Ishihara 'bitterly disappointed' with Olympic bid failure, but won't step down

Saturday 03rd October, 01:07 PM JST

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kp123 at 03:53 AM JST - 4th October

I've been out of touch with Japanese politics lately and have just begun to learn about Shintaro Ishihara. On the surface, it would be pretty difficult for him to lead Tokyo toward getting the coveted and successful bid for the Olympics. As Chicago for different reasons, Tokyo was doomed from the start with him behind it. Unless, he's all tongue and cheek. Tokyo surely has its share of interesting mayors from Communists to Right Wingers to Comediennes.
isthistheend at 04:09 AM JST - 4th October

I remember during the World Cup a few years ago, I was walking down the local street in a small tokyo suburb (ranked 23rd of the 23-wards), and a stopped by a little shop (about 2 meters wide) where an elderly man was selling tea products. Not serving tea, just selling the wares to serve Japanese green tea. i walked in and he poured me a tiny sample in a thimble of a cup. After I drank it and hiccupped, he said to me, "Where are all the hooligans?" As if he were disappointed that with all the warnings in the media no one appeared to create a sensation. I hicupped again and said something like "not all foreigners are bad". As European 1 and others said we would have been inundated with such warning stories for a year leading up to 2016. Maybe something like Armegeddon III.....go figure.
LouReed at 05:31 AM JST - 4th October

Originally I wanted Tokyo to get the Olympics but after reading about Ishihara I am glad they did not get the games. This guy is Japan's version of Ahmadinejad.
mushroomcloud at 06:17 AM JST - 4th October

I agree with LouReed.

Now that Tokyo is the loser, will Ishihara go back to spewing his racist rhetoric as the sore loser that he is?

Ishihara will have quite a few sleepless nights while the rest of the world laughs.

Congrats, Rio. Well deserved win.
apecNetworks at 01:02 PM JST - 4th October

To Smithinjapan:

"apec: Hmmm.... why would the governor of Tokyo be voted in for hating foreigners?.... tough one."

Can't go too much into this, but when Gov. Ishihara and Sony CEO Morita co-wrote " A Japan That Can Say No", the reaction in the halls of power in the US was that of disdain. The book fundamentally affected US-Japan relations from that point, and when the voters in Tokyo elected Gov. Ishihara, there was no way he was going to be let alone. They considered him dangerous. That book was discussing vital things to the US, thus a sharp reaction.

Gov. Ishihara is a trusted, respected leader in Tokyo, but not necessarily elsewhere.
smithinjapan at 02:44 PM JST - 4th October

apec: "Can't go too much into this, but when Gov. Ishihara and Sony CEO Morita co-wrote " A Japan That Can Say No", the reaction in the halls of power in the US was that of disdain."

Of COURSE you can't go too much into it... who can defend the man beyond saying, as a last defense and solely as dredging the bottom of the pond, 'he is not necessarily respected elsewhere' (as in OUTSIDE his own people)?

"Gov. Ishihara is a trusted, respected leader in Tokyo, but not necessarily elsewhere."

Hell, even you fall on Ishihara's 'trusty' "who cares what 'others' think?" with this comment.

Again, he's respected by idiots and fools, as well as bigots, and no one in their right mind would back an Olympics proposed by a racist like this. But then, that's part of the 'bitterness' -- he feels fully justified in his hatred, and can chalk the loss up to the 'foreign devils' he so desperately sought approval from for the games.

Tokyo gets Olympics: Ishihara is great.

Tokyo does not get Olympics: Ishihara is great, but some foreigners don't see it that way. And if Japanese don't, "what nationality are (you) they?" -- in his own words.
smithinjapan at 02:45 PM JST - 4th October

apec: ""Can't go too much into this, but when Gov. Ishihara and Sony CEO Morita co-wrote " A Japan That Can Say No", the reaction in the halls of power in the US was that of disdain."

Damn... meant to add, but forgot, that I'm not American, nor is the rest of the world outside the US -- but the man is hated world-wide (for those who care enough), and it's not just US disdain.
smithinjapan at 03:34 PM JST - 4th October

apec: Hmmm... mods didn't like what I said in one of my posts, but again, if you don't believe that Ishihara is a racist and bigot, take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSWxdHDuDrc"
apecNetworks at 04:43 PM JST - 4th October

To Smithinjapan:

Here's a link to the book, "A Japan That Can Say No", by Ishihara/Morita. Look at what they wrote in 1989, then reflect on what is being said about Gov. Ishihara now. Interesting stuff happened just when Gov. Ishihara was elected Gov.. I don't have a like/dislike of him, but he has affected US/Japan relations, and reading the book again is like deja vu - you might agree. I found out the hard way that in US/Japan relations, there is more than what one can "see".
apecNetworks at 04:44 PM JST - 4th October

Correction:

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/japan_no.html
smithinjapan at 05:12 PM JST - 4th October

Apec: Dude, I respect Japan's automobile industry to the utmost, and loathe American-made vehicles, but how does that justify Ishihara calling foreigners "criminals"? The fact that you post links to a book that made that may or may not have given rise to anti-Japan sentiment in the American government doesn't change the things that have come out of the man's mouth, which are on camera, by the way.

How can you defend this man? Does his stance on Japan going it alone with automobiles and/or other industry excuse racism and bigotry? Are you saying that someone commenting on Ishihara's, "What nationality are you, anyway?" is bias because of something they may never have read? Bizarre logic, my friend.

I'll look into the link you posted, thank you, but I have a feeling that even after reading up on "A Japan That Can Say No" if I watch the video(s) of Ishihara's bigotry the comments coming out of his mouth will not have changed. Or is the Japan Historical Society (or whatever the one is that revises textbooks) able to manipulate videos on the net?
PepinGalarga at 06:09 PM JST - 4th October

I read Ishihara's book a while back. He pretty much said to screw with the US and re-establish Japan as a major power (military/otherwise). He was even talking about designing and building jet fighters.

i dont remember outright racist remarks in his book, but i did feel an aura of Japanese supremacy over anything not Japanese. Just makes you think what's under the surface.
smithinjapan at 06:39 PM JST - 4th October

gogogo: Dude, what are you talking about? This is about Ishihara.
roomtemperature at 09:34 AM JST - 5th October

Ishihara doesn't like foreigners? Maybe because he also reads JT.
Nessie at 10:37 AM JST - 5th October

The IOC That Can Say "No"