturers. Then in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the so-called "Han River Miracle" took place. The South Korean industry, particularly in electronics, literally exploded on the world scene. By the new century, South Korea was competing with Japan in many areas and had overtaken Japan as the leader in steel and ship building in the world! It isn't difficult to see the effect of Korean industry, both electronic and automotive, on the world. Samsung and LG have become a major competitors to Japanese electronics in the U.S., and in some parts of the world, they have taken the lead. The same applies to Hyundai and KIA automobiles. In Egypt, and many other parts of North Africa and Middle East, Korean electronics and cars have dominated the market beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In the new century, China has almost completely taken control in so many areas that it is hard to list all. Basically, just about all of the consumer goods, especially textiles, sold in the U.S. today are made in China. It is only the high-end products that are still made elsewhere! Chinese economy has become a monster! Take for example General Motors. Remember how it had to be bailed out by the government earlier only a decade or so ago? Today it is the leader in U.S. automotive industry. Toyota is still the leading seller in the world and even in the U.S. in some areas. But as a company, GM has outsold other U.S. makers because of its Chinese market! For the first time in the history of GM (or any other company for that matter!) more GM cars were sold in China than anywhere else in the world, including the U.S.! In short, it is the Chinese market that is keeping GM afloat! China has an astounding number of millionaires and billionaires, and there are new ones popping up each day!
So, now these new rich, the so-called nouveau riche, are the new aristocracy of Asia! They have replaced the old Mandarins of China, the Daimyo and Samurai of Japan, and the Yangban of Korea!
The Japanese were first to create this new aristocracy. They began by applying some ancient principles of warrior culture and philosophy to motivate their businessmen. Since Japan has a warrior tradition, yet the post war Japan was de-militarized, the Japanese simply transferred the warrior traditions to businessmen. Their aspiring executives became "new" samurai! They studied various concepts and philosophies of samurai tradition and applied them in the modern business world. Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings and Sun Tzu's The Art of War became bibles for Japanese executives! They exercised warrior discipline and practiced ancient tactics in their business ventures, and it worked! The Koreans did the same thing and revived some of the ancient traditions and brought them into their modern business practices, particularly philosophical aspects. Chinese, on the other hand, being the most practical of all, simply did whatever made them successful. There was no attempt on the part of the new Chinese rich to revive any old traditions or customs or apply any ancient philosophy or tactics in their businesses. The Japanese turned their executives into modern "samurai," the modern warrior who fought the financial and industrial battles. The Koreans mostly revived their ancient social customs and began to apply them in their daily lives as the new "yangban," the new rich and privileged class! The Chinese simply did whatever was necessary to make more money!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
North Korea - China's Surrogate!
Only a month ago North Korea created a stir when they claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb. Most Western sources acknowledged that it was by far the most powerful bomb that North Korea had exploded to date, but questioned whether it was a hydrogen bomb as claimed. Frankly I found it silly that "experts" were arguing back and forth as to whether it was indeed an "H" bomb or not. It was big, big enough to do a lot of damage! That is all that matters, that is the bottom line, or should be!
Most recently, North Korea launched a satellite which reportedly flew over the West Coast shortly after the Super Bowl ended. Everyone is pointing to the fact that apparently the satellite is out of orbit and currently tumbling out of control. Obviously the North Koreans haven't gotten their act together when it comes to satellite launching! However, everyone also acknowledges that launching a satellite was not their main goal! What they really wanted to do was to test launch an ICBM, an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that was capable of carrying a nuclear payload. This latest missile definitely has the capability to carry a nuclear warhead! North Korea has ICBMs that can reach Seattle!
North Korea is by far the scariest, the most unpredictable and dangerous country in the world. Iran and some of the other anti-Western Islamic countries pale in comparison. It isn't that they lack the hatred for the West or are unwilling to risk their lives to try to kill "infidels." On the contrary, all you have to do is look around at the suicide bombers and other radicals launching attacks in the West to know that they are dangerous, and hatred and motivation is not lacking. But none of those countries, not even Iran, have the capability to do as much damage as North Korea. That is mainly because all of the Islamic countries are reliant on Western technology for developing their weapons or even having basic small arms like the ubiquitous AK-47! Only Egypt makes its own AK-47s, the rest of the Islamic countries are dependent on foreign made arms, mostly Eastern European and Chinese! Some of these Islamic countries are even incapable of producing their own ammunition, let alone small arms. North Korea, on the other hand, is completely self sufficient when it comes to arms and armament. It not only makes all its own small arms and ammunition, but also makes all of the heavy weaponry including nuclear bombs! In fact, North Korea became so accomplished in making missiles that they started selling them abroad as early as the 1980s! Saddam Hussein's scud missiles were all North Korean! Hamas uses North Korean "Katyusha" rockets to launch at Israeli positions!
Despite all the sanctions that have been placed on North Korea, they are still able to acquire needed material and technology for making their weapons. That is because they are getting everything they need through China! North Korea is able to purchase all their needs from China directly or even from the West by using straw buyers in China! North Korea has a huge number of trading companies in China, operating as Chinese companies that do business with Europe and the U.S. As far as the European or U.S. seller is concerned, they are selling their goods to a Chinese company for Chinese use. These companies are set up so cleverly that it would take tremendous effort to try to uncover their real ownership. They are Chinese companies, run by Chinese, registered as legal Chinese businesses. They are so well disguised that Western and U.S. intelligence have not even tried to uncover them....it would take just too much time and effort! Should their North Korean ownership be discovered, they would simply shut down and another one would pop up under a different name and ownership.
The Chinese government is well aware of this arrangement and is actively participating in this duplicitous international trading. China, of all the countries in the world, wants North Korea to remain a military threat in the region! This is an inexpensive way for China to keep South Korea and Japan distracted and divert their resources and attention from China's incursion into the region economically! This is a game that China has been playing historically for hundreds of years! In the past, the entire country of Korea was used as a buffer by the Chinese primarily against Japan. China lost that buffer after the first Sino-Japanese War when they turned Korea over to Japan. From 1910 when Japan officially colonized Korea until 1945 when Japan lost the war, for a half a century China had no control over Korea. But after the Korean War, since 1953, China has regained that control, at least for the northern half of the Korean peninsula.
For China, it is advantageous to have a belligerent, unpredictable ruler such as Kim Jong Un in North Korea. It is to their advantage to have Kim and his henchmen periodically rattle their missiles and nuclear bombs. It keeps South Korea and Japan on their toes. It keeps those two countries preoccupied with defense and spend more time and money on defensive built up. Japan has dramatically increased its spending on defense in the last several years, and South Korea has always spent a considerable portion of its GNP on defense! Japan and South Korea are the two biggest competitors for China on the global market. Without either Japan or South Korea around, China would be completely dominating the world economy! China is not concerned about the U.S., since we are its biggest customer and China's largest borrower. China holds just about all of our I.O.U.s, and most of our national debt today is to China!
The crazy Kim Jong Un and North Korea are a perfect set up for China, a perfect tool to keep Japan and South Korea distracted and worried. China is not concerned that North Korea will turn against it. That will never happen. Never in its entire recorded 4000 year history has Korea or a Korean kingdom gone to war against China, nor has China ever invaded Korea militarily. There was always an understanding, a vassal state relationship between a Chinese Dynasty and a Korean Dynasty. Only during the period of the great Korean Koguryo Empire did China feel some nervousness. Koguyro (37 BC - 668 AD) was a huge empire that included the northern half of the Korean peninsula and what is now called Manchuria. But keep in mind that Manchuria was never Chinese and was mostly Korean throughout history. China did not like having Koguryo, a powerful warrior state on its border, so it allied with a smaller Korean state (Silla) and defeated Koguryo. But that was the only time that China actually had fears that a Korean state (Koguryo) might decide to invade China, and that was a long time ago, like some 1400 years ago!
Many may have wondered just how North Korea has been able to survive and continue to build nuclear bombs and missiles despite some very stiff international sanctions, sanctions that are much tougher than the ones that were imposed on Iran. Well, that is because they were able to still get what they needed to build those bombs and missiles from China. In other words, China has been actively supporting North Korea's nuclear program and arms built up.
Since its earliest history, China was always been a great country of commerce. Chinese ships have been known to sail all over the world and establish trade. There is evidence that Chinese trading ships had reached South America centuries before Spanish explorers. Even North America is said to have been first reached by Chinese trading ships. In the glory days of the Silk Road, Changan (today's Sian), the great Chinese capital, was the most cosmopolitan city in the world with trade goods from all over! Trade and commerce is what China is all about. It was never known to be a great military power, that is why it was conquered by Manchus and Mongols in the past. China has always sought domination through commerce, and to that end, they have always used surrogates to do their saber rattling and fighting. Kim Jong Un and North Korea, whether they know it or not, are dancing to the Chinese tune, playing to their music.
Most recently, North Korea launched a satellite which reportedly flew over the West Coast shortly after the Super Bowl ended. Everyone is pointing to the fact that apparently the satellite is out of orbit and currently tumbling out of control. Obviously the North Koreans haven't gotten their act together when it comes to satellite launching! However, everyone also acknowledges that launching a satellite was not their main goal! What they really wanted to do was to test launch an ICBM, an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that was capable of carrying a nuclear payload. This latest missile definitely has the capability to carry a nuclear warhead! North Korea has ICBMs that can reach Seattle!
North Korea is by far the scariest, the most unpredictable and dangerous country in the world. Iran and some of the other anti-Western Islamic countries pale in comparison. It isn't that they lack the hatred for the West or are unwilling to risk their lives to try to kill "infidels." On the contrary, all you have to do is look around at the suicide bombers and other radicals launching attacks in the West to know that they are dangerous, and hatred and motivation is not lacking. But none of those countries, not even Iran, have the capability to do as much damage as North Korea. That is mainly because all of the Islamic countries are reliant on Western technology for developing their weapons or even having basic small arms like the ubiquitous AK-47! Only Egypt makes its own AK-47s, the rest of the Islamic countries are dependent on foreign made arms, mostly Eastern European and Chinese! Some of these Islamic countries are even incapable of producing their own ammunition, let alone small arms. North Korea, on the other hand, is completely self sufficient when it comes to arms and armament. It not only makes all its own small arms and ammunition, but also makes all of the heavy weaponry including nuclear bombs! In fact, North Korea became so accomplished in making missiles that they started selling them abroad as early as the 1980s! Saddam Hussein's scud missiles were all North Korean! Hamas uses North Korean "Katyusha" rockets to launch at Israeli positions!
Despite all the sanctions that have been placed on North Korea, they are still able to acquire needed material and technology for making their weapons. That is because they are getting everything they need through China! North Korea is able to purchase all their needs from China directly or even from the West by using straw buyers in China! North Korea has a huge number of trading companies in China, operating as Chinese companies that do business with Europe and the U.S. As far as the European or U.S. seller is concerned, they are selling their goods to a Chinese company for Chinese use. These companies are set up so cleverly that it would take tremendous effort to try to uncover their real ownership. They are Chinese companies, run by Chinese, registered as legal Chinese businesses. They are so well disguised that Western and U.S. intelligence have not even tried to uncover them....it would take just too much time and effort! Should their North Korean ownership be discovered, they would simply shut down and another one would pop up under a different name and ownership.
The Chinese government is well aware of this arrangement and is actively participating in this duplicitous international trading. China, of all the countries in the world, wants North Korea to remain a military threat in the region! This is an inexpensive way for China to keep South Korea and Japan distracted and divert their resources and attention from China's incursion into the region economically! This is a game that China has been playing historically for hundreds of years! In the past, the entire country of Korea was used as a buffer by the Chinese primarily against Japan. China lost that buffer after the first Sino-Japanese War when they turned Korea over to Japan. From 1910 when Japan officially colonized Korea until 1945 when Japan lost the war, for a half a century China had no control over Korea. But after the Korean War, since 1953, China has regained that control, at least for the northern half of the Korean peninsula.
For China, it is advantageous to have a belligerent, unpredictable ruler such as Kim Jong Un in North Korea. It is to their advantage to have Kim and his henchmen periodically rattle their missiles and nuclear bombs. It keeps South Korea and Japan on their toes. It keeps those two countries preoccupied with defense and spend more time and money on defensive built up. Japan has dramatically increased its spending on defense in the last several years, and South Korea has always spent a considerable portion of its GNP on defense! Japan and South Korea are the two biggest competitors for China on the global market. Without either Japan or South Korea around, China would be completely dominating the world economy! China is not concerned about the U.S., since we are its biggest customer and China's largest borrower. China holds just about all of our I.O.U.s, and most of our national debt today is to China!
The crazy Kim Jong Un and North Korea are a perfect set up for China, a perfect tool to keep Japan and South Korea distracted and worried. China is not concerned that North Korea will turn against it. That will never happen. Never in its entire recorded 4000 year history has Korea or a Korean kingdom gone to war against China, nor has China ever invaded Korea militarily. There was always an understanding, a vassal state relationship between a Chinese Dynasty and a Korean Dynasty. Only during the period of the great Korean Koguryo Empire did China feel some nervousness. Koguyro (37 BC - 668 AD) was a huge empire that included the northern half of the Korean peninsula and what is now called Manchuria. But keep in mind that Manchuria was never Chinese and was mostly Korean throughout history. China did not like having Koguryo, a powerful warrior state on its border, so it allied with a smaller Korean state (Silla) and defeated Koguryo. But that was the only time that China actually had fears that a Korean state (Koguryo) might decide to invade China, and that was a long time ago, like some 1400 years ago!
Many may have wondered just how North Korea has been able to survive and continue to build nuclear bombs and missiles despite some very stiff international sanctions, sanctions that are much tougher than the ones that were imposed on Iran. Well, that is because they were able to still get what they needed to build those bombs and missiles from China. In other words, China has been actively supporting North Korea's nuclear program and arms built up.
Since its earliest history, China was always been a great country of commerce. Chinese ships have been known to sail all over the world and establish trade. There is evidence that Chinese trading ships had reached South America centuries before Spanish explorers. Even North America is said to have been first reached by Chinese trading ships. In the glory days of the Silk Road, Changan (today's Sian), the great Chinese capital, was the most cosmopolitan city in the world with trade goods from all over! Trade and commerce is what China is all about. It was never known to be a great military power, that is why it was conquered by Manchus and Mongols in the past. China has always sought domination through commerce, and to that end, they have always used surrogates to do their saber rattling and fighting. Kim Jong Un and North Korea, whether they know it or not, are dancing to the Chinese tune, playing to their music.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Ceramics that tie Korea, Japan, and Okinawa
Those who have lived on Okinawa are familiar with the fact that the Ryukyu Island chain, of which Okinawa is the main island, has had a long history of its own distinct culture, separate from Japan. Today, because Okinawa is a Japanese Prefecture, most simply think of Okinawa as just one of the Japanese islands. But, the truth is that Okinawa and Okinawan people are distinct from the Japanese ethnically, culturally and historically.
The Ryukyu or Loochoo (in Chinese) Islands and its main island of Okinawa have had a long and illustrious history of its own. It had its own kingdom which was independent for a long time, with vassal ties to China. Chinese did not colonize the islands, rather they introduced their culture and developed strong ties with the small island nation. Okinawa had commercial ties with other countries and had thriving trade with Korea beginning in the 13th Century when Korea was known as Koryo. Okinawa established official diplomatic ties with Korea as early as 1392. The Okinawan king sent an envoy to Korea which was called Chosen at the time. Chosen in turn sent an envoy to Okinawa and the Okinawan king requested that Chosen send some artisans who could develop local industry. Thus Korean pottery makers, lacquerware makers, silversmiths, etc., were dispatched to the island nation by Korea (Chosen).
In 1609, about 300 years after Okinawa had developed solid diplomatic and commercial ties with Korea, the Satsuma Clan from Japan invaded Okinawa and started the cat and mouse game with China over the control of this small island nation. Okinawa did not have an army, so it was an easy matter for the warriors of the Satsuma Clan to overpower and rule Okinawa "unofficially," allowing Okinawa to maintain its monarchy. This went on until the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 which was fought mainly for control of Korea! After Japanese victory over the Ching Dynasty China, Japan not only gained substantial control over Korea (which they were finally able to get complete control after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905), but also gained control of Taiwan and Okinawa and annexed those two islands in 1895 and announced that Okinawa was a Japanese prefecture. Thus, Okinawa became "Japanese" except for a short period between 1945 and 1972 when it was under U.S. control.
Japan had constantly waged war against Korea, small raids etc., for hundreds of years. Between 1592 and 1598, during a bloody six year period called the Imjin Wars, Toyotomi Hideoshi attempted to conquer Korea. His attempt failed, but he managed to kidnap and bring to Japan hundreds of Korean artisans and other skilled workers. Among these skilled workers were pottery and ceramics makers, an art form that the Japanese had yet to perfect. About 200 of the skilled Korean pottery and ceramics makers, including the master craftsman Yi Sam Pyong were brought to Satsuma Domain. Here they set up their kilns and began making pottery and ceramics which quickly became famous. To this day, Satsuma Province in Kyushu is known as the ceramics and pottery center.
Anyone who has lived in Japan or Okinawa is familiar with the Imari ceramics. These fine, lavishly decorated ceramics were the products of Korean craftsmen who produced these for export, mainly Europe. The ceramics got their name from the port of Imari from which they were shipped for export! Japanese pottery, ceramics and porcelain owe their debt to Korean craftsmen who were initially abducted and brought to Japan. Only the Mashiko pottery is of native origin, owing their design and style to the early Yayoi and Jomon period pottery.
The Okinawan pottery is of two type. The first type that was introduced by early Korean craftsmen tend to be more in the style that is most common. The roof tiles did not exist on Okinawa until Korean potters began making them. Prior to that roofs were either thatched or made of other material, not clay tiles! However, later, after the Satsuma Invasion of Okinawa, in 1616 the Japanese brought over more Korean ceramics workers who established a pottery center in Wakuta area of Naha and the Tsuboya area. A master Korean craftsman by the name of Cho set up in Tsuboya with his helpers and developed the Okinawan ceramics known as the Joyaki pottery. Cho is considered to be the father of Okinawan Joyaki pottery. Another pottery center that was established by Korean craftsmen was located in Yomitan. So, Okinawan pottery and ceramics owe much to Koreans who essentially introduced the art of making fine ceramics and pottery to the islands.
It is interesting to note that Korea, a small nation itself, has had such influence not only on Japanese fine ceramics, but ceramics and pottery of Okinawa as well.
The Ryukyu or Loochoo (in Chinese) Islands and its main island of Okinawa have had a long and illustrious history of its own. It had its own kingdom which was independent for a long time, with vassal ties to China. Chinese did not colonize the islands, rather they introduced their culture and developed strong ties with the small island nation. Okinawa had commercial ties with other countries and had thriving trade with Korea beginning in the 13th Century when Korea was known as Koryo. Okinawa established official diplomatic ties with Korea as early as 1392. The Okinawan king sent an envoy to Korea which was called Chosen at the time. Chosen in turn sent an envoy to Okinawa and the Okinawan king requested that Chosen send some artisans who could develop local industry. Thus Korean pottery makers, lacquerware makers, silversmiths, etc., were dispatched to the island nation by Korea (Chosen).
In 1609, about 300 years after Okinawa had developed solid diplomatic and commercial ties with Korea, the Satsuma Clan from Japan invaded Okinawa and started the cat and mouse game with China over the control of this small island nation. Okinawa did not have an army, so it was an easy matter for the warriors of the Satsuma Clan to overpower and rule Okinawa "unofficially," allowing Okinawa to maintain its monarchy. This went on until the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 which was fought mainly for control of Korea! After Japanese victory over the Ching Dynasty China, Japan not only gained substantial control over Korea (which they were finally able to get complete control after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905), but also gained control of Taiwan and Okinawa and annexed those two islands in 1895 and announced that Okinawa was a Japanese prefecture. Thus, Okinawa became "Japanese" except for a short period between 1945 and 1972 when it was under U.S. control.
Japan had constantly waged war against Korea, small raids etc., for hundreds of years. Between 1592 and 1598, during a bloody six year period called the Imjin Wars, Toyotomi Hideoshi attempted to conquer Korea. His attempt failed, but he managed to kidnap and bring to Japan hundreds of Korean artisans and other skilled workers. Among these skilled workers were pottery and ceramics makers, an art form that the Japanese had yet to perfect. About 200 of the skilled Korean pottery and ceramics makers, including the master craftsman Yi Sam Pyong were brought to Satsuma Domain. Here they set up their kilns and began making pottery and ceramics which quickly became famous. To this day, Satsuma Province in Kyushu is known as the ceramics and pottery center.
Anyone who has lived in Japan or Okinawa is familiar with the Imari ceramics. These fine, lavishly decorated ceramics were the products of Korean craftsmen who produced these for export, mainly Europe. The ceramics got their name from the port of Imari from which they were shipped for export! Japanese pottery, ceramics and porcelain owe their debt to Korean craftsmen who were initially abducted and brought to Japan. Only the Mashiko pottery is of native origin, owing their design and style to the early Yayoi and Jomon period pottery.
The Okinawan pottery is of two type. The first type that was introduced by early Korean craftsmen tend to be more in the style that is most common. The roof tiles did not exist on Okinawa until Korean potters began making them. Prior to that roofs were either thatched or made of other material, not clay tiles! However, later, after the Satsuma Invasion of Okinawa, in 1616 the Japanese brought over more Korean ceramics workers who established a pottery center in Wakuta area of Naha and the Tsuboya area. A master Korean craftsman by the name of Cho set up in Tsuboya with his helpers and developed the Okinawan ceramics known as the Joyaki pottery. Cho is considered to be the father of Okinawan Joyaki pottery. Another pottery center that was established by Korean craftsmen was located in Yomitan. So, Okinawan pottery and ceramics owe much to Koreans who essentially introduced the art of making fine ceramics and pottery to the islands.
It is interesting to note that Korea, a small nation itself, has had such influence not only on Japanese fine ceramics, but ceramics and pottery of Okinawa as well.
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