(25) [English Edition］ 週刊NY生活 SHUKAN NEW YORK SEIKATSU 2018年（平成30年）5月26日（土） Letter From NEW YORKERS The World Belongs to Hatsune Miku THE JAPAN VOICE Justin Tedaldi Pop idols are everywhere COOL JAPAN from New Yorkers’ Viewpoints in Japan, but most of them “Haikara-san: Here Comes remain there. participants. Miss Modern!” One particular The stage performance line-up idol breaks that featured Soh Daiko, TMH Dance Commemorative Movie tradition, with a (featuring Ayami, Kaori, Haruka for Anime Turning 40 notable excep- and Keito), the Dream Yosacoy Screening in New York tion: she’s not human. Festival Global Promotion and Other Cities in Hatsune Miku, whose name Foundation who performed the North America means “first sound of the future,” is a Vocaloid (machine-made vocals) digi- Yosacoy Naruko Dance, This June tal female avatar and creation of International Karate Organization Crypton Future Media who currently Kyokushinkaikan who held a karate The animated movie of Japan’s has over 100,000 unique songs in her demonstration, the Japanese Folk girl comic masterpiece, Waki voice, which are synthesized tracks Dance Institute of New York who Yamato’s “Haikara-san: Here Comes reminiscent of Auto-Tune. In Japan, performed Bon Odori, pop and jazz Miss Modern!” will be released in Miku is massively popular and has band JHM Jams, Japanese sword June in North America. appeared in numerous hit video games, fight performing arts group TATE “Here Comes Miss Modern! music videos and ad campaigns, and Hatoryu NY, Japanese Taiko drum- Benio, Shining Age of Seventeen!” her appearances with major artists like ming and dance group COBU and (97 minutes with English subtitles) Lady Gaga and Pharrell Williams has boosted her international appeal. Japanese singer Kana Uemura. At will be shown in select theaters. This Miku returns to America this Puffy AmiYumi Join Stage on the end of the stage performances animated movie was produced in two summer for Miku Expo 2018, her third was the female duo PUFFY (Ami parts last year commemorating its American tour. Miku Expo consists of Japan Day at Central Park Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura). live concerts that feature a range of Backed up by a band consisting of hits from across her career as well as More Than 50,000 New Yorkers Enjoy Event two guitarists and a bassist, the duo utilizing the latest holographic projec- wearing black jumpsuits performed tion and voice synthesizing technology Japan Day at Central Park 2018 Runners, the Consulate General of Japan in “Hi Hi,” the main theme from the https://www.yomiuri-info.jp/daily_yomiuri/nys/ to create the ultimate Hatsune Miku was held on Mother’s Day (May 13) New York, the Japanese Chamber of Cartoon Network show, “Hi! Hi! experience—green onion-colored with a crowd of 50,000 visitors despite Commerce and Industry, The Nippon Club PUFFY AmiYumi.” They also per- first comic publishing in 1975-1977. glowsticks included. For this year’s rainy weather in the afternoon. The 12th and many other Japanese and American edition, fans were invited to sample a formed the main theme from the In the New York area, it will be 39-day trial version of Hatsune Miku annual Japan Day was organized with corporations, of which more than 120 com- famous cartoon “Teen Titans,” screened twice at Village East V4X software in English to create a the following three missions in mind: 1) panies donated about $780,000. The event drawing positive reactions from Cinema (181-189 Second Avenue) in new song, with the winning entry to be to show the local Japanese community’s kicked off with the rousing Japan Run, a their American audience, as well as Manhattan at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, performed at every show on the North appreciation toward their home city, four-mile mini-marathon and Kids’ Races, original hit singles “That’s the Way June 9 and at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, American tour. New York; 2) to build bridges of cultur- hosted by the New York Road Runners. It Is (Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru June 11. It will also screen at Reading True to its name, Miku Expo also al understanding between the people of The event continued with the Japan Day Michi)” and “Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Manville 12 Plex (180 Main Street) in presents an exhibition of Miku fan art Japan and the United States; 3) to facili- Festival, featuring a wide range of Japanese Et Cetera.” For their finale, PUFFY Manville, New Jersey. Admission is by artists from Japan and local areas tate stronger grass-roots connections traditional and family-friendly activities, performed their debut single, “True 15 dollars. For information about plus workshops and other events held within the Japanese local community. free samplings of popular Japanese cuisine Asia (Asia no Junshin),” replacing screening locations and tickets, please to complement the concert. This event was operated by Japan and powerful stage performances through- The six-date American tour wraps the word “Asia” in the song with visit www.elevenarts.net/animedistri- at New York’s legendary Hammerstein Day Inc., whose honorary chairman is out the day. “New York” and receiving thunder- bution/haikara-san. Ballroom on July 14. After that comes Ambassador and Consul-General at the Since 2009, Japan Day, in partnership ous cheers from the audience. The comic ran on “Shojo Friend” Miku’s second appearance in Mexico Consulate General of Japan in New with the Central Park Conservancy, has Because it was also the 22nd (published by Kodansha) from 1975 City, then it’ s off to Europe in York Reiichiro Takahashi and whose collected donations to plant new cherry anniversary of PUFFY’s debut, after through 1977. It won the first December for Miku’s first-ever live president is President of Sumitomo trees in Central Park, supplementing and the concert, the duo received a Kodansha comic award in its girls’ concerts in Paris, Cologne and Corporation of America Shingo Ueno. replacing the trees from Japan’s original birthday cake onstage and, with the comic division. It was later broadcast London. The Paris date is set to coin- This is an annual event designed by gift over 100 years ago. audience, celebrated the occasion. in a TV animated series, screened in cide with the wider “Japonismes 2018” the Japanese community of New York This year, television presenter Junko (Yukishige Takasue/Photo by theaters and dramatized on TV. project celebrating Japanese and to promote a deeper understanding of Kubo contributed as a charity ambassador Shintaro Ueyama/Translated by (Kaoru Komi/Translated by Kunio French relations throughout the year. Japanese culture and to say, “Thank to collect over $8,000 in donations from For more info and tickets, visit Yudai Kaneda) Shimura) www.mikuexpo.com. you, New York!” It has received official (Justin has written about Japanese arts support by the Office of the Mayor, the THE JAPAN VOICE is the English Edition of SHUKAN NY SEIKATSU and entertainment since 2005. For New York City Department of Parks NEW YORK SEIKATSU PRESS, INC., 71 W 47 St, Suite 307, New York, NY 10036 USA more of his stories, visit and Recreation, the Central Park Editor in Chief: Ryoichi Miura, Associate Editor: Ashley Matarama, Editor: Kaoru Komi http://jetaany.org/magazine.) Conservancy, the New York Road Advertise Here! Contact 212-213-6069 [email protected]

Advertisement ●Focusing historical issue from the overseas point of view chapter 10 The [Comfort Women] - A Tool of Japan Bashing; There Seems to be no Irreversible Agreement

At the beginning of this year, President Moon In 1993, Cabinet Secretary Taro Kohno expressed When the Pacific War started on Japanese people had never complained – we just Jue-In declared that the agreement which was his apologies on the basis of re-examination on December 8, 1941, I was a teenage girl and lived worked so hard to reconstruct our country. Then, concluded on the issue of “Comfort Women” irre- this issue, and in 1995, on the basis of Mr. in Tokyo, Japan. From the beginning of the year only 20 years after the war, Japan was able to host versibly in December 2015 does not fully solve Kohno’s apologies, Prime Minister Murayama 1945, I experienced indiscriminate bombing by the Olympic Games in 1965! this controversial issue, although the Japanese established “The Asian Women Indemnity Fund” B-29 bombers almost every night until Japan government again paid 100 million dollars for the (Prime Minister Murayama was the first Prime declared surrender on August 15. By the air raid I would like to mention again that the hard redemption to former “Comfort Women.” In Minister who was elected from the Socialist by B29 bombers on March 10, 1945, more than life of “comfort women” was not caused by the studying through past negotiations on this issue, it Party.) Then, with the letter of apology from 100 thousand people were killed by the fire war, but caused by the Japanese/Korean feudalis- is obvious that the Korean government does not Prime Minister Murayama, the indemnity of 2 bombs. Those who jumped into the Sumida River tic societies where the status of women was not seem to have any intention to conclude this mat- million yen was paid from the donation of were killed by boiling water. It was estimated that equal as men, and women who were born into ter. When the Japanese government formerly Japanese people and an additional 1.2 million yen more than 300 fire bombs were dropped into the poor families were forced to sacrifice their own expressed apologies and paid the redemption to – 3 million yen were paid from “The Asian Sumida River. Some people said, “it was caused lives for their family. After the war, particularly “Comfort women,” the Korean government Women Indemnity Fund” for their medical by the natural consequence of your own govern- during last 20-30 years, many Koreans have claimed that the way of apology didn’t express expenses. However, in Korea, many organizations ment’s act.” Since Japan started the Pacific War immigrated to the U.S. Those children of new enough for its repentance. Then Japan again which support former “Comfort Women” rejected by attacking Pearl Harbor, all the Japanese immigrants were educated in the U.S and many of expressed its apology, but the Korean government the payment from “The Asian Women Indemnity accepted the consequence and endured all kinds them became college graduates. They are intelli- insisted that all the victims are not satisfied by the Fund” and tried to persuade the former “Comfort of unbearable difficulties for many years during gent and active in local politics. However, they do way of Japan’s apology. Furthermore, when Japan Women” not to receive any form of redemption and after the war. Many people still talk about not seem to know the history of the country they paid $10 billion as indemnity, the then Korean from the Japanese Government or from other Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first and second came from. Therefore, they invited former President criticized, saying, “Japan tries to settle Japanese organizations. As a result, among 240 cities where thousands people were killed by “Comfort Women” to speak at public and civic this matter by money, not by sincere repentance.” women who claimed to be “Comfort Women,” atomic bombs. However, the air raid by fire meetings, even at the Human Rights Committee only 60 women accepted the indemnity. “The bombs in Tokyo on March 10, 1945 was as brutal meetings of the Congress to tell their fabricated There are rumors that some organizations Asian Women Indemnity Fund” was established as Hiroshima and Nagasaki! Those who were story. which are closely connected to the North Korean for the purpose of paying redemption to Asian injured or killed did not receive any monetary Government urge former comfort women not to women. This foundation paid redemption to assistance from the government. Whenever I However, it is almost impossible to persuade receive any redemption from the Japanese gov- women in Indonesia, The Philippines, Korea, mentioned indiscriminate bombing by B-29 the Korean Government not to reiterate this con- ernment, because they may lose the best way to Indonesia and Taiwan and supplied medical needs bombers, and many large cities in Japan became troversial matter, because the issue of the comfort draw the money out from Japan. I hardly believe and other support they needed. This fund was burnt fields, many said, “the disaster was caused women is the most effective tool to insult Japan that the Korean government is sneaky to that closed in 2007 by the completion of its ultimate by Japan and it was the consequence of Japan’s and to keep receiving remuneration from Japan. extent. purpose. brutal acts. It was indeed true that the disastrous Yoko Wiles cause of the war was started by Japan. Therefore, Publisher of Potomac Newsletter