Why an iconic Japanese dictionary chooses to retain misogynistic words
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8, an official at the dictionary's publisher, Iwanami Shoten, defended the inclusion of such language.
"You could become complicit in discrimination if you do not know the background of discriminatory words and phrases," Ai Narabayashi, a member of the publisher's editorial department, said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
38 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
'Last generation' hibakusha testimonies surge at Hiroshima, Nagasaki memorial halls
There has been a noticeable increase in the number of personal accounts written by A-bomb survivors being donated to the government-run memorial halls in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in recent years. The number of submissions of memoirs to the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims from April through the end of July has surged to about 2.5 times that of the same period last year, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned. This surge is believed to be driven by a call from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which oversees the memorial halls, for testimonies during fiscal 2025, which marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Another reason appears to be a growing sense of urgency among A-bomb survivors, or hibakusha, whose average age now exceeds 86, to pass on their experiences. Thirty-six personal accounts were sent to the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims in fiscal 2021, 69 in fiscal 2022, 79 in fiscal 2023 and 81 in fiscal 2024. In Hiroshima, 51 memoirs were presented to the memorial hall in fiscal 2021, 69 in fiscal 2022, 91 in fiscal 2023 and 89 in fiscal 2024. As of the end of July this year, 60 testimonies had already been submitted in Hiroshima, compared to the 23 turned in during the same period in 2024. The aging of the hibakusha, along with growing global nuclear threats, is believed to be encouraging efforts to preserve the tragic experiences of the bombings. A representative at the Hiroshima hall explained, "Many letters that come with the written accounts say things like 'I wrote this because we are the last generation who can speak about the bombing.' They likely feel a strong desire to leave these for future generations." The memorial halls aim to collect and preserve materials related to the atomic bombings. The one in Hiroshima stores around 150,000 personal accounts, while the one in Nagasaki houses about 130,000. Visitors can read these testimonies using the search systems at the facilities, and some are also published on their official websites with permission from the authors. (Japanese original by Deockwoo An, Hiroshima Bureau and Kana Nemoto, Osaka City News Department)
The Mainichi
10 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Hiroshima marks 80 years since atomic bombing as aging survivors worry about growing nuke threat
HIROSHIMA (AP) -- Hiroshima on Wednesday marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city, with many aging survivors expressing frustration about the growing support of global leaders for nuclear weapons as a deterrence. With the number of survivors rapidly declining and their average age now exceeding 86, the anniversary is considered the last milestone event for many of them. "There will be nobody left to pass on this sad and painful experience in 10 years or 20 years," Minoru Suzuto, a 94-year-old survivor, said after he kneeled down to pray at the cenotaph. "That's why I want to share (my story) as much as I can." The bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroyed the city and killed 140,000 people. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and Japan's nearly half-century of aggression in Asia. Mayor says world should have learned from tragedy Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned against a growing acceptance of military buildups and of using nuclear weapons for national security during Russia's war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Mideast, with the United States and Russia possessing most of the world's nuclear warheads. "These developments flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history," he said. "They threaten to topple the peacebuilding frameworks so many have worked so hard to construct." He urged younger generations to recognize that such "misguided policies" could cause "utterly inhumane" consequences for their future. "We don't have much time left, while we face a greater nuclear threat than ever," said Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization of survivors that won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its pursuit of nuclear abolishment. "Our biggest challenge now is to change, even just a little, nuclear weapons states that give us the cold shoulder," the organization said in its statement. Prayers, tributes and hope About 55,000 people, including representatives from a record 120 countries and regions, including Russia and Belarus, attended the ceremony. A minute of silence was held while a peace bell rang out at 8:15 a.m., the time when a U.S. B-29 dropped the bomb on the city. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the city's mayor and other officials laid flowers at the cenotaph. Dozens of white doves, a symbol of peace, were released after the mayor's speech. Hours before the official ceremony, as the sun rose over Hiroshima, survivors and their families started paying tribute to the victims at the Peace Memorial Park, near the hypocenter of the nuclear blast 80 years ago. Kazuo Miyoshi, a 74-year-old retiree, came to honor his grandfather and two cousins who died in the bombing and prayed that the "mistake" will never be repeated. "We do not need nuclear weapons," Miyoshi said. "There is hope," U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement read by Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noting Nihon Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize and countries' re-commitment to a nuclear free world in "the Pact for the Future" adopted last year. Guterres stressed the importance to carry forward the survivors' testimony and message of peace and added: "Remembering the past is about protecting and building peace today and in the future." Near Hiroshima's iconic Atomic Bomb Dome under high security, more than 200 protesters gathered, holding posters and flags carrying messages such as "No Nuke, Stop War" and "Free Gaza! No more genocide" while chanting slogans. Local police said two people were arrested in separate cases, each on suspicion of assaulting a security guard. Survivors want nuclear abolishment, not deterrence Wednesday's anniversary comes at a time when possession of nuclear weapons for deterrence is increasingly supported by the international community, including Japan. Some survivors said they were disappointed by President Donald Trump's recent remark justifying Washington's attack on Iran in June by comparing it to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the mild response from the Japanese government. "It's ridiculous," said Kosei Mito, a 79-year-old former high school teacher who was exposed to radiation while he was still in his mother's womb. "I don't think we can get rid of nuclear weapons as long as it was justified by the assailant." In the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that he was praying that the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima "will serve as a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing peace for our own human family." Japan seeks US nuclear protection Japan's government has rejected the survivors' request to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons or attend its meetings as observers because it is under the protection of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Matsui, the city's mayor, in his speech Wednesday, urged Japan's government to sign and ratify the nuclear weapons ban treaty, a request also made by several groups of survivors in their meeting with Ishiba after the ceremony. Ishiba, in a speech, reiterated his government's pledge to work toward a world without nuclear weapons, but did not mention the treaty and again indicated his government's support for nuclear weapons possession for deterrence. At a news conference later Wednesday, Ishiba justified Japan's reliance on U.S. nuclear deterrence, saying Japan, which follows a non-nuclear principle, is surrounded by neighbors that possess nuclear weapons. The stance, he said, does not contradict Japan's pursuit of a nuclear-free world. Past prime ministers have stressed Japan's status as the world's only country to have suffered nuclear attacks and have said Japan is determined to pursue peace, but survivors say it's a hollow promise. The Japanese government has only paid compensation to war veterans and their families, even though survivors have sought redress for civilian victims. They have also sought acknowledgment by the U.S. government of its responsibility for the civilian deaths.
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Hiroshima author honors grandfather through illustrated war tale
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The painful war experiences relayed by his grandfather left an indelible mark on a young Shinsaku Nagata. It inspired the now 35-year-old emerging illustrative author to publish "Akaihi" (Red Day), his first work focused on war, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is one of more than 30 titles he has created since his 2016 debut. "The most important thing was to share with my readers the shock I felt when I heard my grandfather's story as a vulnerable child," Nagata said, referring to the U.S. air raids on his hometown of Kure -- a former naval port in Hiroshima Prefecture -- and the atomic bombing of the prefectural capital Hiroshima. The 96-page work of fiction is based on his grandfather's stories and intended for readers of all ages. The work is two to three times longer than a typical book of this type. The story largely comes from what Nagata's grandfather told him when he was 9 or 10 years old, while working on a "peace education" school assignment. His grandfather died a few years later. Nagata vividly remembers the account of his grandfather surviving the Kure attacks, only to nearly die of hunger and fatigue on the way to home to Shimane. His grandfather underscored his story with hand gestures to better communicate the harrowing experience. Kure is now a popular tourist destination known for its scenic views of the Seto Inland Sea. During the war, however, it served as a key base for the Imperial Japanese Navy, making it a target of U.S. attacks starting in March 1945. According to the city government, a barrage of heavy bombings of the town center between July 1 and 2 of that year killed 1,869 civilians. The main character in Red Day, Ryuichi, is modeled on Nagata's grandfather. Ryuichi worked as a schoolteacher in rural Shimane Prefecture before being assigned to a military factory in Kure. Ryuichi lost a friend he had grown close to in Kure -- someone who had tried to help him during the massive July air raid. The book also portrays the world's first wartime use of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Despite being impacted themselves, Ryuichi and other young survivors of the Kure attacks were sent to Hiroshima, more than 20 kilometers away, to assist rescue efforts in the days following the nuclear attack. Nagata said his grandfather never shared what he witnessed in the devastated city after the bombing. Though his grandfather was never officially recognized as an atomic bomb victim, Nagata considers himself a third-generation survivor, called hibakusha in Japanese. "I belong to a generation that still had the chance to hear firsthand accounts from grandparents and others," he said. "After crafting this book, I realized I'm in a meaningful position to pass down war memories." Nagata hopes that readers not particularly interested in war themes will pick up the book, which he illustrated in just over two weeks. The book, published by Choubunsha Publishing Co., known for "Hadashi no Gen" (Barefoot Gen), an iconic Japanese comic depicting the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, was released this month. (By Satoshi Iizuka)
