tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38578087.post4350276585782600515..comments2023-07-02T05:23:38.595-05:00Comments on Korean Historical Controversies: Rikidozan (力道山) in Immediate Postwar JapanKirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842044872387705911noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38578087.post-29029462502955143312007-03-21T15:16:00.000-05:002007-03-21T15:16:00.000-05:00To me it is not that obvious that Koreans are more...To me it is not that obvious that Koreans are more anti-Westerners than anti-Japanese, both during the 50s and lately. I heard loud cheers whenever Togo almost goaled againt Japan in FIFA world cup last summer in my apartment in Seoul, and I am sure the Koreans would have been as happy if it had been a Western team instead of Togo. The movie was filmed recently, and I don't think the public sentiment between Korea and Japan was not very friendly when it started showing. There is no obvious reason that the collective sentiment against Japan would be better than that towards Westerners. (and there is not much anti-Americanism or anti-Western sentiments in Japan in the 50s, I don't think. That's why it feels like Rikidozan's almost pan-Asianist ideology was out of the blue to me.)Sayakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12130415193541700781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38578087.post-86693845583691040342007-03-17T10:40:00.000-05:002007-03-17T10:40:00.000-05:00I think it's pretty obvious that this kind of sent...I think it's pretty obvious that this kind of sentiment is still prevelant in Asia. The example that comes to mind is the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics with the fiasco over the short track speed skating (I think that's what it's called) with the Korean player and Apollo. Koreans were outraged over the ruling and wrote so many emails to the Olympic Committee that their server crashed (I can imagine the poor guys had a quite time trying to delete those thousands of emails ^^). They also had a temporary, but successful boycott on American goods/stores for about a week that caused American fast food chains to suffer big losses. This event was resurrected again at the 2002 World Cup when Ahn Jong Ahn scored a goal against the U.S. team, he mimicked the motions of a speed skater. So winning against Westerners is definitely viewed as a big accomplishment.<BR/><BR/>I think this is a view that is also held in common by other Asians as well, just because of past history and perceptions of Western superiority. But who knows, with the rise of China and that of Asia in general, in the future this attitude could possibly change to one of condenscension towards Westerners.Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15871121235307386350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38578087.post-72822769954787402222007-03-17T09:51:00.000-05:002007-03-17T09:51:00.000-05:00I guess even Japanese and Koreans can agree that i...I guess even Japanese and Koreans can agree that it's good to show Westerners who's boss? <BR/><BR/>In all seriousness, it makes sense that despite their own differences and disagreements, they can both still agree on the difference between being Asian and being Western. For both Korea and Japan, the invasion of the West had a great impact in terms of identity, culture and self-perception. So for an Asian man, never mind Korean or Japanese, to defeat Westerners at their own game is a triumph they can all live with.<BR/><BR/>How much do you think this kind of sentiment still exists today? I know anti-American sentiment exists in Korea, but is it something that Asians in general can agree on?Erin Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11632414877246266466noreply@blogger.com