IP: Japan Today: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and Sept 11

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 05:50:53 +0900 JST
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Japan Today: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and Sept 11

David Farber,

David Farber (dave () farber net) thought you would be interested in this
article at http://www.japantoday.com/
__________

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" and Sept 11

Yone Sugita

The attack on Pearl Harbor was the first foreign attack on American soil
since the Second Anglo-American War in 1812. The shock to Americans was
immense. It is no wonder that the events of Sept 11 are described as a
contemporary version of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan released a timely DVD version
of "Tora! Tora! Tora!" in Japan last year. This film was originally produced
in 1970, but in the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks, we can see the movie
from different perspectives.

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" shows the attack on Pearl Harbor objectively, telling
both sides' stories simultaneously without any prejudice or jingoism in an
American-Japanese co-production that was quite unusual in 1970. For example,
this film portrayed the Japanese not only as human beings but also as smart,
disciplined military professionals. The first half of the film shows
diplomatic, military and intelligence events and developments on both sides
that culminated in Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, while the second half of
the film is a vivid re-creation of the attack itself.

This classic film reminds me of the differences in national character
between Japanese and Americans. Both General Hideki Tojo, who was the
minister of war, and Japanese rank-and-file soldiers were quite enthusiastic
about fighting the United States.

But other commanders, especially Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the
combined Japanese fleet, were quite reluctant to go to war. Yamamoto knew
quite well that against the might of America, the best Japan could do was to
buy itself a little time. In other words, Yamamoto foresaw the fallacy and
long-term consequences of resorting to military power.

This film correctly demonstrates that even in the militaristic Japan of the
1930s and the 1940s, conflict existed between Japanese "hawks," who wanted
to go to war, and "doves," who still sought a peaceful resolution. Some of
the high-ranking military commanders as well as many civilian leaders were
willing to consider peaceful alternatives.

In contrast to diverse opinions of resorting to military means in
militaristic Japan, the overwhelming majority of Americans openly supported
the military solution to the Sept 11 attacks. Few Americans questioned the
wisdom of President George Bush's decision to bomb Afghanistan or considered
the negative impacts of this decision on other parts of the world, such as
heavy casualties among Afghan civilians and a large number of refugees
fleeing to neighboring countries.

Japan is believed to be a homogenous country while the United States is a
country of diversity. Nevertheless, people were discouraged from openly
expressing anti-war opinions and Arab-Americans became targets of assaults
in the United States.

Admiral Yamamoto is quoted as saying: "We have aroused a sleeping giant, and
filled him with a terrible resolve." Americans regarded the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor as a sneak attack that was ethically the lowest of deeds.

This unforgivable event fed the vehemence of the American people's "terrible
resolve." The Japanese, a race Americans regarded with fear, contempt, and
suspicion, had accomplished this surprise attack, which further fueled
American fury and determination to fight back until the very end.

The United States won the cold war and has remained the only superpower in
the world. This mighty country, however, was attacked by a group of
terrorists, which damaged Americans' amour-propre and stiffened their
resolve to deal not only with terrorists but also with anyone that
criticizes the United States.

Just as President Franklin D Roosevelt made the best use of Japan's Pearl
Harbor attack to redirect anti-war public opinion to support the U.S. entry
into war, President Bush, whose approval rating was low before Sept 11, used
them and manipulated American public opinion to support his militaristic
approach.

The Japanese seemed to have diverse opinions when they faced a severe crisis
while Americans demonstrated unanimity in responding to crisis. In both
democratic countries, accepting diverse opinions and being careful not to be
manipulated by the government continue to be important issues

March 29, 2002

Click the link below to view this article and related discussions on Japan
Today
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=comment&id=170
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