Norimitsu Onishi, a liar
The most influential source of lies is Norimitsu Onishi, the Tokyo bureau chief of NY Times. He was born in 1969 in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and moved to Canada when he was four. He graduated from Princeton University and joined the Times and covered Africa, Afganistan, and other foreign countries before he came to Japan in 2003.
His articles about comfort women are much distorted and biased. For example, in the article featured on the front page on March 8, he quoted the testimony of Wu Hsiu-mei and Jan Ruff O'Herne. However, Wu said that she was taken by a "Japanese officer" and talked nothing about the Army's coercion. O'Herne, a notorious seller of her tragedy, said nothing about the Army's order, too. Prostitutes can't be the witness of Army's order. Her case was judged by Dutch court which decided that Japanese Army had forbidden violent treatment of comfort women.
Onishi also visited a historian Yoshiaki Yoshimi, who is attacking Japanese government based on phony evidences. The document he alleges to be the proof is nothing but the warning from the Army to brokers not to kidnap women into brothels. Onishi doesn't even pretend to be impartial by interviewing more neutral historians such as Ikuhiko Hata. Onishi might be afraid of the "inconvinient truth" that his reporting is groundless.
Onishi's articles are laughing matter in Japan. The article about him in Wikipedia Japan lists his many wrong (often ridiculous) articles. He speaks Japanese fluently, but is ignorant of Japan. Onishi has advantage to write such racist articles because he looks like a Japanese. But some people suggests that he is a Korean-Japanese. If so, it's natural that he hates Japan that expelled his family.
He is the first NY Times correspondent who wrote so many stupid articles, which is hurting Times's reputation seriously. It's because the editors in NY headquarter are ignorant of Japan, too. Once I was amazed to see a picture of an unknown man captioned "Japanese PM Abe" in a Times's article on March 6 on the Web. When I pointed out it to the editor by e-mail, the picture was deleted without apology. I don't blame their ignorance. But it's criminal to repeat lying when so many Japanese people have pointed out they are incorrect.
His articles about comfort women are much distorted and biased. For example, in the article featured on the front page on March 8, he quoted the testimony of Wu Hsiu-mei and Jan Ruff O'Herne. However, Wu said that she was taken by a "Japanese officer" and talked nothing about the Army's coercion. O'Herne, a notorious seller of her tragedy, said nothing about the Army's order, too. Prostitutes can't be the witness of Army's order. Her case was judged by Dutch court which decided that Japanese Army had forbidden violent treatment of comfort women.
Onishi also visited a historian Yoshiaki Yoshimi, who is attacking Japanese government based on phony evidences. The document he alleges to be the proof is nothing but the warning from the Army to brokers not to kidnap women into brothels. Onishi doesn't even pretend to be impartial by interviewing more neutral historians such as Ikuhiko Hata. Onishi might be afraid of the "inconvinient truth" that his reporting is groundless.
Onishi's articles are laughing matter in Japan. The article about him in Wikipedia Japan lists his many wrong (often ridiculous) articles. He speaks Japanese fluently, but is ignorant of Japan. Onishi has advantage to write such racist articles because he looks like a Japanese. But some people suggests that he is a Korean-Japanese. If so, it's natural that he hates Japan that expelled his family.
He is the first NY Times correspondent who wrote so many stupid articles, which is hurting Times's reputation seriously. It's because the editors in NY headquarter are ignorant of Japan, too. Once I was amazed to see a picture of an unknown man captioned "Japanese PM Abe" in a Times's article on March 6 on the Web. When I pointed out it to the editor by e-mail, the picture was deleted without apology. I don't blame their ignorance. But it's criminal to repeat lying when so many Japanese people have pointed out they are incorrect.
Comments
I was referred to you by Mr. Ise at Nippon Falcons League. We concur with your assessment about Onishi’s writings at NYT. It is surprising that NYT is willing to use him as a correspondent there. They do so probably because they do not hear any objections from the readers. Japanese readers have been too silent for too long. We will change that from now on. I am not here to explain the details of our plan today. We have just made a team of “willing” to monitor his writings. If there is any way we can help each other, or coordinate our effort, please let us know via Mr. Ise at NFL.
Sincerely, Nariyuki (pseudonym)
I agree with you Japanese readers are too silent because they are shy and not good at English. If you want to join this blog, e-mail me.
Cut him some slack..and if you guys think your country has done nothing wrong in the past, then why are you all so afraid of a petty journalist who is just confused about his own korean-japanese identity?
Japan is great country where people can apology to the things that was bad.. but look around the world.. Is there any courty ? who admit ? Europian countries invaded those Asia.. colonized.
Here we are.. Giving great start to Korea by colonized, and paid their debts, speding lots of money to industrialized in Korea.. Now this ? blaming us for it ?
What happened if China still owned Korea?
Mr. Norimitsu Onishi knows doinig something, that's why he is hiding his real identity.. He is very tricky.
I wonder what will happen if Japanse people start knowing this fact, and realzied he is in Japan and writing those articles.
He is fooling Americans and Japanese by representing the US by using New York times, and representing Japan by using Japanese name.
There comes a time when a person or a nation has to make a choice. Should we continue to mimic other people or nations, and rationalize our behavior as being "acceptable" because "every one else is doing it"? Or should we stand up and state to the world, "We don't care what other countries do -- we endeavor to a higher moral standard. They can follow us if they want."
I respect Germany for standing up. I'm waiting for the United States, China and Japan to follow suit.
Japan has an opportunity to lead -- to be a model that other nations can follow -- as the result of its experience in the Pacific War and its pacifist constitution. The coming century is Asia's, not the West's -- so I ask you, is Japan prepared to lead?
If the answer is "yes", then the next question is, "As a prerequisite to assuming the mantle of leadership, are you prepared to accept responsibility for the past?"
Japanese have every right to be proud of this nation, just as Americans and Chinese should be proud of their nations. But some of you need to understand that self-criticism and honesty strengthen, not weaken, a nation or a person.