Relatives of Aso mine's British laborers demand apology and compensation

Thursday 21st May, 05:29 AM JST

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Brunobear at 04:49 PM JST - 21st May

Arashikage" "Britain did bad things too". Like what? We hear daily about what happened to the Jews in Europe in the same by Japan's Axis ally, Germany and ongoing claims for reparations and restitution continue. Germany made is a criminal offence to deny the German "Holocaust". When men who actually stood up to and bravely fought the Nazi's and the Japanese at the time and were at least equally brutally treated have their slave labour told, we get comments saying get over it. Tell that to the international Jewish diaspora about the Holocaust then. Mr Aso if has an essence of humanity might just expresse his sorrow at his families behavior and gratuitously make some form of gesture. Whe the 1954 agreement was made, Japan was a defeated nation trying to get back on its feet with the assistance of Britain, the US and Australia. It soon became the second wealthiest and most powerful economy on earth and still is the second largest economy. But, hey, I wasn't there. But thanks for the family's wealth help to become PM. Character is something you have or you don't. These brave soldiers did.
NeilWarnock at 10:58 PM JST - 21st May

ASo should be stripped of his assets and resign. The bloke is a proven liar, who made subordinates lie about his families past.

He wouldn't have the dignity to ompensate because his twisted extremist views make him feel Japan had no choice but do these barbaric things. The Japanophiles on here would feel different if it were their grandad who suffered in the Aso mine.
OssanAmerica at 12:13 AM JST - 22nd May

good call GW, i agree that Aso is in the perfect position to set thing >right. it would be a very good for the nation as well.

I totally disagree. There is nothing that Aso could say or do in a realistic sense that will change anything with regards to Japan and WWII.
OssanAmerica at 04:02 AM JST - 22nd May

The Japanophiles on here would feel different if it were their grandad >who suffered in the Aso mine.

I disagree. My late uncle served in the USMC on Guadalcanal and I can assure you that he would too. People come out of such experiences with various degrees of feelings and each has to find peace with it in their own way. Now where's than can of troll-be-gone.
Shumatsu_Samurai at 05:34 AM JST - 22nd May

The Japanophiles on here would feel different if it were their grandad who suffered in the Aso mine.

I knew plenty of people who fought and suffered at the hands of the Japanese. None were happy about it and some were still angry. But none were demanding of Japan today. They felt that their grievances lay with the past and neither the country nor government of today should be forced to pay for the actions of others.

The anti-Japanese posters here don't get this. They're so obsessed with revenge that they cannot believe anyone wouldn't want it.
Brunobear at 08:46 PM JST - 22nd May

Shumatsu Samurai: Anti-Japanese posters.. obsessed with revenge.." That is a bit rich. If the West and China wanted to seek revenge on Japan they would have done so in 1945. They didn't. They generously assisted Japan to recover and provided Japan with an awesome defence shield ever since.

I also knew many who were brutally treated by their Japanese and Korean captors and they remained extremely bitter until they died. It was not in the Australian character to seek reparations once the fight was over. Australian POW's were treated well by our Government on return to Australia.

Several old Aussies ex POW's made an-off-the-cuff larrikin comment about it on 24 April 2009, the day before ANZAC (memorial)day. It got press. Now someone has picked it up in Britain and it's got more legs. I haven't heard of anyone in Australia since WW11 talking of revenge or reparations. I also don't ever witness any anti-Japanese feeling. Moreover, it is only on the esteemed JP site, there is no mention of it in Australian papers that I have seen.

The point being made is Mr Aso is now PM. He is in a position of great respect and leadership. The subjects of the story were enslaved at his family's business for several months and are probably all dead or living very frugally on Government support. They are not making demands for anything. Their children might be a bit emo about the whole thing. No one wants to know their father was treated so inhumanely. The same is going to apply to their children and their children's, children. It is a stain that won't wash away. What may bother them is that Japan has not told its people the real story. That is wrong. But the Western press is not making an issue of it. You do see widespread hostility in China to the fact that Japanese schools don;t teach it.

Everyone accepts that the 80% or more of Japanese were born after the war and have nothing to do with it and would find it all repugnant. Mr Aso is different, because the family business wealth possibly helped him to be PM. Mr Aso would know the facts and it is up to him.
DickMorris at 09:05 PM JST - 22nd May

Nigelboy, ooops sorry i mean OssanAmerica, you always have a smart ass answer to folk on here, but you reside in the USA.

I would demand an apology and compensation if my relative was treated like an animal as the allies were for the profit of the Aso family.

The guy should step down, and admit his families hideous past, only then can he be at peace with himself.
grafton at 07:06 AM JST - 23rd May

DickMorris at 09:05 PM JST - 22nd May

“The guy should step down, and admit his families hideous past, only then can he be at peace with himself.”

I never realised poor Aso wasn’t at “peace with himself”. I find that very sad given that he was only a little boy when all this was happening & yet still today he hasn’t been able to come to terms with his terrible past.

There seems to be a strange need in some people to get in on the act perhaps because they have such empty lives. In this case their fathers were in WW2 & ill-treated in Japan while they have done nothing & experienced nothing. Not only might they get their names in the papers but they might also be in line for some compensation. A little bit of fame by proxy & maybe some cash too, if it doesn’t pan out that way so what, no loss in trying is there? These people are not emotional about the way their poor (mostly dead) fathers were treated, they live in celebrity Britain where simply getting on TV for five minutes is all that matters, even if it is just to make a fool of themselves. We hear so much here about Japanese school text books having so little to say about what happened during WW2, well I went to a British school & we were taught NOTHING about Japan & next to nothing about WW2. All the British know about the war in the Pacific they “learned” from Holly Wood & the odd TV drama like Tenko(?) a women’s prison camp. Do you want to know about the Roman Empire? Then ask a Brit brought up in the 50s & 60s, we know all about Romans, but precious little else.

When somebody tries to poke me in the emotions with (an old) a sharp stick I first question why.
Shumatsu_Samurai at 09:53 AM JST - 23rd May

Brunobear

Anti-Japanese posters.. obsessed with revenge.." That is a bit rich. If the West and China wanted to seek revenge on Japan they would have done so in 1945. They didn't. They generously assisted Japan to recover and provided Japan with an awesome defence shield ever since.

Your statement has no logic. Assuming you are correct that in 1945 the Allies did not want revenge on Japan, why on earth would that mean no one today wants revenge? Even today rabid Chinese nationalists still call for Japan to suffer because of the war - they say they'd like another war to settle their own scores.
Brunobear at 01:14 PM JST - 23rd May

Shumatsu Samurai: I thought my statement was entirely logical. A vicious war initiated by Germany and Japan who brutalize those they deem their enemy. The essentially protestant christian west fights back aided by China and the Soviets. When the protestant Christians win the war, hostilities end. HOSTILITIES END! They forgive their former foes and assist the to re-establish their economies and get back on their feet. They provide a strong defence shield for both at the "free" Wests cost. There has been no sign of hostility to Japan in the West since 1945 and none now. Someone may have taken a leaf out of the Jewish diasopra's book and said hey, what about a bit of compo for us too. We suffered!. That is as far as it goes. There is NO cries from children of allied soldiers that suffered from their children to my knowledge. However, as time goes on and they look back and see what happened to their fathers/grandfathers....., they will get emotional.
MildredRoper at 01:27 PM JST - 23rd May

grafton; A true Brit forgives but never forgets. I lived through that war and those of my age know all about the atrocities of the Japanese and Germans, and these days the majority of kids do also.

That Aso should resign, he covered up his families slave labour past, unless of course having no morals is on in Japan.
hoserfella at 10:28 PM JST - 23rd May

Arashikage- typical Japanese reaction to negative news. Deny everything, throw out completely bogus statement (The only bad thing Britain did during the war from the Japanese perspective is win the war) and say "Let's focus on the future".

Germany did the opposite and has found its natural place at the International table. Japan never has, and still stews at the kiddie table.
BillOreilly at 01:32 AM JST - 24th May

Hey calm down guys. I'm looking at thsi in a fair and balanced way with no spin ok!

PM Aso has benefited politically and finacially due to his families use of slave labor. The guy tried to cover this fact up, but now it has been proven beyond doubt, he conceeds that it is true.

The guy should stand down, he cannot be trusted as an ally and he is a disgrace to all Japanese. To me, it beggars belief that the media are not calling for a snap election and the people are not demonstrating against this jerk.

Giving it to you straight! And that's a wrap.
grafton at 07:53 PM JST - 24th May

As for the British people having any idea who Aso is, no chance, most would find it hard enough to name their own MP. Just because some semi literate money grubbers have seen a chance of faking emotions for their dead fathers as a way of trying to get their hands on some compensation doesn’t mean we have to lay the sins of the father at the feet of the son. If that were the case then Africa & India would bankrupt the UK with tens of thousands of claims. People need to be careful what they ask for, it might become standard practice for all. What exactly a “true Brit” is I’m not exactly sure, but “forgiveness” is not something I have seen much of in the UK.
Sarge at 08:32 PM JST - 24th May

Question: Is Taro Aso responsible for what his father did?

Answer: No.