Japanese news and media sources tells only which politicians have worshiped in Yasukuni Shrine, the Nationalism goddesses Shrine, which is also concerned as a goddesses of successful delivery for a pregnant women.
But, the majority of Japanese people have not interested in Yasukuni Shrine, or WWII Memorial day except few.
There was a women Hiroko, who once was my colleague in a small trading company. Her father lost his right knee & foot during WWII in China, and Hiroko's father and herself were faithful followers of Yasukuni Shrine, hence they receive newsletters and donation transfer slip several times a year.
Hiroko visits Yasukuni Shrine once or twice when she visits Tokyo by her father's sake. She's busy on 15th August, hence she need to prepare and plan a visit to her husband's tomb for "Obon(Lantern Memorial Feast)". She said, "I've never visited Yasukuni Shrine on 15th August. My family ancestor is prior to me as a housewife, than a Shrine visit. I'm not a politician."
Some who are originated in local homeland, but work&live in a big cities, such as Tokyo, Osaka or Yokohama go back to their parents' homeland only while their parents alive. Many of them visit tombs at their homeland, and their children enjoys seaside, riverside, or mountains,
People originated in local homeland, but lost their direct contact with relatives concern they became "homeland less" until the generation who had born and grown in a city raise their cosmopolitan consciousness.
Those who are already cosmopolitans enjoy overseas' trip, sports, hobby or just take easy rest at home in steaming sweaty hot summer. Young Otaku are quite busy visiting COMIKE(Comic Market) or other Otaku spots.
In my city, the civic centre announced to pray for the memorial of WWII victims this year on 12 o'clock in the evening, but no car, bicycles and people stand still and close their eyes, as if they hadn't heard anything.
Many Japanese have some feeling on the biggest world war we've experience in our history, but not in a way our government, LDP, Nippon Kaigi or mass media would intend to aware of.
I still remember two old handicapped men in a nursery home once I'd worked for. One was a low level secret police in Amami-Oshima Island, undergone with the Catholic persecution on 1930th. Another one was once placed to a KAMIKAZE suicide bomb mission on 16th August, 1945.
A pro secret policemen became troublesome patient as his violence toward nursers and nurses became horrible. And KAMIKAZE survivor often fought by words and fists over their wheelchair position. They seemed that both had pain in them, as pro-offender, and a victim of poverty, brutal abuse, and their brain-washed self during their military or police services.
They both were thrown away when the WWII was over like a trash, restarted their life again in a city far away from their home.
A pro secret policemen was too embarrassed to keep living in his home island, for he once had taken a side of the nationalism oppression. He'd thrown away his home, and try to be a cosmopolitan near Tokyo.
KAMIKAZE survivor's homeland was Hiroshima, the first nuclear bomb was dropped. So, he had to move to somewhere else to hide his family history in Hiroshima. He had married to his wife before he join the military, and his wife gave a birth to a daughter right after the WWII. He was afraid if his daughter have some obstacle and discrimination for nuclear bomb survivor in Hiroshima when a baby become certain age to marry a man.
Those who had lived WWII had their life history to hide in their reason to survive the difficult decades after 15th August, 1945, the majority of nation had become some kind of complicity to the nationalists' theory in very ambiguous way.
But now, except some politicians, sect Shintoists, fantastic followers and the Yasukuni Shrine itself, ordinary Japanese are apathy to Yasukuni Shrine belief.
And this apathetic mentality for Yasukuni Shrine have become a match pump for Yasukuni Shrine to decline deeply to the Nippon Kaigi nationalist group.
Yasukuni Shrine's maintenance fees and costs have been paid by families, friends, supporters and relatives of "war goddesses(Gunshin)" of Yasukuni Shrine.
Those who died on the military or other duty acknowledged as obedient to the government order, were granted as war goddess of Yasukuni Shrine after their death in duty until 1945 like a decoration in other countries.
After WWII, Yasukuni Shrine lost its right to grant some spirit a war goddess. On 1970th, seven WWII A-class war criminal was granted as Yasukuni Shrine war goddesses. And the emperor Hirohito had stopped to visit and worship Yasukuni Shrine anymore, for he cannot worship or praise those who are truly responsible and guilty for WWII.
So, as the time goes by, the WWII survivors and their families get old, and die. And there will be less to send Yasukuni newsletters and donation slip, and less revenue Yasukuni Shrine receive.
Someday not too far from now, Yasukuni Shrine will have no one to ask for donation. So, some priests in Yasukuni Shrine imagine if Japan can start or join a war, and if they regain the right to grant a new war goddesses join to those old goddesses, their will be new addresses they can ask for the donation!
 |
| Karematsu-Shrine in Nagasaki, the Catholic Shrine built during Edo period |
At the end of Edo era, some scholars begun to theorize the Shintoism as a philosophy to make a common basis to form a counter power to Tokugawa Shogunate. Those samurai had deeply concerned on sophisticating Shintoism like a Buddhism interruption, but wasn't deeply concerned about practical faith and belief in people.
Samurai like Shoin Yoshida thought that if sophisticated samurai shows their ideology of modern Shintoism, ordinary people will set up their rituals, lyrics and stories as samurai's will.
At the end of Edo period, samurai had already lost their respect in their caste priority. Anyone could buy a clan or class by money. But samurai wasn't really aware if they're on the way to ruin or slowly rising of the people.
Truly said, samurai could make people suffered, but not changed.
The solid ranking system for all kinds of goddesses as we see now had begun only 150 years ago when Meiji government settled, limited, and became only authority to grant a spirit as official goddess in Shrine Shintoism and nationalistic Shintoism.
After WWII, we lost the authority to grant a spirit, a fairy or a dead men goddess or not. And the absence of the authority accelerated the delay the recovery of self-esteem in Japan. Without anyone to trust on, how you can build up your self-esteem in peace and love without having any model to observe and keep in touch?
In the other word, the active polytheism in Japan was already over 150 years ago, for the polytheism live in local legend started by peopled , accepted and believed by local followers and their belief forms some kind of ritual or festival in the way people really want to do so.
As in any religion in the world, religious belief is based on internal freedom as to worship in public. No one never want any governmental control on seeking "why I live? why I die?".
Now, it is almost impossible to make ordinary Japanese aware their apathy to any kind of belief or faith.
The long term absence on active religious life have already become a blank hall in each spirit in Japanese. Most Japanese might see only desperate, discrimination, emasculation, and lethargy in their internal spiritual hall. And so many people try to fill the hall with games, films, and just being "not noiseless" to avoid to face our historical facts.
The end of World War II was the beginning of endless absence of spiritual authority once Meiji government tried to brainwash with sticks and carrots.
In 21st century, we now started to walk a bit, stand by each one of our feet, and walk with it. It is probably way too far for the conservatives, but go forward to our tomorrow is the only way we have.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿