Latest news with #PacificWar
Japan Forward
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Shigeo Nagashima (1936-2025): There Can Never Be Another 'Mr Baseball'
Everyone loved Shigeo Nagashima. During the Showa years, kids gathering to play sandlot ball would vie for the honor of wearing the "Number 3" jersey just like him. Even many fathers who prided themselves on being "Giants haters," did not let that stop them from enjoying Shigeo Nagashima's play. It was a phenomenon you could experience in public squares and living rooms across Japan. Nagashima's way of playing baseball symbolized an era when Japan was recovering from the war and moving towards becoming an economic superpower. It was a buoyant era when people were confident of a bright future. 2025 marks an even century since the start of the Showa era and 80 years since the end of the Pacific War. Nagashima, who passed away on June 3 at the age of 89, was a giant of the game and an unrivaled superstar who seemed to embody the Showa and postwar eras. Shigeo Nagashima of the Giants hits a walk-off home run in the first professional baseball game to be watched by the Emperor. June 1959, against the Hanshin Tigers at Korakuen Stadium. Perhaps the best-known moment in his lengthy career was the walk-off home run he hit against his worthy rival Minoru Murayama in a game attended by the Emperor Showa in 1959. Professional baseball fans went wild over his competitive spirit as well as his spectacular swings and misses that would send his helmet flying. He always lived up to expectations in crucial situations like those. September 16, 1968 (Showa 43) - Giants player Shigeo Nagashima swings and misses, sending his helmet flying at Korakuen Stadium. Nagashima teamed up with his teammate and buddy Sadaharu Oh to blast "O-N (Oh-Nagashima) Cannon Shots." But he also thrilled the crowds with his deft defensive performance at third base, where he would routinely leap for a fiercely hit ball and then wave his right hand as if striking a pose after throwing the ball to first base for the out. Nagashima would wear a large helmet that could fly easily. And his movements after throwing the ball were straight out of kabuki theater. He was clearly out to entertain the fans. With O-N taking the lead, Japanese professional baseball grew in popularity to the point that it became the national pastime. And Nagashima came to be called "Mr Giants." With time, that became "Mister Pro Baseball," and eventually he was known affectionately to all Japanese simply as "Mister." His boundless cheerfulness and consistently positive attitude were the true source of his popularity. Giants' player Shigeo Nagashima watches the ball's trajectory. Nagashima was also loved for his many famous words of wisdom, such as "Failure is the mother of success." Asked how he deals with the psychological pressure before an important game, he replied, "I enjoy the pressure." When young, he made light of the famous line by author Kenji Miyazawa meant to embody the will to endure, "Unbowed by the rain, unbowed by the wind." He dismissed it as "boring." And instead his sayonara message for his junior high school graduation message board was: Rejoice in the rain, enjoy the wind. His thoroughly positive personality appears to have remained unchanged since his childhood. When the war ended in the summer of 1945, Nagashima was nine years old. Tokyo and other major Japanese cities had been turned into burned-out ruins. But the speed of recovery that followed astonished the world and speaks volumes about the industriousness of the Japanese people. In 1956, the government's White Paper on the Economy declared that "We are no longer in the postwar period." At that very time, Nagashima was a star player as third baseman at Rikkyo University, a member of the Big Six league of elite Tokyo universities. Two years later, he made his debut with the Yomiuri Giants. And in his very first year as a pro player, he won the Central League home run and RBI titles. Shigeo Nagashima at Korakuen Stadium [Photo taken on November 1, 1963] In 1960, the Hayato Ikeda Cabinet launched its "Income Doubling Plan." And 1965 marked the start of the "Izanagi Boom." It was also the year in which the Giants won the first of nine consecutive Japan Series titles. The color television joined automobiles and air conditioners to form the "new three sacred treasures." It was a staple in the living room of every household. And in the evenings, fathers would monopolize the choice of channels to catch live night games in which the Giants played. That was the scene in Japan during the Showa era, and Nagashima could always be found center stage. Shigeo Nagashima (center) on the day of his retirement, with Sadaharu Oh (left) (October 14, 1974). In 2021 Nagashima was awarded the Order of Culture. He was only the second athlete to receive this honor, following the swimmer Hironoshin Furuhashi, nicknamed the "Flying Fish of Fujiyama" [Mount Fuji] by the sports world. Furuhashi set 33 world records during his career in the immediate postwar years. Just as Furuhashi symbolized the postwar reconstruction era, Nagashima symbolized the high economic growth era. Led by Coach Shigeo Nagashima, the Giants won their first Japan Series title in six years. Players, including Hideki Matsui, circle the stadium with their manager at Tokyo Dome. October, 2000. In 2004, while getting ready for the Athens Olympics as the manager of the Japanese national baseball team, Nagashima suffered a cerebral infarction (stroke) and was hospitalized. He subsequently became disabled. Nevertheless, he continued to appear in public, displaying to all his efforts at rigorous rehabilitation. Nagashima forced himself to live in such a way that others would see him. His conduct serves as inspiration for others who have suffered the same disability to live courageously. That no doubt is why he acted as he did. In 2013, the Japanese government bestowed the National Honor Award (People's Honor Award) upon Nagashima and Hideki Matsui in a joint ceremony at Tokyo Dome. Nagashima had mentored Matsui and Matsui considered himself Nagashima's disciple. When asked upon his retirement what scene from his career came immediately to mind, Matsui answered, "Batting practice with Manager Nagashima." The two men, mentor and disciple, kept in close touch even after Matsui left to play ball in the United States. Back in Japan, Nagashima continued to listen to the whistling sound of Matsui's bat swing over his cellphone, which he placed on the floor of his home or hotel room. At the People's Honor Award ceremony, the pair rode side by side in an open car. And since Nagashima was waving his left hand while hiding his disabled right hand, Matsui also continued to wave only with his left hand. Later Matsui explained, "I wanted to draw attention to the manager's vigor." Obviously, another of Nagashima's great achievements was his nurturing of kind-hearted successors. Shigeo Nagashima encourages Ichiro (left) before a practice match between the Japanese WBC team and the Giants in February 2009 at Sun Marine Stadium in Miyazaki City. Across the wide Pacific, Shohei Otani paid tribute to Nagashima before the start of a Los Angles Dodgers game. Then in the game, he proceeded to hit a huge home run. Looks like we are rapidly gaining a symbol for the Reiwa era. This is how the tapestry of stars transcending eras is woven. Shigeo Nagashima, "Mr Pro Baseball" (1936-2025) OBITUARY | Baseball Great Shigeo Nagashima Dies at 89 (Read the editorial in Japanese .) Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
From Harajuku to Shibuya: Crowds and Youth Culture in the Yamanote's West
A Walk around the Yamanote Line Harajuku thrives as a vibrant Tokyo epicenter of youth culture, bursting with fashion, creativity, and rebellion. Just a short walk away, Shibuya undergoes a historic transformation—an unprecedented urban redevelopment reshaping the skyline and the future of one of the world's busiest, most trendsetting intersections. At the Center of Japan's Youth Fashion The last stretch of my walk around the Yamanote Line starts in Harajuku, arguably Tokyo's foremost youth playground. Little has changed since 1992, when I moved to Japan. The only glaring exception is the station building. Built in 1924, it was the city's oldest wooden station. It survived earthquakes, fires, and the Pacific War fire-bombings, but it proved powerless against redevelopment. Apparently, it did not meet fire-resistance standards. The stations on the Yamanote line stations loop. (© Pixta) The new building, completed in 2020, is all glass and straight lines. It is bigger, more spacious, and better equipped to handle the endless human traffic arriving at one of Tokyo's more popular tourist destinations. It is also a further contribution to the trivialization of Tokyo's look. Luckily, for once, cultural conservation and financial interests have reached a compromise: The old building will be reassembled as part of a new commercial facility scheduled to be completed in 2026. The new Harajuku Station is a far cry from the much-loved wooden building that preceded it. (© Gianni Simone) Thirty years ago, I spent most Sundays in the area's Hokōsha Tengoku, or Pedestrian Paradise. Part of Omotesandō Avenue was closed to car traffic, and indie rock bands, break-dancers, and street performers used the free space to jam, dance, and gather crowds. It was a kind of wild, spontaneous cultural festival, and a rare case of unfiltered creative expression in Tokyo. Needless to say, it was suspended in 1998. Today, weekend pedestrian-only zones—with a decidedly more consumerist tone—can be found in Ginza, Shinjuku, and Akihabara. The survivors of the Harajuku scene can be found at the entrance to Yoyogi Park, where leather-clad biker wannabes and their beehive-haired companions shake their behinds to the rhythms of original 1950s rock and roll—and their Japanese aural copies—while being stared at by a growing crowd of foreign tourists. One of them, a grizzled 60-something lothario, occasionally pauses to catch his breath, then starts again, probably dreaming of Route 66, American blue jeans, and holidays in Graceland, USA. To be sure, consumerism is alive and well in Harajuku, and there are plenty of chain stores. Yet, whereas youngsters in other countries follow the lead of large chains, many teenagers in Tokyo set their own fashion courses. Rather than being the followers, they create the trends, borrowing from and altering traditional and Western styles. The deeper one dives into the maze of narrow backstreets, the more one discovers self-contained enclaves, like the one just south of tacky, tourist-choked Takeshita Street. The elegant Brahms Path, complete with a bust of the German composer and a couple of stone lions, features a mix of restaurants and boutiques. Nearby, Mozart Street, adorned with a relief portrait of the young musical genius, boasts hair stylists galore (I count five or six in a 50-meter stretch). This alley stands out for its European-inspired architecture and a fountain at its center—hence its alternate name, Fountain Street. Not far from the madding Harajuku crowd, Fountain Street is a quiet alley with a European touch. (© Gianni Simone) In Japan, sacred and profane often go hand in hand. When Meiji Jingū, Tokyo's most important Shintō shrine, was built in 1920, Omotesandō became the main approach to the shrine. However, like similar pilgrimage routes around Japan, it attracted vendors of all kinds. Then, after the Pacific War, the area now known as Yoyogi Park became a US military housing complex called Washington Heights, leading to many Western-style facilities and stores lining the area. Today, Omotesandō competes with Ginza for the largest number of designer stores. Skyscrapers and Swarms of Humanity Heading south from Harajuku, I pass the Tange Kenzō–designed Yoyogi National Gymnasium, built for the 1964 Summer Olympics after Washington Heights was returned to Japanese control. In 1963, NHK moved its headquarters next to the gymnasium site in order to stay closer to the Olympic action. The move had a considerable influence on our next destination, Shibuya, as other related businesses—publishers, video companies, and more—followed. In 1968, Seibu opened a department store near Shibuya station, followed in 1973 by Shibuya Parco. The Yoyogi National Gymnasium is one of the most visually striking mementos of the 1964 Olympics. (© Gianni Simone) Located in Yoyogi Park, this building housed the Dutch athletes during the 1964 Olympics. (© Gianni Simone) With its bright and glamorous image, Shibuya Parco, in turn, had a big impact because it completely redefined what a shopping center could be. By mixing retail with art galleries, theaters, and event spaces, and embracing street fashion, it helped establish Shibuya as a leading youth culture center. When I finally arrive in Shibuya, the last stop on my circular pilgrimage, I can barely recognize the place. At first glance, the area around the station looks like a scene from the H. G. Wells classic The War of the Worlds, with red-and-white striped Martian machines patrolling a devastated landscape. Fortunately, they are just some of the cranes that perpetually dot Tokyo's skyline. The area around Shibuya Station has become a huge construction site. (© Gianni Simone) For the last few years, Shibuya has been a massive construction site. The building over the station, which housed a Tōkyū department store, is temporarily gone, while across what used to be the bus terminal now stands the new Tōkyū Plaza. The moyai statue—a stone face resembling the Moai figures on Easter Island that used to compete with Hachikō in popularity as a meeting point—now sits all alone, nearly forgotten amid the chaos. The moyai statue in Shibuya, once a popular meeting spot, now sits all alone. (© Gianni Simone) During my walks around the Yamanote Line, I witnessed the change taking place in Tokyo in many subtle and major ways, but nothing compares to what is happening here. Now the statue of the loyal dog is literally surrounded by new high-rises, the visually striking symbol of Shibuya's once-in-a-century urban redevelopment. Nonbei Yokochō is one of the few spots in Shibuya that has survived redevelopment. (© Gianni Simone) The recent changes have also helped redefine Shibuya's character. While young people are still shopping at Parco and Shibuya 109, many of the new establishments now cater to older demographics. Many of the shops in Hikarie and Scramble Square, for instance, are geared to a more mature clientele. Then there's the IT crowd, as digital companies are increasingly moving to the area. And let's not forget the locals. Shibuya's residents usually prefer to keep to the district's quieter corners, far from the madding crowd, but in the fall come out of their posh homes to take part in the local Konnō Hachiman Shrine Festival. To be sure, all those old mikoshi (portable shrines) parading in front of Shibuya 109 make for a rather surreal scene, but Tokyo is built on such contrasts. Mission accomplished, I take refuge in a second-floor café from where I can see the world-famous scramble crossing. The red and green lights alternate every 60 seconds. It's a seemingly short wait, fitting for a quick-paced city like Tokyo. However, in those short 60 seconds, up to 2,000 people gather around the crossing. Then the walk signals turn green again (or blue, as the Japanese say), and everybody steps forward, leaving the safety of the sidewalk and heading into the surging human waves coming from every direction. You steel yourself for the drama ahead. You can almost see people bouncing off each other. But nothing happens. No swearing, no broken bones. Miraculously, everyone silently glides through the human maelstrom, looking straight ahead past each other—through each other—toward their destination. It's a strange scene. Then again, Shibuya—indeed, Tokyo as a whole—is a place where different people coexist without ever merging. Rather than blending together, they seem to coexist side by side. This is Tokyo in a nutshell: millions of people sharing the huge city's cramped spaces every day, yet rarely interacting in a meaningful way. They don't talk to strangers unless they have to. They never hug. And yet, they come—from all over Japan and the world—drawn by the city's bright lights. (Originally written in English. Banner photo: Tourists on rental go-karts wait for the crowds to finish traversing Shibuya's scramble crossing. © Gianni Simone.)
Yomiuri Shimbun
27-05-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
342 Names Added to Cornerstone of Peace in Okinawa; 200 Yamato Crew Members Among New Names
The Yomiuri Shimbun A new plaque with names of war dead is installed at the Cornerstone of Peace in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday. ITOMAN, Okinawa — A new plaque with an additional 342 names of people who died in the Battle of Okinawa was installed at the Cornerstone of Peace' in the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday. The installation came ahead of Okinawa Memorial Day on June 23, a day to commemorate those who died in the battle, which occurred toward the end of the Pacific War. The total number of names inscribed on the monument now stands at 242,567, and surviving families have renewed their hopes for peace. Of the 342 newly added war dead, 326 were from outside Okinawa Prefecture, and over 200 crewed the battleship Yamato, which sank in April 1945 on its way to Okinawa on a special attack mission. Yasuo Minamino, 60, who works to locate war dead remains, had been working toward getting the additional Yamato crew members' names inscribed on the monument. When applying to have the name of someone from outside Okinawa Prefecture added to the monument, an application must be submitted through their home prefecture. Minamino, a residence of Naha, gave a list of war dead from Osaka Prefecture to Naoki Yoneda, 57, a real estate agent from the prefecture whom Minamino had gotten to know while locating remains, and asked him to submit applications for them. As a result, 281 names of people from Osaka Prefecture, including 239 Yamato crew members, were included on the new plaque. Over 3,000 Yamato crew members reportedly died, but about 1,800 have yet to be added to the monument, according to Minamino. 'I will continue my efforts to get as many names as possible added,' Minamino said.
Asahi Shimbun
26-05-2025
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
Landing practice of U.S. aircraft opened to public after 6 years
The U.S. military in Japan opened the training of its carrier-based aircraft to the public for the first time in six years on May 25 on Iwoto island in Tokyo's Ogasawara village. During the field carrier landing practice (FCLP), pilots perform repetitive landings on a land runway strip that simulates the deck of an aircraft carrier. The roars of stealth fighter jets such as the F-35 Lightning II echoed across the island. The moment the aircraft touched the runway—after descending at high speed—it increased power, took off and ascended again. A roar that pierced the air vibrated reporters' eardrums even through earplugs and resonated throughout their bodies. The moment it landed, smoke rose from the aircraft's tires and a burning odor filled the air. The media filmed the scene several dozen meters away from the runway. Multiple aircraft passed in front of reporters in succession at intervals of about a minute. A U.S. military official explained that the black stains on the reporters' arms and faces were 'spray' from the tires. The landing practice is conducted every May, before U.S. aircraft carriers deployed to U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture depart from the port. This year, the FCLP started May 19 and is scheduled to end on May 31. This was the first time the landing exercise has been open to the media in six years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the Japanese government decided to relocate the FCLP site to Mageshima, an uninhabited island near Tanegashima island in Kagoshima Prefecture, at the request of the United States. Construction of a Self-Defense Forces base, including a runway, is under way on Mageshima island. Iwoto island, also known as Iwojima, was the site of a fierce battle near the end of the Pacific War. The island is 1,400 kilometers from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the carrier-based aircraft unit is based. On Iwoto island, a joint Japan-U.S. memorial service was held in March to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and defense ministers from both nations attended the ceremony. In April, the emperor and empress also visited the island to mourn the war dead there. Currently, the remains of more than 10,000 people that cannot be accommodated remain buried under the runway and at other sites on the island.
Spectator
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Should starvation ever be used as a weapon of war?
Sorry to disappoint antisemites, but Operation Starvation is not an Israeli plan to murder millions of Palestinians; it was a US plan to starve Japan into submission at the end of the Pacific War. However, comparisons with Israel Defence Force's (IDF) current strategy for defeating Hamas, and the changing legal landscape of warfare since World War II, are enlightening. By April 1945, Japan had lost the war in the Pacific. At the naval Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese fleet lost so many aircraft that the engagement was named 'the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. Months later, the Japanese Navy suffered even greater defeat at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Thereafter the Japanese navy was nonfunctional – the war was lost. Only as a last-gasp effort, the behemoth battleship Yamoto, at 72,000 tons the largest ever built, was given a one-way suicide ticket to the Battle of Okinawa.
