From the Chosun Ilbo:
The Japanese imperial practice of driving a metal spike into the summit of every high mountain in Korea “to sever the spirit of the Korean race” has been revealed through recently discovered photographs. In this photo, taken in 1943 at the hight of the Pacific War, Japanese soldiers, led by a shaman, drive a metal spike into the Lake of Heaven (Cheon-ji), atop Mt. Paekdu, and conduct a religious ceremony in honor of Amaterasu Omikami, believed by the Japanese to be the ancestral deity of the nation’s emporer. The picture was included in a book, published by Korea’s Government-General in 1943, entitled “Reaching the Summit of Mt. Paekdu.”
I thought this was kind of an interesting picture, because I had heard a lot about this nasty little colonial practice from friends of mine, but had never seen actual footage of it. Well, now I have. I’ve also been told that removing all those metal stakes from the nation’s mountain tops was quite a pain in the ass.
33 Comments
That is interesting. Up until now, I kind of lumped that mountain spike story unto the same pile as the “Japan changed our name to KOREA from COREA” issue.
That said… I really wonder just how much of the ugly history between Japan and Korea is fact and fiction.
Anyhow- I wrote a bit about it on my blog.
I don’t think the American’s did anything to offend Mt. Fuji when they occupied Japan although McArthur did humiliate Hirohito by appearing in photos with him dressed extremely casually and smiling …
Well, IMO, Hirohito should been have tried as a war criminal and, if not that, at the very least stripped of his title and the imperial family thrown out into the street to make an honest living like everyone else … being offended because Hirohito had to take a picture that’s slightly “inappropriate” in the view of Japanese right-wingers is laughable (this isn’t directed at you John … I know you were just pointing out an example).
When I saw those pics yesterday, I though “maybe I should run with those……no, I’m sure someone else will do it.”
The competition level in Korea Bloogerland is truly high.
It looks Jichinsai.
The Japanese still do that when they build houses.
It’s kinda ceremony to get permission to build something from “local god”
Nothing to do with “to sever the spirit of the Korean race”
Jichinsai
http://www.water.sannet.ne.jp/.....000221.jpg
http://www.sugai.ws/home/5.jpg
Sugar Shin said “you have not the ability to comprehend the emotions/ wrath of other people with a different cultural background, history and socialization than yours”.
Then I will direct you to Jeff at Ruminations in Korea blog. He discribes the insensitivity towards the millions of jews who were torchered and executed by the Nazis’. Yet many bars in Korea think its funny, it’s a theme with little Korean Nazis’ walking around making a quick buck at someones expense. So here we go again, Shin don’t give people this “do as I say and not as I do attitude”.
Jeff makes this comment: “I have talked to a few of the people behind the Hitler Hoff, the Nazi cafe and other such establishments. They all initially insisted that they had done nothing wrong as it was only a marketing ploy. However, they unanimously bristled at my comment that I would go back to Pusan an open a restaurant with Rising Sun flags on the walls and call in the Comfort Girl Cafe.”
Good point Jeff. This is a must read, so check it out at Ruminations in Korea.
To anoni:
Well, anoni, but you haven?쨈t “built” Paekdusan (Baekdusan, Mt.Baekdu whatsoever).
And I?쨈m pretty sure, that the local Korean mountain god didn?쨈t gave you the permission for this ceremony.
I don?쨈t know, how you would feel, when we Koreans would have done in parallel the same offensive things on your lovely Fujisan (Fujiyama, Mt.Fuji whatsoever). Hey, nothing to do with “to sever the spirit of the Japanese race”.
When Americans drove the “Golden Spike”, it joined our nation together with railroads (i.e., communication, transportation, etc.)
What’s with all the evil animistic racist stuff? I mean it really seems like the “nose tomb” thing all over again…
C’mon, you can tell me… It’s those crazy DPRK historians again with the “love us or we’ll nuke you but hate the people who come as tourists and spend millions to eat kimchi in your restaurants” scam…
Stupid human tricks indeed…
They should’ve taken one of those metal spikes and shoved it up the ass of that war criminal Emperor, Hirohito, while he was still alive!
OK, and this is supposed to be upsetting HOW?
It’s a bit like nation-sponsored littering. I’m sure it’s offensive in some symbolic way, but… who cares? It’s like coming home to find that someone’s nailed a big, fat metal spike into your front yard.
It’s a big ferrous lump of litter. Would it be too much to ask to just yank it free, scrap it, and go on with life? If the symbolism is so important, they can just pull some ‘ritual of cleansing’ or whatnot to show that they have freed themselves from the ‘yoke of their oppressors.’
Actually, they could collect ‘em all, melt ‘em down, build a “rude hand gesture” scupture, and mount it on Tok-do facing East… sort of a joke to appease the wounded Korean mountain spirits and irritate their Japanese counterparts…
Or is that too boorish?
“Would it be too much to ask to just yank it free, scrap it, and go on with life?” Acorenalpha
I guess, you?쨈re an American. Why didn?쨈t you do the same thing with the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbour, instead of making a memorial out of it? The animistic ritual of the Japanese was superstitious symbolic crap, but the intention behind this ceremony (subjugating a foreign people)was, ahem,if I?쨈m allowed to say it, not very nice.
Paekdusan has a special spiritual and mythical meaning to many Koreans, just like the importance of the Fujisan for the Nipponese. If you, john, values the Korean reaction to this story as childish, than shows it to me, that you have not the ability to comprehend the emotions/ wrath of other people with a different cultural background, history and socialization than yours.
I have heard the “Korean” stories about Japan driving spikes into Korea’s mountains to destory the “gi” of Koreans, but judging from the picture, the ceremony looks too solemn to be a malicious act. Also, if the act is meant to destroy the “gi” of Koreans, would it not also destroy the “gi” of anyone occupying the land, including its new owners, the Japanese?
Over the past few years, I have seen how Koreans have tried to paint the US and the US military as criminals and child murderers by distorting incidents involving them, which makes me wonder if the Japanese were not also victims of such distortions? I would like to see a Japanese source explaining the purpose of the ceremony before making a judgment.
Discussion of symbolism tends to get surreal. But sugar shin has a point. Nailing a metal rod is not offensive in and of itself but it’s a pretty clear symbol of what colonial Japan did to Korea, which was certainly offensive.
I don’t think the American’s did anything to offend Mt. Fuji when they occupied Japan although McArthur did humiliate Hirohito by appearing in photos with him dressed extremely casually and smiling and I think Admrial Halsey rode around on Hirohito’s famous white horse.
“Would it be too much to ask to just yank it free, scrap it, and go on with life?”
Don’t know Koreans very well do you … it’s not a part of the culture to forget old wrongs and get on with life. Victimlogy is a big part of their national psyche. It’s definitely NOT a good thing but it’s understandable given their history and to be fair, Koreans are hardly the only ethnic groups to possess this characteristic (Serbs, Jews, African-Americans, ??? )
Hey, that’s not a metal spike.
Check this out.
http://www.rental-japan.com/sy.....agushi.htm
http://www.tobuhotel.co.jp/mar.....ushi05.jpg
I was wondering why the stuffs above “a metal spike”
is floating.
‘insensitivity to millions of jews.’ jj
you mean like the insensitivity going on here, jj?
‘do as i say not as i do.’ jj
no, let’s see the angry expat brigade do this first, ok, jj? practice what they whine.
‘insensitivity to millions of jews.’ jj
didn’t see bush say a word about koizumi’s visit to yasoodoomee shrine. didn’t see a single editorial. not even a whimper from the masses. HOW insensitive to millions of asians the world over. yes, yes, i know, you’re talking about a cafe. you’re mind is small. that’s why you can’t see the connection between the two.
‘before making a judgement.’ gerry
oh please! like you’ve not made a judgement already, gerry. you hate korea and you despise koreans. you think nobody can see that?
Shin Jon-il,
I certainly do not hate the 90% of Koreans who worked hard to make the “Miracle of the Han.”
I do hate people like you who are destroying Korea in the name of nationalsim.
“didn’t see bush say a word about koizumi’s visit to yasoodoomee shrine. ”
Uhh… Shin, why would he? Bunch of the Japanese buried at that shrine commited crimes against America as well. Why would he denounce something in the name of the pride of another nation, when it really doesn’t matter to even his own nation.
>>Yet many bars in Korea think its funny, it’s a theme with little Korean Nazis’ walking around making a quick buck at someones expense. So here we go again, Shin don’t give people this “do as I say and not as I do attitude”.
Not for nothing guys, but I put up two posts — one with pics of a very well-endowed young woman exposing her God-given gifts for all to see, and one of the Japanese driving a stake into the ground. Bobbies get 5 comments, and metal stake gets 20. Some might construe this an meaning that many of my commentors are either extreme nationalists, extreme Korea-haters, or gay
Marmot,
It does not look like a “stake” to me. If you look closely at the picture, the object seems to have a pedestal, which makes it look more like a stand than a stake.
As for the “bobbies,” what is there to say, except “nice”?
>>Shin Jon-il,
I certainly do not hate the 90% of Koreans who worked hard to make the “Miracle of the Han.”
I do hate people like you who are destroying Korea in the name of nationalsim.
From Jeff??р꽓s Nazi caf?? link:
A big confectioner (Crown), meanwhile, used Hitler’s image in a television advertising campaign. And the subways carry an ad, for a popular online community, that features a young man dressed in leather Nazi garb. The ad’s slogan: “We just want masters.” …
And what was Crown Confectionery thinking when it kicked off an ad campaign for chocolate covered cakes? Inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s Hitler in the 1940 movie The Great Dictator, the ad featured one of Korea’s top comics as the F?rer. After taking a bite, Hitler suddenly switches from German-sounding gibberish to fluent Korean and his mood mellows. The campaign was pulled after the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles protested to Korean diplomats in the U.S.
I find the Crown ad alot more disturbing than the cafe. The cafe is obviously owned by some individual idiots and some individual idiots are customers … but Crown is a pretty big Korean company. I think after Lotte they are the biggest producers of snack products in Korea (cookies, chips, crackers). For this ad to get on television, (1) a team of execs from a major Korean advertising firm had to come with the concept, (2) the executive powers that be at Crown had to approve it and (3) television stations in Korea had to approve the ad going on the air (I assume all the relevant executives at KBS, MBC and SBS). It appears that no one objected to the ad during (1), (2) and (3). Finally, it appears that Korean consumers who saw the ad didn’t have a problem with it either since it was protests from abroad that got the ad pulled.
Therefore, I think this ad (alot more than the caf?? thing) shows how insensitive Koreans are to the “kibun” of others. IMO, it’s not malicious. Koreans are just oblivious.
It would be understandable if Koreans were insensitive to the Nazi ad because they themselves were laid back and not easily offended. But, of course, Koreans are actually hyper-sensitive to anything that offends their very delicate sensibilities. This is hypocrisy in its purest form and it’s not a good thing.
Calm down, ari(w)rong, this tasteless, shameful exploitation of Nazi themes and the Holocaust for political or commercial reasons is happening worldwide. It?쨈s not a special Korean phenomenon. I?쨈m not willed to apologize your mentionend excesses on the Korean side.
Recently the (US-based) international animal rights activists PETA were comparing in its globally released ads, against what they call animal “torture” and “abuse”, pictures of naked malnourished KZ-prisoners behind barb wire with pictures of chickens in poultry farms. The text was: “Another Holocaust”. It was really disgusting to watch this kinda crap.
Many British companies also frequently broadcast TV-commercials for beer, sausages etc. with Nazi garbe and Hitler as well. I?쨈ve also seen several mindless Nazi-theme-commericals from Brazil, Australia, Poland etc., etc., etc. The only countries (to my knowledge), which constantly protest on a government level against such insults to the Nazi-victims are Israel and Germany. The whole world is filled with this bullshit and the Korean society is no exception among them.
I hope my statement was understandable enough, because English is not my mother tongue.
“Why didn?쨈t you do the same thing with the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbour, instead of making a memorial out of it?” –Sugar Shin
Well, specifically, because I wasn’t born at the time and wasn’t alive through the event, so I had no say in the particular case.
Personally, I would have scrapped the thing to rebuild a new, operational ship. But then again, they used it as a MUSEUM PIECE as well. THey converted it into a monument that preserved useful memories and recorded an important event. In that case, I agree with you… if you want to draw that comparison, maybe YOU should see to it that those spikes are preserved and a memorial built on each of them. That is the equivalent action. And it has been pointed out that previous Americans have done PLENTY of needless disrespect in response. But now we get into the discussion about the rightness and wrongness of war, etc.
In other comparisons, your approach doesn’t hold up. The Arizona was not a Japanese ship that was placed purposefully in the port. It was an American vessel that was a target of a legitimate military attack that was at once both brilliant (a pre-emptive strike against your foe’s chosen method of force-projection before they are aware that you are a foe) and foolish (they didn’t bother to hunt down the American aircraft carriers, which insured the eventual demise of the Japanese fleet).
“Don’t know Koreans very well do you … ”
–ari(w)rong
Not as well as natives, no. I am quite aware of their ‘victimization’ trends, and that is, honestly, what annoys me and is the whole core of my post. Quite willing to waste time, effort, and emotion on past events that, when seen from an objective viewpoint, are downright pointless. Even if the claims are true, I find it rather amazing that they would consider their ’spiritual world’ and belief so weak as to be broken and marred forever by what is, in essence, an oversized railroad spike.
Though, now it has been posted that it might not have been a spike… ok… well, that makes us all look downright silly, doesn’t it?
There is no symbolic act that can not be countered or reversed by another.
Marmot–Sorry, I’d looooove to view the other stuff, but since I post from a workplace, it’s not something I can do. =(
To Ancorenalpha:
My question in puncto USS Arizona was a rethorical one. I wanted to point out in a metaphorical way, that there?쨈s a need within every society for remembering the past, the good and the sad chapters of history. In my opinion it?쨈s simply phlegmatic to sigh and say, “who cares, it was long ago, let?쨈s forget it”.
Would you say those things to the Jewish, Cambodian, Bosnian etc. community?
“Hey, Bosnian Muslims, this huge Kroation cross on the mountaintop over Mostar, built after destroying the famous world heritage bridge, is only a superstitious symbol, only made of steel. Ok, they massacred many of your family members, but THIS THING IS ONLY A DAMNED CROSS. Forget it, it?쨈s only a piece of metal, life goes on and don?쨈t act like a whipped up victim, it?쨈s honestly annoying to me. I can?쨈t hear your yada-yada-whining anymore.”
I know you haven?쨈t meant it this way, but this stroy about the “symbolic Japanese spike” is not an exaggerated childplay to me.
No worries, the comparison wasn’t that good anyway. If you want to use it as a memorial, by all means, do as I suggested in my second post. But that’s a little bit of hindsight considering, QUOTE: “I’ve also been told that removing all those metal stakes from the nation’s mountain tops was quite a pain in the ass.”
So much for the “let’s remember the past” bit by keeping them there. Thus, the whole Arizona thing (which honestly confused me, I wasn’t angered by it at all) really didn’t compare. Which still confuses me why you brought it up… until your last comment, of course.
Your recent response continues into the overtly-emotional response category. I know you use it as an example and don’t feel that way, but your approach seems not to get the correct approach across. How many Koreans even KNEW of the spikes’ existance? How many could look up every day of their lives and SEE this ‘huge’ (which it’s not, but your example uses a physically large one) example of Japanese imperialism and impression? How many suffered because of it? I mean, hey, if the Japanese built huge shrines over them, something VERY obvious, with the express intent of crushing Korean morale, then… yeah, it’d be a pretty big deal. Hell, if they had stuck giant Rising Sun flags into the dirt to mark it as their pissing grounds, THAT would be offensive. I completely agree with you there.
However, it’s not an immediately obvious thing, it doesn’t seem like they really went through with the procedure in an intelligent fashion, and… well, it looks like they were just using Korean beliefs against themselves.
Read the last part of my first post. If this “symbolic japanese spike is not exagerrated chidlplay” to you, then remember the meaning and effect behind it and deal with it in an intelligent way. I rather like John’s suggestion… taking the ’symbol of the enemy’ and making it their own ’symbol of defiance’ (while I’d love to see something identical to his suggestion, I do believe that the nation would have to do something in better taste… still, one can always wish). I rather believe that he and I are both QUITE American in this regard… if your (even one-time) enemy does something to harm you, you do something even bigger as a sign of defiance. The WTC was destroyed by terrorists… the design for the building to replace it is even bigger and more ornate, serving both as a symbol of perseverance and defiance.
Of course, it’s a bit late to deal with it now, as the spikes were disposed of decades ago… but the lesson remains. Life does go on, we remember (and honor) the events of the past, but we don’t and should not go through a ‘victim routine’ decades after the fact. Your last comparison, though intended as an extreme example and expressed as being such (with no intent or effect of offending me) is actually more accurate than the sentences before it. It IS annoying, to me, the whole victimization concept. Korea has done SO MUCH in recent decades and could do so much more if that mentality is left behind. It is the sensible thing to do, and I think many individuals could agree. Unfortunately, groups of people (and thus cultures) are rarely sensible. It seems to me, from my limited view, that this social trait is both quite unreasonable and a hindrance
The original post was definately interesting information and a good news read, if any of my posts should seem to indicate otherwise.
I just want to let you guys know more about this metal strike. I learned these things (Actually saw documentary in Japanese class) about 5years ago when I was high school student. It’s not just symbolic problem to us. It can be belief for many people as like Christianity or Buddhism. This is called based on topography called “pong-soo-ji-ri.” ( Our capital city, Seoul, is located on the fortunate spot in that theory too. )
In documentary, When topographer start searching the good spot in that theory, every time they found that metal strike in many major mountain in our country or found tunnel which cut the range of Mt.s without reason which had made when Japan occupied Korea. Documentary showed still they are looking for that stick and tried to remove it. AT that time they had already found lots of other metal stick. Any many of them were hidden.
I don’t know if the above pic shows that one or not. But Many topographer had found that stick in all of areas where the place should have been preserved more than other place. Who would dare put metal strike in that place among Koreans?
I??р꽓ve Just searched internet, and it tells topographer had found 120 metal strike and they assumed there must be around 200 metal in Korea.
I don??р꽓t know it can affect our history or not.
But at least .. isn??р꽓t it funny Japan even wanted to vanish such kinds of things. If you start learning what they have done, you can notice they were so keen to vanish the country in culturally, in spiritually and in phisically , seenably unseenably.
I just want to let you guys know more about this metal spike. I learned these things (Actually saw documentary in Japanese class) about 5years ago when I was high school student. It’s not just symbolic problem to us. It can be belief for many people as like Christianity or Buddhism. This is called based on topography called “pong-soo-ji-ri.” ( Our capital city, Seoul, is located on the fortunate spot in that theory too. )
In documentary, When topographer start searching the good spot in that theory, every time they found that metal spike in many major mountain in our country or found tunnel which cut the range of Mt.s without reason which had made when Japan occupied Korea. Documentary showed still they are looking for that stick and tried to remove it. AT that time they had already found lots of other metal spike. Any many of them were hidden.
I don’t know if the above pic shows that one or not. But Many topographer had found that spike in all of areas where the place should have been preserved more than other place. Who would dare put metal spike in that place among Koreans?
I??р꽓ve Just searched internet, and it tells topographer had found total 120 metal spike and they assumed there must be around 200 metal in Korea.
I don??р꽓t know it can affect our history or not.
But at least .. isn??р꽓t it funny Japan even wanted to vanish such kinds of things. If you start learning what they have done, you can notice they were so keen to vanish the country in culturally, in spiritually and in phisically , seenably unseenably.
To clarify the scenery of the pic. I think it shows only the ritual AFTER putting the metal spike into the ground.
“The picture was included in a book, published by Korea’s Government-General in 1943, entitled “Reaching the Summit of Mt. Paekdu.”"
Does the book actually say “driving metal spikes”?
Actuall spikes.
http://news.empas.com/show.tsp.....&e=373
Mt Fuji.
http://www.d2.dion.ne.jp/~wami/haiking/010817e.JPG
Mt Jodo
http://www.europe-z.com/garden.....to/236.jpg
no wonder why the spikes have holes.
SS
” I think it shows only the ritual AFTER putting the metal spike into the ground.”
Now you change.