The Germans are the same way about WWII/Nazis - not really something that one brings up in casual conversation.
Brett
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Iwo Jima WW2
- Thread starter DocT
- Start date
The Germans are the same way about WWII/Nazis - not really something that one brings up in casual conversation.
Brett
gaijin6423
Ask me about ninjas!
Definitely NOT something I would bring up, unless I knew the Japanese person very well. And in that case, they've probably already approached the topic first, usually by way of an Article 9 conversation. And then, it's usually only the JMSDF guys and gals who will discuss it rationally.
Unless you actually run into a salty, Kaiheitai warhorse in Eta Jima where JMSDF OCS is. In that case, he'll pummel you with war stories of 'the good old days of the Empire' and brag about how many American Marines he schwacked. If he's still around, that is.
Unless you actually run into a salty, Kaiheitai warhorse in Eta Jima where JMSDF OCS is. In that case, he'll pummel you with war stories of 'the good old days of the Empire' and brag about how many American Marines he schwacked. If he's still around, that is.
They are a funny and sometimes strange lot ... the Japanese. I've spent about a third of my adult life in and amongst the J's while flying around the Orient. I like and respect most of them; as with anything, there's always the exception ... I know I wouldn't want to fight them. They are a gracious host (usually) and a fierce opponent.
I was flying by IWO on February 19, 1995 on the way back from Saipan and Iwo was quite prominent just off the left wing in the setting sun. Picturesque; like you see in the pictures ...
I took the PA and made a 1-2 minute "announcement" regarding the historical significance of the day and giving "my" Cliff Notes version of the Battle while pointing out Suribachi and the landing beaches.
Just after I hung the mic back on the hook, the chime rang from the main deck --- the Japanese interpreter wanted me to repeat the "history lesson" so she could get it all down and then she would do it again for the 380 Japanese customers who had all gotten up and crowded the portside windows during my "PA" to get a better view of IWO as we sailed by @ 35,000 feet. They all wanted to hear it again.
Perhaps the Japs are "weak" on WW2 history ... but I suspect there's interest therein, there's a lot of ancestors' bones still on that rock ...
I was flying by IWO on February 19, 1995 on the way back from Saipan and Iwo was quite prominent just off the left wing in the setting sun. Picturesque; like you see in the pictures ...
I took the PA and made a 1-2 minute "announcement" regarding the historical significance of the day and giving "my" Cliff Notes version of the Battle while pointing out Suribachi and the landing beaches.
Just after I hung the mic back on the hook, the chime rang from the main deck --- the Japanese interpreter wanted me to repeat the "history lesson" so she could get it all down and then she would do it again for the 380 Japanese customers who had all gotten up and crowded the portside windows during my "PA" to get a better view of IWO as we sailed by @ 35,000 feet. They all wanted to hear it again.
Perhaps the Japs are "weak" on WW2 history ... but I suspect there's interest therein, there's a lot of ancestors' bones still on that rock ...
Hey Gaijin,
"Kaiheitai" towa US Marine Corps aruiwa Royal Marines dewa nai ka? Ore wa Nihon no Marine ga "rikusentai" datte to omotta. Do ka?
"Kaiheitai" towa US Marine Corps aruiwa Royal Marines dewa nai ka? Ore wa Nihon no Marine ga "rikusentai" datte to omotta. Do ka?
good point!
...or still buried inside the rock(s)
Skippy
Now with 27% less bullshit.
In my experience with the Japanese, that sounds 100% typical. The fact that it's coming from an American gives it more validity to them, too.
Something I thought of while going through these posts...how many Americans would be able to give a quickie history lesson on Antietam if they were passing through western Maryland? If anyone's seen Jaywalking on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, they'll know where I'm coming from.
The answer to the riddle is a bit more complicated.
The Japanese word for island is "Shima". If used as part of the proper name it is "usually" pronounced "Jima". In certain, estoteric circumstances, depending on context, it is prounced "To".
However, in Japanese, all three, To, Jima, Shima, are written with the exact same (Kangi) character and mean the exact same thing.
:sleep_125:sleep_125
Too bad English is "mo bettah" and we say Iwo Jima when we mean Iwo Jima, both written, spelled, and pronounced exactly the same.
Skippy
Now with 27% less bullshit.
Figure the guy with a Japanese degree can help clarify here. There are two types of readings for kanji: On-yomi (Chinese readings), and Kun-yomi (Japanese readings). The on-yomi come from how it was originally pronounced in Chinese, while the kun-yomi were invented as necessary for different characters.
It's pretty much a craps shoot for which to use, but people's names are almost 100% of the time kun-yomi, and a majority of the time, place names are on-yomi (Tokyo and Kyoto are on, but Osaka and Nagasaki are kun). The reading "Iou jima" uses kun-yomi for all three characters, which comes out meaning yellow sulfur island. I haven't been there...does anyone know if it smells like sulfur?
I'm baffled here, because the Iwo To pronunciation uses kun for "Iwo" and on for "To." I can see why the Japanese Navy would want to un-confuse the name--the original name is pretty weird.
Outstanding post. And yes, Iwo To is pretty weird.
My theory. The reason "they" want to change it is because the original inhabitants referred to it as Iwo To. I believe they were wrong, as those inhabitants were probably not the most literate of folks.
Of course as we know maps in Japanese Kangi will not have to change, at all, only those charts/maps annotated in English or Hiragana need be changed. Ergo, when even bother?
Since you're good with this ... a question:
I always thought Japanese to Engrish
"transliterations" had to end in a vowel ... i.e., Toky"O" ... Osak"A" .... Kansa"I" ... and so on. Everything I've ever read or seen from the Japanese in ended in a vowel in the English.So how does the navigation waypoint "GOBOH" (about halfway from Osaka to Kagoshima) sneak in there .... hmmmmmmmmm - "O" ???
Since you're good with this ... a question:
I always thought Japanese to Engrish
So how does the navigation waypoint "GOBOH" (about halfway from Osaka to Kagoshima) sneak in there .... hmmmmmmmmm - "O" ???
"OH" sounds like "O" and they needed five letters?
Brett
That's it!! It's gotta be it!!! And out of the mouth of "babes" .... such wisdom ...
But then ... what do you do about "MIHO" .... ????
The lesson: NEVER turn your back on a B/N ... or their modern day counterpart.