By accident I came across this site which, among other things, looks back at German and Japanese colonial in Saipan.
Actually quite, quite interesting. Stuff like this:
“The people now remember the Japanese times as being prosperous. Nonetheless, at the end of World War II there was a lot of resentment, because there had been a real social structure. It was the Japanese, then the Okinawans, the Koreans, and the Chamorros and Carolinians. The locals had a collective name. They were tomin, islanders.’ It was kind of a derogatory term that the Japanese used.
“The islanders resented that. They resented that they were minorities in their own land. They resented that they could only rise so high within the South Seas government organization. They were pretty much there as laborers for the Japanese, and you had a few of the people from prominent families that were trained to act as intermediaries between the Japanese and masses.”
Read the rest on your own.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Weren’t the Japanese, as the top of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere, pretty much disliked everywhere? Maybe there were places that they were initially welcomed (some parts of India, I think, were in favor of Japanese takeover, although I don’t think that ever happened). As a colonial ‘master’, Japan was one of the worst.
@1 wrote: “As a colonial ‘master’, Japan was one of the worst.”
*Enter gerry bevers, shakuhoochi and other Imperial Japan apologists*
*Enter gerry bevers, shakuhachi and other Imperial Japan apologists*
What? They know the Japanese word for lebensraum?
Cact, you should learn to copy/paste text, it’ll make quoting people a lot easier. Anyway, I think it’s just the culture of Japanese business that left a bad impression, even if the locals weren’t treated bad. It hasn’t really changed much; Japanese execs giving orders, demanding specific results, then shutting themselves off from everyone except the between guys. Regardless of politeness, no one likes snobs.
#4,
That’s what I did – copied and pasted, with a spelling correction.
Can you tell me what you’re suggesting I do differently? Thanks.
#1 CactusMcHarris
Yes, Koreans are so fond of the Japanese. They were the “nice” oppressors. We were honored to be your pets.
Reminds me of a Brit in Japan who had a Malaysian wife. At dinner one time, a Japanese businessman implied life must have been much better for the Malays once the Japanese kicked their colonial overlords out. She replied, “It wasn’t better for my grandfather. You Japanese chopped his head off.” [crickets chirping]
#6,
I admit, it takes a smarter person than me to figure out what you’re saying relative to my comment. So, for at least my benefit, please explain yourself.
#7,
Best dinner non-sequitur I’ve ever heard.
Guess my understanding of English is rustier than I thought. I trying to say I was agreeing with you through sarcasm.
“Weren’t the Japanese, ~ , pretty much disliked everywhere?”
I was saying Korea too.
#9,
Agreement through sarcasm – now you’re talkin’ my kind of talk.
Thanks – we again demonstrate international understanding is possible over the Internetwwweb.
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