Jap soldier's confession

Japan Times reports,

A former medic in the Imperial Japanese Navy says he carried out vivisection on about 30 prisoners, including women and children, in the Philippines during World War II.

It is the first time anyone in the wartime military has admitted that experiments were conducted on human beings in the Philippines, said Keiichi Tsuneishi, a professor of science history at Kanagawa University.

It's not that easy to come out in the open for serious and sensational matters such as this. His reason for telling the truth? His conscience could no longer take an act that he was forced to do at that time.

"The souls of those who died would not be soothed if the story remained buried," he said.

And it is not soothing either for the Filipinos of today to hear such horrible acts. This is something quite difficult to accept, no matter how true it is/was. I can't even quite imagine how the whole process of vivisection was done on alive people. Sorry, it makes me throw up.

Sometimes, some truths are better kept hidden. Truth hurts, and this particular confession hurts me deeply. If there is such thing as emotional vivisection, that exactly is what I feel right now.

To my Japanese friends out there, let me assure you that this news doesn't affect my views of Japanese society TODAY because today's generation is entirely different from before. Just let me vent on this though, coz I really feel sorry for the victims.

Given this testimony, what should we do then?

"We should not let this horrible thing happen again," Makino said. "I want to tell the truth about war to as many people as possible. If I'm given the opportunity, I'll continue to testify in atonement."

Yeah, that's right.

Japan has changed guards

So Mr. Junichiro Koizumi has stepped down as Japan's premier after leading the nation for more than five years, passing on the critical leadership to his protege, Mr. Shinzo Abe.

Mr. Abe, who took premiership last Tuesday after winning easily in the Parliamentary vote, has a lot of plans for the nation. In his first speech as a PM last Tuesday, he made a lasting impression to the nation that he is firm with his plans to reform the nation for the better end. "From today, I will start building a new Japan. The Cabinet I appointed today is one that will create a beautiful Japan." By beautiful, he meant in terms of culture, nature and history.

In the forefront of his reforms, the new PM vowed to repair the wounded democratic relations with China and South Korea, bolster the long-standing ties with the US, revamp the pacifist constitution as well as actively pursue educational reforms. Reports have these:

Abe's roadmap takes Japan down a path toward a more robust military and more assertive foreign policy, delineating a fresh direction for a leader who, at 52, is Japan's youngest premier and its first born after World War II.

While Abe envisions a confident Japan that can step from the shadow of decades of postwar guilt, he conceded the country's foreign and security policy will still rest firmly on Tokyo's half-century alliance with the United States.

The fact that he is young, many think that he does not have the ample experience to lead the country. Well, we have yet to see that for ourselves. He has many years to prove that.

His hawkishness is also believed as an stumbling block to forging good relations, both within and out of Japan. I guess, let us not judge him by the cover; who knows, some good things might happen, which we have this attitude of his to thank for.

To Mr. Abe, I wish you good journey in your leadership! We all ride with you as you take the driver's seat towards a beautiful Japan.