The Massacre of Manila

I knew that Japan's occupation of the Philippines was brutal, but my education of World War II history tended to be focused on Europe and the Pacific sub campaign.  I got a clearer idea of what happened here in Manila 81 years ago when I was listening to the Unauthorized History of the Pacific War podcast episode on the Liberation of Manila.  So, I was keeping my eyes open for memorials of that horrific event and just happened to walk by one that, well, shook me quite a bit.

First the history: In February of 1945, the Americans and the Filipino allies (guerillas who had caused the Japanese many headaches) approached Manila.  The Japanese commander, Sanji Iwabuchi, did not do what MacArthur did in 1942, as the latter declared the city open as the Americans fled, to save it from harm.  No, the Japanese commander chose to destroy the city and those in it.  There is on excuse for what he did, but he chose to consider all Filipinos as helping the Americans, making all the civilians fair game.

To save on bullets and other ammunition, he ordered his troops to use fire and bayonets and other creative means to kill men, women, and children in the most barbaric violence possible.  This violence matched pretty much anything the Nazis did in cruelty even if it did not match the scale of the Holocaust. 

The memorial has multiple signs:

The text of the main description: The Central figure is a woman, quite large, dominant in size and proportion.  She is the motherland. She weeps as she holds an infant, the symbol of hope, but the infant is dead. It presents lost hope. The female figure on the right side is a victim of rape.  There is an infant clinging to her. On the left side is a man, still alive, looking confused and disoriented, despair on his face. The young boys are dead represnting the youth the country has lost.  The dead man lying portrays the elderly who were caught in the battle.  

 

 

 This second sign lists the sites of major atrocities.   

 

 

 

 

Nearby was a set of placards put up last year on the 80th anniversary, explaining what had happened.

The commander killed himself towards the end of the battle.  Two other Japanese commanders were tried for war crimes and executed.  After I went through this area, I hit a mall that had a bunch of Japanese restaurants, and, well, I wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.  I do remember that when I went to Tokyo on a junket of four Canadian academics organized and paid by the Embassy of Japan, one of the requests they made was to push Canada to mentor the new democracies of Southeast Asia.  Why?  Because the Japanese understood they could not due to history like this.  And, no, I didn't see this history of Manila discussed in any of the history museums I have visited in Japan.  

Today's Japanese are not responsible for the horrific crimes of their ancestors, but I wish they did a better job of teaching the past to the next generation--in this, the Germans are great role models.  

I had hoped to get to Corrigedor on this trip, but, well, post-divorce Steve has less extra cash for an expensive addition to this trip.  Grant money can't fund that.  I will be asking questions about relations between Japan and the Philippines in the next few days, and will report back about what I learn.


 

Rusutu: I Hardly Knew You

It was a cold day so I wore
my silly fake gray beard face mask
and it did a nice job of
showing how much snow fell.
[No, no face plants that day]

 I am spending this week in Hokkaido skiing with my sister, her boyfriend, and his kids.  Well, to be more accurate I am traveling with all of them and skiing with sister.  The others are very advanced skiers and like to hang out in the trees and ski off of cliffs.  So, my sister needed a ski buddy willing to hang with her on the blues (or reds, as they are here in Japan and other places outside if North America).  

Getting here was a bit of a challenge as I was deplaned from two different planes trying to get from Newark to Toyko.  It created a bit of stress, but I only lost one morning of skiing, so not a huge deal.  The plan for them is to be here for three weeks or so, going to four ski places and stopping by Tokyo.  My plan is to be here a week, so I get to experience two ski areas--Rusutsu and Niseko.  

Too tired to go night skiing
but a nice view from my room

The classic saying is that comparison is the thief of joy, but that refers to envy, as comparative analysis is delightful and the source of much joy.  So, how is skiing in Japan similar and different from elsewhere?

Well, the obvious thing right now is the powder--the lightest, deepest stuff I have experienced.  I have had a few powder days at Whistler, Fernie, Lake Louise/Sunshine, but this stuff is just so much easier to ski through.  In previous outings, I would get tentative and feel like I am skiing through sludge and insta-moguls.  This was just delightful.
They did a great job of grooming so we could move from a few inches of powder to a foot to ... oh my and back. 

For the more specific differences about the design/setup:

• The chairlifts were a bit different as most quads were housed in big warehouse-like buildings
• The lift attendants talked to us each time we got on the list--not sure what they were saying but it sounded welcoming.  North American lift folks sometimes chat, but mostly are just sweeping snow off and moving it around and such.
• The lifts mostly had bubbles that automatically came down--which keep out the window and the snow and limited our vision.  A sacrifice I was quite willing to embrace.
• No sharing! That is, we were two people for four person chair lifts and for six person gondolas.  No one ever joined us, and there seemed to be no pressure to max the people going up on each lift.  Not sure this is just a post-covid thing or was always thus.  We didn't experience much in the way of liftlines so not a big deal.  May be more of a problem at the more crowded Niseko.
• In Canada, you hear lots of Aussie and Kiwi accents--mostly younger people providing much of the service staff.  Here, the Aussie accents are ski tourists--including many families.
  
  
  
• Ski school for kids is funky--all of the kids wear the exact same stuff so only the pinneys with numbers distinguish them. 

We shall see how much of this was Rusutsu specific and how much is more either Japanese or Hokkaido.

 

 

 

 

What was clearly Rusutsu specific was the silliness of the resort:

The resort has a two levell
carousel!

 

 

 

They had a couple of
animatronic bands, including
one inside the Oktoberfest
buffet place.
Good prep for Berlin?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funkiness of translations: more general.

It is a sign for a spa,
not a bathroom

This is a super once in a life time experience!  I have been addicted to Japan since my last sabbatical, regretted not skiing then, so getting the chance to return, to visit a different island, to get heaps of powder, and to hang out with my sister and her guy and his kids--I am very lucky.

The Rising Threats in the Indo-Pacific: Insights from Japan

Colonel Cathy Blue, our visiting defence
fellow, introduces the Vice-Admiral

 This week, the Centre for Security, Intelligence, and Defence Studies (NPSIA's research centre on such stuff) hosted Vice-Admiral (ret.) Toshiyuki Ito who was visiting Ottawa. 

Admiral Ito gave a comprehensive talk about the threats facing Japan and everyone else in the region from Russia to North Korea to China.  As a retired officer, he could be more direct about the threats perhaps than an active one, and he humorously invoked "academic freedom" anytime he said something that was a bit controversial.

Japan has to scramble aircraft twice a day to confront Chinese and Russian aircraft.  Ito spoke on a record-setting day as North Korea sent more missiles near and over Japan while it was also engaging in greater tensions with South Korea.  He did not address the difficulties with South Korea that would make a more coordinated response more complicated.  

Ito discussed Canada's exercises in the region including the monitoring of sanctions against North Korea and the freedom of navigation operations in the South China seas.

Perhaps most striking, Ito made it clear to the Canadian audience that a Taiwan scenario--the imminent attack by China (sometime between now and 2027)--is also a Japan scenario for a couple of reasons.  First, there are some Japanese islands mighty close to Taiwan, and it is hard to imagine these islands would not become part of China's invasion plans.  Second, the US has pivotal bases in Japan, which might be specifically targeted to prevent US intervention in a Sino-Taiwan war. 

Here, Vice-Admiral Ito illustrates the
evolution of Self-Defence and
how it fits into the constitution

Ito talked about the need for what he called counter-attack systems--which are essentially first strike systems designed to hit missiles aimed at Japan before they are launched.  This is part of a larger effort to squeeze today's realities into the constraints posed by Article 9 of the Japanese constitution.  That clause prohibits Japan from having a military, although Japan has one by another name: Self-Defense Force.  Its navy, Ito said, was the second largest or more powerful in the world after the US.  The dodge has always been that all sovereign countries are entitled to defend themselves, so the SDF is legitimate (not all Japanese parties agree).  But what counts as defense?  Knocking down incoming missiles is obvious.  Having the ability to pre-emptively strike those that have not yet launched?  Hmmm.  

Japan is doubling its defense spending, getting to 2% when the controversy used to be whether it would exceed 1% of GDP on defense.  What will it spend money on?  Perhaps F35s and missiles?  Unfortunately, we ran out of time so we could not get more specific answers to this and other questions.

It was very useful and interesting to see the Indo-Pacific from a different perspective.  I always this this map I saw all over Tokyo in government offices to illustrate:

This point of view best illustrates how China
is hemmed in by Korea/Japan/Taiwan/etc.

Semi-Sensei, Thinking About the Trip as a Whole

This was not my first time to Japan--I can't believe it is my fifth trip in five years--but it was my first trip to certain spots, my first trip with guides, and my first trip with students.  So, what did I learn along the way?

Once again, I learned the kids are alright.  Lots of folks complain about the next generation, but I
found them to be sharp, sweet, engaging, fun, dynamic, engaged, and excellent roadtrip partners.  They picked up on the fact that they were essentially tools of an information operations campaign (see below).  They noticed key omissions in the various presentations as well.  I got to hang out with mostly MA students from Carleton, U of Ottawa, and U of Toronto over the course of the week, dragging a bunch of them to the best french toast in the world, and I got to see them become pseudo-family members with rural Japanese families.   Best part of the trip.

Once again, as well, I learned that the Japanese people I spent time with were generous and fun.  I got to hang out with a friend from previous trips as well as with the guides.  These folks were also sweet and fun and, well, tolerant of this westerner.  I learned much from the various conversations.

I learned that I am getting old.  I think I paid a higher price for jet lag, especially upon return to Canada, than previous trips.  I was able to keep up with the kids during the days, but, well, not during the nights.  I was not quite as eager to explore before breakfast or after dinner, although I managed from time to time.

The resilience of the Japanese cannot be underestimated. Our homestays were in Tome, near the part of the country that was devastated in March 2011 by the tsunami.  Little evidence remains besides yellow grass and one (at least as far as I know) memorial/museum.  I didn't get a chance to visit it, but several of the students did.  Their pictures and stories were most moving.

As always, Japan has style.  Everywhere we went, we found beautiful gardens, shrines, restaurants, dishes of food, etc.  I had never gone north before, and the train ride was terrific  I regret, once again, not having time to ski.  I really enjoyed walking around Matsushima, as the locals had built shrines and bridges that complimented nicely the islands and the bay.

The Japanese do public diplomacy very, very well.  The students and host families were handpicked.  The students at Tohoku University were excellent ambassadors.  We had great guides and mostly got to see the key spots (some Canadian-imposed restrictions in the age of plague cut down on some of the stuff we could see as a group--the students found most of that stuff independently).   The students were required to post on social media their experiences, and the groups had to come up with action plans for sharing what they learned.  I will write another day about being a tool of an information operation, but for now, let me just say that it was a pleasure.

One of the key moments during the trip was an early briefing by a Japanese academic about the state of play--politics, history, culture.  It was a lot in a short time, and much was sped through or overlooked, but as hinted above, the students noticed some key elements.  The aging of Japanese society is a major challenge, and the policy tools being applied are, well, limited.  More day care and other benefits to encourage more babies, but that seems to be as ineffective here as elsewhere.  And, no, no mention of immigration as a solution.  The students picked up on that.

I learned that the 1940 Olympic games were supposed to be in Tokyo but were cancelled.  The other games in Japan, especially 1964, meant a great deal for Japan's sense of self.  So, I worry about what the coronavirus might do to this summer's games.

Yeah, it was strange to be called sensei, but, yes, I loved it.  Almost as good as the french toast at Hoshinos (next time, I will watch the Shibuya scramble intersection from their well-placed location).  Not sure they really needed a chaperone, except to fill out a bit of time at the Canadian embassy and to keep Air Canada from shutting the gate on the way home in Toronto.

It is hard to believe that I had no Japan experience until 2016, and this was my fifth trip sense then.  The place is very addictive, and I can't wait to come back and see more of the country.

Semi-Sensei, Day 8: History and then Home

Since we had an evening flight, we had time to do some last minute tourism.  We toured the Edo Museum which documents the history of Tokyo and then went to the Akasaka guest palace before going to the airport.  I had been to both before, but could not see much of the latter at the time since it was closed due to visiting dignitary.

Semi-Sensei, Day 7: Penultimate Day--Gardens, Olympics, an Accidental Shrine Visit, and a Dash of Tourism

I have been slow to post as our last days were busy and then I have been jetlagged while I catch up on my day job.  Still, our last few days were fun and interesting, so I thought I would have four last posts--day7, day 8, some reflections, and then some thoughts on being a tool of info operation campaign.  They should dribble out over the week as I travel to Calgary and then ski in the Banff area.  Yeah, it is a tough job, but someone has got to do it.

Semi-Sensei, Day 6: Goodbye Sendai, Hello Final Tokyo Lap

We said goodbye to Kato-san (centre),
who did a great job of organizing the
Sendai/Tome parts of the trip

Yesterday was a day for transitions, adaptation, and reporting.  We left Sendai by shinkasen (bullet train) and had great views along the way (ski hills!).  On arrival, we navigated the Tokyo train station and grabbed a buffet lunch.  The next stop was ... the Canadian embassy.  This was a change to the itinerary, where there had been a blank spot.  It kind of remained a blank spot since the Embassy was consumed with handling the Canadian coronavirus patients on the Love Boat (the Princess ship that had been offshore for weeks). 

The Embassy is prettier than I thought because they showed us the garden on the main floor (I had walked by it in my previous visits, not through it).  They needed someone to talk for ten minutes ... and so their investment in my trip finally paid off since I am a professional talker.  I spoke about my research on Japan's defense politics.  They didn't fall asleep and I got good questions (the students from all three schools--Toronto, Carleton, Ottawa) are all super sharp.   So, it was a strange moment, but it worked out.

The embassy overlooks a secondary imperial palace/gardens

We then went back to our original hotel for reports.  Each group had to report:

1. What had they expected before they got here?
2. What did they learn?
3. What is their plan for sharing what they have learned when they get back home.

Each group did an excellent job as they all had time yesterday (pre-French Toast expedition) to figure out what they were going to say and start drafting slides:

The East Asia Studies folks from UoT

Toronto's Munk school

U of Ottawa's presentation

Carleton's presentaiton

The CU folks really got the Japanese
aesthetic

Each group has a dissemination plan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rep
is a NPSIA grad!

I realized in Tome that the Kakehashi folks do a great job of selecting host families as each student reported their interactions with the very kind, generous, sweet, and engaging families.  Well, the Kakehashi folks in Canada did their jobs so very well, too, as the students on this trip are simply terrific.  I have not gotten to interact with as many of the Toronto students because they have been on a separate bus and have often been elsewhere, but I really enjoyed chatting with them.  I have spent far more time with the CU and UoO students, and the chats have been all over the place, including, last night, marriage as a guy asked me when/how did I know Girlfriend Spew would be Mrs. Spew. 

These are smart people with lots of curiosity and big hearts.  People keep trashing the next generation (every generation does it), but I have to say the future is mighty bright. 

The winners for the best social media stuff (non-prof edition)

Anyhow, after the reporting, there was some awarding of certificates and recognition of the best social media coverage of the trip (no, I didn't qualify apparent!). I did mention to the students that they are clearly a tool in Japan's information operations campaign, given the requirements for them to disseminate what they have learned.  The students were way ahead of me on this... yes, they got it. 

Dinner was at a buffet in a mall restaurant overlooking the bay.  I got my shopping done quickly (kit-kats of various flavors and something for the aforementioned Mrs.).  The students went off to Shinjuku and Shibuya since this was one of their last chances to do that and to experience the bar/club/etc scene.  From this morning's instagrams, they clearly made it and didn't have to deal with huge crowds.  I am pretty sure the Japanese are avoiding crowds in this time of cholera corona virus.

Today, we have a variety of tours and tourism including gardens and then one last night here.

Semi-Sensei, Day 5: Moving On From Home Stays to Shrines and French Toast

Yesterday started with goodbyes, moved onto sites, then the best tastes, and finally some really bad singing (with an exception or two).  The homestays ended with a ceremony and with many great stories and some terrific newly forged connections.  I was most jealous as the students had great experiences.  Some got to do an onsen, and others got to see the museum/memorial dedicated to the victims of the 3/11 tsunami.  All got much food, a fair amount of sake, and memories of super-sweet Japanese families.  Oh and the two groups sang Canadian songs to share their feelings (this was assigned by the organizers, the groups chose the songs).

A home stay parent can compete with
Stephanie Carvin!

Last interactions between host and hosted

Hosted and hosted, bridges built indeed (Kakehashi=bridges)

I am a big fan of our guides who have had great spirit as
well as being informative.

Better singing at the ceremony than later at the karaoke bar.  U of Ottawa went first and then Carleton.  And by the way, I went from knowing clearly which students went to which school to having no idea--a good thing, I think, as other bridges have been built.  The U of Toronto students who went in a different direction on homestays are less familiar to me (separate bus and some different activities), but I have enjoyed chatting with as many of them as I can.  I can say for sure that Kakehashi folks did a great job on both sides of the Pacific, choosing participants--the hosted and the hosts.

From there, we took a bus to Matsushima, which not only had a spectacular shrine complex (one of the most striking of all that I have seen in my visits to Japan) but a setting by the sea that is terrific.  Started with a good lunch in a great delivery system:

Three layers!

A guide for the shrine with our two guides:
Yuki and Kato

Now this is a zen garden

gate to shrine

A shrine on an island close to land displays
its exhibits every thirty three years.

The area

Rainbow bridge to another island

Map of the Rainbow bridge island

View from the island

Some perspective sauce here.

Then onto Sendai for working on their report to the government and then finally getting the golden ... french toast---best in my experience.

Team Uof O to the left, Team Carleton to the right, and
I am stuck in the middle (after I took the pic)

If I knew how to do it, I would put worshipful music right here.
The best French Toast ever--every time I come to Japan.
Fluffy, sweet goodness.

Three of the thirteen students I dragged here (well, I paid).
My table was suitably impressed.

Nadia was most happy to receive this dish of greatness.

Dinner later involved many, many dishes at an izakaya. 
I have had much fun hanging with these folks.

Even if they make me sing.

Our plans for the next few days are changing--to avoid crowds to reduce the risk of catching corona.  This is unfortunate as many of the cool places in Tokyo happen to be crowded.  I am hoping they get some free time to see some of this stuff. 

Anyhow, this has been a great experience, and these folks have hardly needed a chaperone.  But, yes, I do like being called Sensei.