http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=12162

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwyB4p8f0Uo

Canadian confronts right wingers at Yasukuni

The incident apparently took place on August 15th, the day on which people come to the Yasukuni Shrine to pray for those who died in the Pacific War. The Canadian, who is identified in YouTube comments as Pierre Pariseau, informs Tamogami that the kind of speeches he was giving in Japan would get him arrested in Germany. His statements anger the crowd of right-wingers around Tamogami, and they start yelling at Pariseau.....................

Note: Hideki TOJO and other Class A War criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni

Interesting video. Wish I spoke enough Japanese to understand the conversations. I did notice that the police go out of their way to avoid unavoidable physical contact.

I watced this video, and was quite amazed at how the guy was pulling on his backpack.. I had my wife translate the portion that made them upset, and basically she told me, that he went up there to tell them, he felt they were talking about something wrong, and in Germany they would be arrested for talking about the same subject. It went back and forth with the bigger Japanese guy, saying, "Why would we be arrested, why woudl we be arrested." and the Canadian just was saying he didnt agree, he didnt agree. The Canadian wanted to talk to the main leader, and kept asking if he could, but the bigger Japanese guy said, "No you cannot talk with him, you can talk with me." detained him for a few hours for questioning at the Japanese police station, and then let him free.

Mike - Yes I agree the Japanese did good job not overeacting, with the Canadian pushing the hands of the police down, and saying don't touch me, don't touch me.. I didnt see him do anything wrong, besides open his mouth.

I think people need to realize once again, your in a foreign country! Stop thinking you do. This is a place, you need to follow the rules, and follow them clearly! You can go yell, scream, fight, and has anything changed?

The speaker at the shrine to whom the Canadian was addressing his comments is an ex-JMSDF General who was recently dismissed for making comments glorifying Japan's WW2 involvement. In Germany it is against the law to make such public comments glorifying the NAZI past. On this day the ex-general was again making similar comments. Yasukuni Jinja is a source of controversy because Japanese politicians occasionally pay visits there, notably Yokosuka's own Koizumi. The shrine/jinja is open to the public and the ex-general was clearly making inflammatory political remarks to the public gathered there. I salute the Canadian for challenging him in public. View the following link to see more pictures taken at the shrine showing jack-booted right wing thugs some of whom have swastika patches on their paramilitary uniforms.

http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2009/0...august-15/

Adam - Thanks for providing that translation and insight. I agree that the keyword when dealing with the Japanese Police, or any other kind of police for that matter, is COOPERATION. I was watching a Discovery Program show just the other day and it was a 2-hour special about the Kamakazi 神風 during WWII. Towards the end of the show they showed the three surviving Japanese Kamakazi pilots bowing in front of that shrine which they visit every year to honor their fallen comrades. In the early 70's I served onboard the USS INTREPID (CVS-11), now the "USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum" in New York City. The INTREPID survived a Kamakazi attack. In fact, the Ready Room our squadron used was assigned to was completely rebuilt due to the attack. Sorry guys if I got a little off-topic here. Bottom line - this shrine has deep meaning for the Japanese and we foreigners have to respect that since it's their country, not ours.

thank you very much Mike

the Canadian guy goes to Yasukuni shrine every year and disturb them .

I m consevative so I go to yasukuni shrine every year for worship.
Yasukuni or other shirines are holy place for japanese people . that is like a Arlington cemetery for us

I ve been to Arlington cemetery also, I like there very much and respect

Note: Hideki TOJO and other Class A War criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni

and no, I do not have to respect that. Do I need to explain who Hideki Tojo, General Yamas**ta
and General Homma were? I find it offensive to equate Arlington Cemetery with Yasukuni Jinja.
Please note that my criticisms are related only to Yasukuni Jinja and certain aspects of it.
We have no executed war criminals buried or memorialized in Arlington.

I was not going to talk about whether Hideki Tojo was war criminal or not.

you seem you don't know about what was The International Military Tribunal for the Far East

whatever those issues are very sensitive
I was going to have friendship with american people,
there are some negative people like you, that makes me annyoyed