Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Chiba Day
Share:
by Uwe Paschen | June 14, 2009 at 07:08 am
838 views | 88 Recommendations | 40 comments
Photos
By, Uwe Paschen.
It is Chiba Day here in Narita, Chiba, Japan.
Tomorrow my wife will not have to go and teach in Narita and I have no field work due to much rain and flooding nor any meetings in Tokyo. In stead, we will go to the Shrine, since we have a day off here in Chiba Prefecture, it is called Chiba day. This day in June was set aside in 1984 after a Chiba Delegation visited Dusseldorf, Germany, where a similar day is celebrated to awake awareness for the environment as well as for Citizen to take pride in their history and home land.
The Japanese delegation came back here and planted the seeds of what we know today as Chiba day.
Most Museums and parks as well as Swimming pools do not charge admittance here in Chiba Prefecture on that day. Making this a Family outing and a community event all at the same time. It is promoting local culture, the environment and Chiba's history.
There are also a large number of Festivities underway for this long weekend such as the Lavender Fest and the Chiba Environmental awareness activities for this occation. This year the focus is on Plastic bags or shopping bags, Chiba Kent wants to abolish the use of those and reinstate the old fashion shopping basket or the reusable cloth bag.
This is supported by businesses and communities, handing out reusable cloth bags. There is is also an add campaigns by local prefectural government to that regard.
We do also have the community clean up day, wish consist of each community centre and its members to go around and clean up the fields, roads, side walks and ditches as well as wood lands from all sorts of waste.
Once collected this waste is broth back to the community centre where all take part in sorting it into compost, recyclable cans, paper and plastic. This by it self is a great activity, since all, from the youngest children to the elderly take part in it and we had our run yesterday with green tea and juices handed out by the end of the clean up walk. It is a nice break form the ongoing field work and an opportunity for all to have a good time wile doing something useful and rewarding for the community and our environment.
Some use this weekend to remember Chiba's History and what happened here over the past decades and centuries. One event has been at the forefront in recent years, being the carpet-bombing of Chiba in WWII.
Chiba was one of the 180 of Japan cities that the US carpet-bombed or also called fire bombed in WWII and it sustained extremely high civilian casualties as a result, this happened on the 10 of June 1945 by 124th B29s.
I do remember the tails from my Father about the Fire bombing of Berlin and they are very much identical to those of the older generation here, that witnessed this as they where children or teenager and where amongst those that survived it, just to end up suffering homelessness, starvation and illness.
I think we have to remember since wars are still going on and the civilians are still the main victims of those wars.
We will remember all the victims of past and present wars, tomorrow at our Shrine. Buddhism in its purest form as well as other religions are meant to promote peace, life and tolerance as well as non-violence. This will be our focus tomorrow, when we shall celebrate life and plant a Cherry blossom tree to remember how beautiful and precious every life is.
Life also means taking care as well as honouring our environment and respecting not only human life, more so all life there is on earth.
Even an ant or a moth are all valuable life forms and need to be cherished and respected as well as protected.
Happy Chiba Day.
http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/syozoku/b_kenmin/kenminnohi/kenminnohi.html
http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/syozoku/b_kouhou/dayori/0502/2.html
http://www.cga.or.jp/005004/main.html
http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/syozoku/b_kokusai_e/foreigner/mm_bk_200706.html
http://39th.org/39th/history/missions/mission27.htm
http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6912/691255.html
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/空襲
Advertisement
NowPublic on Facebook
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Most Recommended Comment
Crowd Power
Uwe Paschen
Narita, Chiba, Japan
Related Stories
Recommendations (88)
sivakaran
Toronto, Canada
senthil5000
st Louis, United States
Jordan Yerman
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
iambest
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
mudricky
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
cassy82
Los Angeles, United States
B. Zelley
Victoria, Canada
Watcher of the Skiez
amsterdam, Netherlands
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (40)
at 14:28 on June 14th, 2009
Thanks for this report. Seeing more pictures and/or videos would be great!
at 00:35 on June 15th, 2009
There are 57 Photos uploaded to this Post from Chiba, however for some reason they do not all show.
at 19:46 on June 14th, 2009
Happy Chiba Day to you too, Paschen:). Thanks for sharing!
at 21:39 on June 15th, 2009
Interesting departure from the love and peace theme is the well placed reference to carpet bombing in Japan and Germany during WW II. I guess, we could also throw in the Blitz in England, the shocking surprise Pearl Harbor Raid, the Rape of Nanking and a thousand other stories of aggression, violence and unprovoked attacks before, during and after WW II.
at 22:31 on June 15th, 2009
Yes, your reference to the blitz is appropriated in deed. Pearl Harbour though was a military facility and goes under a different category all together.
You seem to miss the point here. I am against all aggression in any form and from any one.
I am against glorifying war and war lords or soldiers, no mater who they are. I suppose you have never seen battle, nor civilian get killed ?
Why, I am against celebrating war since there is nothing to celebrate.
Further if we do commemorate war we should commemorate all war victims and condone all war crimes. That is what I do try to do, so that future generation will seek reason rather then violence and that they will seek Justice rather then hate.
What Japan did in China was as much a crime as what the NAZI-Germany did in Bombing London or with the KZ and it is no better then the fire bombing of Japan and Germany done by the US or the Vietnam war, nor is it any better then what the Russian did in Afghanistan. Killing Millions of Civilian can never be justified nor can it be acceptable.
Maybe one day you join me and give Peace, Justice and life a chance.
at 23:17 on June 15th, 2009
Pearl Harbour may have been a military facility, but it was not involved in any war.
But, it was attacked in an unprovoked attack, thus setting of the USA entry into WW II.
Being against war is an important standard, but running from war after it has started
is not an option.
You claim to be against celebrating war, but in the D-Day story you stated that you did not disagree that D-Day should be remembered, but the Soviet contribution should be acknowledged. So, I am somewhat dumbfounded with your variations in posts.
You are against celebrating war, but in reference to D-Day you feel the Soviet contribution should be acknowledged. So what part of Soviet contribution should be acknowledged in a D-Day remembrance event. And, who is for celebrating war. Any remembrance day is recognizing the sacrifices made and the peace not war.
at 05:35 on June 16th, 2009
This is your opinion wish has nothing to do with this post.
Self defence is one thing, aggression another, To put it simple, Would you attack my House and my Family, then I would defend my House, however, I would not attack your house and family in return. There lies the nuance.
The Attack on P.H. was not unprovoked since a war declaration was send however ignored.
Part of Chiba day being its History and the Fire bombing being part of that History makes it part of this post. Japan is starting to remember those events openly and remember its civilian victims. 580,000 Civilian died due to the fire bombing of Japan.
I know you are angry that your post was wrenched, I am not sure though why you are not spending the time fixing it rather then getting upset.
That wrench could have been taken off by now since the problem is rather easy to fix.
at 23:47 on June 15th, 2009
what is the connection between what happened in the war and your post which is on Chiba Day, I don't understand the need to add this unrelated material.
at 00:14 on June 16th, 2009
Marge, the original story included references to carpet bombing in Japan and Germany.
The German reference is a departure of the main theme of the story, thus creating a side story. No side story can be left hanging if there are reasonable questions. And no good journalist would want to leave unanswered questions. Would they?
So, the author of the story tried to explain away the carpet bombing bit, that only left more question. Thus, the lesson to learn is if the story is about Chiba Day, then a discussion of carpet bombing in Germany during WW II begs the follow-up questions? So here we are drifting into the unknown far from peace and tranquility! lol
at 02:29 on June 16th, 2009
B. Zelley, thank you for your reply but since "Chiba Day" was set aside in 1984 I still do not understand what war events have to do with it! It's another story and should be part of another post!
at 03:53 on June 16th, 2009
Marge, thank you for your input, remembering the Civilian victims of war is not the same then glorifying war lords, and Warriors.
Japan was Fire Bombed after it agreed to surrender under certain term and it was bombed with two Atomic Bombs as well only because it refused to surrender unconditionally and abolish its Emperor as demanded by the US.
The Emperor remained still, since Japan would not give in to that demand. The bombing was on civilian and not Military targets, the dead where civilian and not soldiers.
What is remembered more and more in recent years is the great amount of Civilian death and maybe it took so long to start remembering those because Japan did loss the war and did not dare say much.
If we want to stop this sort of thing from happening again we need to stop glorifying our Armies and war Lords and start remembering the victims in stead and the judge the criminals on every level. Japan population is for the large majority today a pacifistic one and they are proud of their Article 9 of the constitution that makes Japan a pacifist Nation and forbade its Self Defence Force to attack any one.
at 06:34 on June 16th, 2009
Marge
Paschen's side of the story sounds fine, but we must remember that there were thousands of POW's that were threatened with execution. At least those that were still living and had not starved to death or died while serving as slaves in the Japanese mines.
If we are going to remember the civilian deaths in Japan, let's not forget the thousands slaughtered in China, Singapore, Burma, the Phillipines and other Asian countries by guess who?
The position of the Japanese people today is positive, but when it comes time to remember the thousands of lost innocent citizens let's start with Nanking, China then travel through all the civilian POW camps scattered about. Hopefully, by the time we reach Japan of 1945 there may still be a few tears left to help wash away the pain and sorrow of all the innocent victims scattered about around the globe including the innocent civilians of London that were blown away during the Blitz including the young children, the senior citizens and the thousands of all ages. Then comes the Concentration camps, but that's a story from hell, and there isn't enough tears from 1946 to today to begin to wash away a sliver of the pain and sorrow. And that is one horror story that will never die.
at 06:49 on June 16th, 2009
B. Z. I do wish you well.
at 01:05 on June 16th, 2009
B.Z. It is off topic in deed and should be on another post.
at 02:18 on June 16th, 2009
Then please put your carpet bombing story on another post and edit your first story
to match you new desires!
at 05:36 on June 16th, 2009
You fail to see the difference B.Z. The German and the Japanese have been triad and judged for their war crimes and paid for those dearly, not only those guilty, more over the whole of society. They did submit to an International court and those fund guilty where sentenced to death or life imprisonment, non of them received parole hearings and all died in prison.
Where as the US for instance have not even apologized for any of their war crimes. Nor accepted to submit them self to the International court.
France has been the only nation that did apologize for its war crimes and Colonies.
Justice means that we go after all war criminals and this is also the only way to end this sorts of crime, if all know, that sooner or latter we will persecute them.
Two wrong do not make it right.
at 18:59 on June 17th, 2009
No, B.Z. you are being off topic here, you seem to have miss understood my comment replying to your "Off Topic". The Subject of the post is fine and reports events as they happen here.
The wording in the post is precise and you may need to look up the definition of "Some" Versus "Most" as well as "All" versus a "Few."
at 07:23 on June 16th, 2009
I visited the official site for Chiba, there's no mention of any war events being connected with your "Chiba Day?" Is that part of your post just your opinion?
http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/syozoku/b_kokusai_e/foreigner/mm_bk_200706.html
at 08:19 on June 16th, 2009
That is the tourist link, you may want to check out all the other links as well. The day was put on mid June weekend because of it.
at 08:59 on June 16th, 2009
The link I provided is for foreigners living in Chiba, not tourists?
at 20:40 on June 16th, 2009
I did provide that link in the Post Marge, and that is where you fund it. It is in English for Tourist since does that live here better be speaking Japanese unless they are tourist or Diplomats.
In Canada people speak English and in Quebec French even the Foreigner better be speaking those Languishes if they reside in the that country, the brochures are tourist.
at 07:45 on June 16th, 2009
I've done some more reading. Did you know the Japanese killed 21,397,900 people in the countries which it occupied during World War II? The Japanese killed 20,000,000 Chinese. In comparison, 2,700,000 Japanese were killed during the same period.
If Chiba wants to remember it's history, then they should also remember the evil of the Japanese military?
at 08:34 on June 16th, 2009
Yes, I did Marge. Did you know that the Japanese war criminals where put before a court and triad for that? Most of them sentenced to death.
Japan, still has some cleaning up to do of its own History and apologize to China even though it did try very hard to redeem it self by being the most generous donor of foreign aid to its former victims, it does need to make some changes in public as Germany did and as France has done recently.
Chiba does remember the evil as well though. You can not escape it, since it is around every corner of Japans history and no Japanese wants that to be repeated ever again.
The Japanese Public is fighting hard to maintain their Constitution as is and keep the article 9 as is, being the non aggression close that forbade Japan from Using its National Self defence force for active war or aggressive war towards any one, it does also force the country not to poses any ABC weapons or weapons of mass destruction and not to spend more the 1% of the GNP for the NSDF.
This in spite of US pressures to change the article 9 and as some American politician would like for Japan to start arming it self with Nuclear weapons.
Japanese do not want to be pulled back into any such scenario where they would be drawn into a war. If you study the whole history you will notice that the US have their chair of responsibilities in the events that lead to this madness. Long before 1938.
There is no monument glorifying Soldiers of past wars in Chiba, other then on the cemetery and the memorial in Tokyo that is still very much contested by many here.
at 08:45 on June 16th, 2009
A serious problem with your ongoing discussion is the ongoing anti-USA digs.
Focus on positive Japanese stories and less USA bashing would be cool!
at 08:59 on June 16th, 2009
Thank you for your opinion B. Z. I do appreciate it.
I do not blame the Jews for going after war criminals and those that caused genocide even after two generations this is still justified. Any war crime and any war criminal needs to be broth before an International court, no mater the country no mater the person.
The US are the logical first choice, followed by Russia, China and others. We did Judge the NAZI Germans first as well, before we went after the Hungarian and other Fascist that helped make the KZ possible.
We need to get the biggest fish first or it will not ever change.
Do you let some one that killed your Child run free just because he may be America, Canadian or German?
Justice needs to apply equally to all and it needs to be enforced equally as well, or we have another Al-Quaida and Rwanda. They all learned from the same master.
at 09:41 on June 16th, 2009
And who may I ask is the "same master"? and Who is the "we" to carry the fishing poles
for the big catch. Sounds like we are all preparing for a tasty fish & chip fry-up!
And who is going to supply the brew?
This post has gone from peace and harmony and a near love-in (shades of the late Sixties
and early Seventies) to a scene out of the old movie the "Oxbow Incident" or
"To Kill A Mockinbird" - next we'll have to wonder who is supplying the tar & feathers.
at 19:42 on June 16th, 2009
We are all of us Human around the globe.
The international court is part of the UN meaning part of all member states.
If you want to avoid tar and feathers then Justice needs to be served equally to all.
The US have created the demons that hunt it now, such as Al-Qaida, the Taliban...
All this so they would go against Russia, as Russia stopped playing the game they turned on their Master.
at 09:20 on June 16th, 2009
Mr Paschen, it was Japan who started the war in your part of the world! It was the Japanese military who slaughtered civilians and tortured POW's. It was the Japanese military who raped women and took sex slaves. On a few handfuls of Japanese military leader were tried and executed. Many escaped prosecution.
It was America who ended that terrible war. It was America who paid for the re-building of Japan after the war. It is America who has defended your country for the last 60 years or so.
It was Japan who attacked America without declaring a state of war, an act of cowardice!
at 19:53 on June 16th, 2009
You may want to refresh some of the History or may need to read up on it and I mean the whole of it. I give you a hint, Opium trade, UK and USA.
Further the loans given to Japan have all been paid back with interest and the US made a great profit in Japan as well as in Germany and Korea.
In other parts of the globe they did loos some money, but certainly not in Japan, Korea or Germany, that was a very lucrative business for the US.
The Attack on P. H. was known prior through the Netherlands that gave the US enough time to react, further a declaration of war was send to DC, yet ignored or not taken serious is one official version and the other is that it was delayed getting to DC.
There is propaganda and there are archive that have been open to the public since 1999.
The have great interest in this area and why they like to keep military bases here in Japan, wish the Japanese do not like to much. The US army is in Japan and Korea, so that in case of a war with NK, China, or Russia Korea and Japan will get hit hardest and the US will be spared the worth. The US does not do any thing out of charity nor with out getting some thing back.
History bites and truth hurt some time, however in the long run it does pay off.
Japan has a fair chair of ghost and demons to tackle and some sins to redeem it self from still. However it is one the right track to do so, and has been doing so for over 60 years now. The US on the other hand have not even started yet to go through their dirty closes.
You may want to read the post over and this time with a dictionary so you may have the proper definition of each word, such as "some" and "all" or "victims" and "criminals".
If, You where to Kill half of my family should I there for Kill all of yours? Is that what you understand under justice?
I hope you are not a Judge then nor a lawyer, Police officer or soldier and even less a politician.
at 23:26 on June 16th, 2009
Mr Paschen, Japan started the Pacific war, America ended it!