Korean Job Discussion Forums

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

The Italians built a big red building right next to the Yasukune War Shrine, and apparently it offends the sensitivities of Japanese people. All I can really say is "Haw haw!"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060320/od_afp/japanitalyarchitectureoffbeat_060320130147;_ylt=AiUufSbCrgTNipRd9LN3NTygOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

coffeeman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: Korea

Actually, it's very smart of them to be concerned of the overall environment. Usually it's corporations like Starbucks, McDonalds and Wal-Mart that want to cheapen classy historical areas with their bright colored plastic signs. Surprisingly, it's a government institution this time.

Oh well, it's probably mostly old farts complaining. I'll bet the young Japanese like the funky new Italian building. Smile

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

seeing as "coffeeman" has an avatar of the Colombian coffee man (Yay! it's fun to rip-off poor farmers by paying them next to nothing and then selling our shite coffee at a 1000% mark-up), I'm assuming he doesn't.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

well, to be fair, it heard that the zoning laws in that area require every building to venerate at least 1 Class A war criminal. Which explains why the nearby McDonalds sells a unique breakfast treat called "Hitler McMuffins."

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

My girlfriend remarked that if they'd made a big statue of Mussolini it would've been more "consistent with the sensitivity of Japanese people."

bigverne · Joined: 12 May 2004

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Sure, it's a shrine that honours Japanese war dead and reminisces about the one big chance Japan had to liberate Asia. Its name ironically means "peaceful nation shrine." Every year it drives Chinese and Korean people a little insane when the prime minister visits it, which he does only to appease the far-right-wing element of the nation. And yet the part that offends the Japanese is a big red building nearby.

bigverne · Joined: 12 May 2004

visitor q · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:57 am Post subject:

It's also a shrine that honours the Koreans that died. You do know this, don't you? Or has your girlfriend and her friends blinded you to the truth?

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

Well, at least the Japanese know what architecture is. Like I have said before, the world's best architects were certainly not born in Korea.

coffeeman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: Korea

The Yasukuni Shrine is in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, an area which has many traditional buildings. Old-fashioned area, lots of old people sipping tea in tea houses and shopping in the traditional market. Very few modern buildings. It's kept that way on purpose. That's why they don't want any wild red Italian buildings in the area.

I read that Koizumi visits the shrine because not going to the shrine would be to disregard the men who gave their lives in good faith to help the country. Seems like a reasonable excuse to me.

coffeeman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: Korea

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

Those that gave their lives for Japan also committed terrible crimes in the name of Japan. The fact that Japanese society trieds to hide the past instead of dealing with it is the problem. Instead of dealing with the past they would rather complain about a big red building. Germany has been struggling to deal with their past for year and years. They have done a lot and are continuing to do a lot. Japan has shown a complete inability to come to terms with the past.

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

oh yeah, I've been looking for fair trade coffee here for a while but have yet to find it. I've been thinking about just importing a bunch and, if there's interest, selling some to others at cost or just above cost.