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Japan: Then and Now.
Aug. 6th, 2007 10:16 amOn this day, sixty-two years ago, U.S. forces dropped the "Little Boy" atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This bomb, and its counterpart "Fat Man" dropped days later on Nagasaki, did unimaginable damage to the Japanese citizens living near the blast radius.
Yes, Japanese forces were guilty of terrible crimes against other Asian nations during this period, and yes, there are still issues of reconciliation and apology that have never been adequately addressed. However, the atomic bombings were tragic and horrifying, and they must not be forgotten. And they must not ever be repeated.
Here's a link to the story that ran in Britain on August 6, 1945. Also check out the side-bar for a narrative written by a second-generation survivor of the bombings on her and her family's experiences in the aftermath:
BBC On This Day: 1945 - US Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
Additionally, this site has a number of eye-witness testimonials that describe the bombing:
Voice of Hibakusha
Cutting forward to the present, gender issues in the Japanese workplace continue to be dodgy. However, a new article discusses some of the slow-paced changes that have been implemented of late, and their cause. It seems that Japan's decreasing population is slowly, but surely, forcing companies to look to the female population for expansion of the workplace. It also appears that gender inequality may be one of the causes of Japan's dwindling population. Because women have to choose between child and career, and more and more women are choosing career, things are coming to a crisis point. And some believe that reversing the inequality can likewise reverse the population crisis.
Nevertheless, things remain starkly unfair. (Evidenced by Japan's 42nd-place standing in the world for gender equality in the workplace. The U.S. is supposedly 12th, to give you an idea of how bad things are in Japan. I mean, 12th ain't nothing to brag about here.) I have a lot of work to do.
Career Women in Japan Find a Blocked Path (NY Times)
Yes, Japanese forces were guilty of terrible crimes against other Asian nations during this period, and yes, there are still issues of reconciliation and apology that have never been adequately addressed. However, the atomic bombings were tragic and horrifying, and they must not be forgotten. And they must not ever be repeated.
Here's a link to the story that ran in Britain on August 6, 1945. Also check out the side-bar for a narrative written by a second-generation survivor of the bombings on her and her family's experiences in the aftermath:
BBC On This Day: 1945 - US Drops Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
Additionally, this site has a number of eye-witness testimonials that describe the bombing:
Voice of Hibakusha
Cutting forward to the present, gender issues in the Japanese workplace continue to be dodgy. However, a new article discusses some of the slow-paced changes that have been implemented of late, and their cause. It seems that Japan's decreasing population is slowly, but surely, forcing companies to look to the female population for expansion of the workplace. It also appears that gender inequality may be one of the causes of Japan's dwindling population. Because women have to choose between child and career, and more and more women are choosing career, things are coming to a crisis point. And some believe that reversing the inequality can likewise reverse the population crisis.
Nevertheless, things remain starkly unfair. (Evidenced by Japan's 42nd-place standing in the world for gender equality in the workplace. The U.S. is supposedly 12th, to give you an idea of how bad things are in Japan. I mean, 12th ain't nothing to brag about here.) I have a lot of work to do.
Career Women in Japan Find a Blocked Path (NY Times)
