Opposition to Iraq Mission Mounts in Japan (washingtonpost.com)

Grok Headline matches for Opposition to Iraq Mission Mounts in Japan (washingtonpost.com)

Japan opposition leader resigns

Japan opposition leader resigns 05/10/2004 05:51 AM
The head of the Democratic Party, Naoto Kan, becomes the second politician to resign over a pension scandal.

U.S. Mounts Offensive Near Syria to Cut
Iraq Insurgent Routes

U.S. Mounts Offensive Near Syria to Cut
Iraq Insurgent Routes 06/17/2005 04:32 PM
About 1,000 marines began the third major offensive over the last two months in Iraq's western desert frontier.

U.S. Sees Progress in Iraq Talks, Mounts
New Raids

U.S. Sees Progress in Iraq Talks, Mounts
New Raids 04/29/2004 08:24 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 30 2004 0:45AM GMT

U.S. Troops Death Toll Mounts as Iraq
Danger Persists

U.S. Troops Death Toll Mounts as Iraq
Danger Persists 09/03/2004 11:23 PM
Reuters via Wired News Sep 4 2004 2:46AM GMT

Death Toll Mounts, U.S. Extends Iraq
Troop Tours (Reuters)

Death Toll Mounts, U.S. Extends Iraq
Troop Tours (Reuters) 04/15/2004 03:32 PM
Reuters - Expressing surprise at the growing U.S. military death toll in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Thursday he had extended the promised year-long tours of 20,000 American troops there including 6,000 Reserve and National Guard members.

U.S. Troops Death Toll Mounts as Iraq
Danger Persists (Reuters)

U.S. Troops Death Toll Mounts as Iraq
Danger Persists (Reuters) 09/03/2004 04:31 PM
Reuters - The U.S. military death toll in Iraq is approaching 1,000, with the danger faced by American troops undiminished in the two months since the formation of an interim government.

"American opposition to Iraq war grows
with violence, casualties"

"American opposition to Iraq war grows
with violence, casualties" 04/12/2004 03:42 AM

Iraq PM takes mission to Beirut

Iraq PM takes mission to Beirut 07/25/2004 04:20 AM
Economic issues are expected to dominate as Iyad Allawi continues his efforts to build ties with Iraq's neighbours.

General: Less Combat in New Iraq Mission
(AP)

General: Less Combat in New Iraq Mission
(AP) 06/10/2004 04:26 PM
AP - The U.S. military will consult Iraq's interim leaders before engaging in future offensives and is shifting its priorities from fighting guerrillas to training Iraqi troops and protecting Iraq's fragile new government, the U.S. general who heads military operations said Thursday.

Bush vows to pursue Iraq mission

Bush vows to pursue Iraq mission 12/22/2004 01:03 AM
President Bush says a deadly attack on US forces that left more than 20 dead will not derail plans for Iraqi elections.

Kerry Calls for UN Mission in Iraq with
NATO Help

Kerry Calls for UN Mission in Iraq with
NATO Help 04/17/2004 12:46 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 17 2004 4:48PM GMT

A Split Mission in Iraq Tempers Views of
G.I.'s

A Split Mission in Iraq Tempers Views of
G.I.'s 05/16/2004 10:44 PM
Interviews with dozens of soldiers in Iraq over the last two weeks suggest that their idealism has been tempered.

Saddam Arrest Bolsters U.S. Mission on
Iraq Debt

Saddam Arrest Bolsters U.S. Mission on
Iraq Debt 12/15/2003 04:43 AM
Reuters via Wired News Dec 15 2003 3:40AM ET

NATO Balking at Iraq Mission (Los
Angeles Times)

NATO Balking at Iraq Mission (Los
Angeles Times) 05/09/2004 04:34 AM
Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's hopes for a major NATO military presence in Iraq this year appear doomed, interviews with allied defense officials and diplomats show.

A hard week in a long Iraq mission |
csmonitor.com

A hard week in a long Iraq mission |
csmonitor.com 12/26/2004 02:36 PM
Increasingly, US military experts say Americans need to prepare for a decades-long counterinsurgency campaign .. insurgencies of the sort found in Iraq typically last for decades

csmonitor.com/2004/1224/p01s03-woiq.html
track this site | 2 links

Kerry Calls for UN Mission in Iraq with
NATO Help (Reuters)

Kerry Calls for UN Mission in Iraq with
NATO Help (Reuters) 04/17/2004 11:25 AM
Reuters - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Saturday called for a new mission authorized by the United Nations to help rebuild Iraq, with a NATO security force under U.S. command keeping order.

Bush: Kerry Troop Stance Threatens Iraq
Mission

Bush: Kerry Troop Stance Threatens Iraq
Mission 08/11/2004 06:50 PM
Reuters via Wired News Aug 11 2004 11:35PM GMT

Youth Violence Has Japan Struggling for
Answers (washingtonpost.com)

Youth Violence Has Japan Struggling for
Answers (washingtonpost.com) 08/09/2004 02:54 PM
washingtonpost.com - SASEBO, Japan -- On a cloudless afternoon in this sleepy port city, an 11-year-old girl drenched in blood and clutching a box cutter walked into the lunchroom at her elementary school. Teachers and students froze, assuming the sixth-grader known for her lighthearted nature had gravely hurt herself -- but she quickly dispelled that impression, witnesses said, by uttering a few chilling words: "This is not my blood."

"Mars Exploration Rover Mission: The
Mission"

"Mars Exploration Rover Mission: The
Mission" 01/05/2004 04:16 PM

Japan reporters attacked in Iraq

Japan reporters attacked in Iraq 05/28/2004 12:38 AM
Gunmen fire on a car carrying two Japanese journalists in Iraq, with one of them believed to have been killed.

Japan Awaits Release of 3 Iraq Hostages
(AP)

Japan Awaits Release of 3 Iraq Hostages
(AP) 04/11/2004 11:42 PM
AP - Japan waited anxiously Monday for the release of three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq, as the government struggled to determine whether they were safe and if armed captors planned to set them free as promised.

Japan clears Iraq troop dispatch

Japan clears Iraq troop dispatch 01/26/2004 02:21 AM
Japan is expected to formally approve the dispatch of 600 troops to Iraq despite widespread public opposition.

Reaction of Japan to the Japanese
Hostages in Iraq

Reaction of Japan to the Japanese
Hostages in Iraq 04/30/2004 03:22 AM

Several people have asked me to comment on an article in the NYT about the reaction of to the Japanese people to the three Japanese taken hostage in Iraq. The article describes how everyone including the politicians in Japan are angry at the hostages for causing trouble to the Japanese government and being irresponsible.

There are many conflicting reports about whether they were reckless or not and what their motives were so I won't comment on that. I also don't feel strongly personally on this issue so I'm not going to make a judgmental point either. What I would like to describe is a bit more background on how Japanese think about responsibility and apologies.

I think one of the things that made many Japanese I know upset were the parents of the hostages making public statements about how the government should help get the hostages back without apologizing first about causing trouble for the government. Even if they didn't believe it, it would be proper Japanese etiquette to say this first. It's quite cliche, but it's true that if you get into an automobile accident in Japan, even if you think it's probably the other person's fault, you apologize first. Japanese are warned not to do this in the US because apologizes imply responsibility. In many cases, apologies in Japan are a formality and skipping them is rather rude. I think many people thought these parents were "rude" on a national scale. Another example of a throw-away apology is that when you ask for a waiter in a restaurant, you say, "I'm sorry... or excuse me." We often apologize profusely when in doubt or are requesting any kind of favor.

An important psychological element is that even though we are individuals, we often represent the group. I have something like 16 or so generations before me on my gravestone and I often feel like a mere blip in the history of my family. Taking risk or tainting my family name is not something that I can freely do without feeling the guilt and responsibility to my ancestors.

It's also interesting to note that most Japanese children's cartoons have story lines where they are a team. Often one of the members get in trouble or drop out of the group and the whole show is about how the group tries to help the drop out get back in tune with the group. It's usually the group saving the single "problem" member. On the other hand, many American cartoons are super-heros who are independent and save the world through taking risk and being different. I know I'm generalizing here, but people who watch a lot of Japanese TV will understand what I'm saying I think.

I once talked to one of the directors of the Sumo Wrestling association. She said she always had a great deal of difficulty explaining one of the core principles of Sumo to foreigners. Sumo wrestlers are not supposed to show anguish when they lose or happiness when they win. They are to be emotionless and stoic. "Like a rooster carved out of wood," she said. This is a very central theme to many of Japanese aesthetics. This Japanese stoicism is central to much of the Japanese lack of sympathy to heroics, I think.

Although I understand what the NYT article is saying and I don't necessarily agree with the way the hostages are being treated and picked on right now, I think that lack of initial apologies and the feeling of Japanese to heroics in Japan is behind the reaction. Having said that, I think this attitude is what is hampering Japan's entrepreneurism as well as Japan's ability to participate as a leader in global affairs. It's a fairly deeply rooted cultural theme that won't change very easily though.

As usual, I'm happy to hear dissenting opinions.

Iraq test looms for Japan troops

Iraq test looms for Japan troops 01/16/2004 11:04 AM
Japan sends its first troops to a combat zone since World War II, as a small force sets off for deployment in Iraq.

Japan unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq

Japan unsure of safety of hostages in
Iraq 04/12/2004 08:39 AM

Iraq abductions leave Japan in crisis

Iraq abductions leave Japan in crisis 04/09/2004 04:03 PM

Japan cabinet approves Iraq plan

Japan cabinet approves Iraq plan 06/17/2004 10:50 PM
Japan's cabinet passes a proposal to allow its troops join a new multinational force in Iraq.

Japan PM Seen Buoyed After Iraq Hostages
Freed

Japan PM Seen Buoyed After Iraq Hostages
Freed 04/18/2004 04:40 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 7:48AM GMT

Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on
Hold

Japan PM Re-Elected, Iraq Dispatch on
Hold 11/19/2003 02:48 AM
Reuters via Wired News Nov 19 2003 1:43AM ET

Japan PM Gets Boost, Iraq Hostages
Return

Japan PM Gets Boost, Iraq Hostages
Return 04/18/2004 07:08 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 18 2004 10:43AM GMT

Japan PM Firm on Iraq Despite New
Hostages Report

Japan PM Firm on Iraq Despite New
Hostages Report 04/15/2004 01:10 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 15 2004 5:07AM GMT

Iraq Overshadows Cheney Visit to Japan

Iraq Overshadows Cheney Visit to Japan 04/10/2004 03:28 PM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 10 2004 7:45PM GMT

Japan firm on Iraq hostage demand

Japan firm on Iraq hostage demand 04/09/2004 04:13 PM
Japan's PM says his country will not withdraw its troops from Iraq, despite threats to kill three Japanese hostages.

Mission accomplished becomes mission
impossible

Mission accomplished becomes mission
impossible 09/15/2004 09:45 PM
"Iraq's once highly fragmented insurgent groups are increasingly cooperating to attack U.S. and Iraqi government targets,and steadily gaining control of more areas of the country."

Defeatist spin from the slanted liberal media? Sorry; it's the lead sentence of the lead story in today's Wall Street Journal.

Japan Envoy Seeks Rescue of Iraq
Hostages

Japan Envoy Seeks Rescue of Iraq
Hostages 04/10/2004 01:01 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 10 2004 4:43AM GMT

Japan Hostages Said Safe in Iraq,
Relatives Anxious

Japan Hostages Said Safe in Iraq,
Relatives Anxious 04/11/2004 04:18 AM
Reuters via Wired News Apr 11 2004 7:50AM GMT

Japan Stalls Iraq Deployment After
Suicide Bombing

Japan Stalls Iraq Deployment After
Suicide Bombing 11/13/2003 01:46 PM
Reuters via Wired News Nov 13 2003 11:54AM ET

Iraq Overshadows Cheney Visit to Japan
(Reuters)

Iraq Overshadows Cheney Visit to Japan
(Reuters) 04/10/2004 05:07 AM
Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Japan on Saturday on the first leg of a weeklong Asian tour, lending support to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for keeping troops in Iraq despite rebel threats to execute three Japanese hostages.

Iraq Abduction Puts Japan Gov't in
Crisis (AP)

Iraq Abduction Puts Japan Gov't in
Crisis (AP) 04/09/2004 04:00 PM
AP - The abduction of three Japanese in Iraq plunged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi into his deepest crisis since taking office three years ago, as relatives of the hostages and thousands of protesters pressed the government Friday to withdraw Japanese troops from Iraq.
Grok Description matches for Opposition to Iraq Mission Mounts in Japan (washingtonpost.com)
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Opposition to Iraq Mission Mounts in Japan (washingtonpost.com)

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