Comments on: Masabumi Hosono: The Man Condemned for Surviving The Titanic

By: midnitelamp

midnitelamp — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:12:43 +0000

i recently read a bio of admiral yamamoto,and when he left the london naval conference,he went to new york,took the train to the west coast,then to japan.

since hosono-san was in european russia,his route was probably normal for the time.

the japanese sailor taken prisoner at pearl harbor was shunned on repatriation,had a position in peru to avoid shame.

By: crazedchef

crazedchef — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:50:39 +0000

seefish3:

Why are you STILL talking about Bush? Don't you have enough idiocy in the current administration killing capitalism?

gobbler4: WTF??

By: gobbler.4

gobbler.4 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:30:05 +0000

The japanese are disgusting

By: seefish3

seefish3 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:24:33 +0000

I think "Uncle John" used to be a fact checker for the Bush admin. Baron Munchausen was more reliable.

By: Stewie (call me Stu) Pidd

Stewie (call me Stu) Pidd — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:35:56 +0000

"Since when is survival cowardice? Man, hopefully people are smarter than this nowadays."
NOPE-THEY AREN'T (see above for proof)

By: cuimhne

cuimhne — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:44:23 +0000

@Suzie, supply and demand I'm afraid. a living artist might start churning out hundreds of the same piece, making yours worth less. A dead artist's entire catalogue of work is complete and can't be added to or diluted by later pieces.

By: Suzie | Roof Repairs

Suzie | Roof Repairs — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:37:00 +0000

Why is it that when you are struggling to be famous like an artist for example and cant sell a painting, but the moment you die you become famous and every one is dying to get hold of you work it really doesn't make any sense, your dead and have millions but cant enjoy the fruits of your labor:)

By: 34

34 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:50:15 +0000

@XuYu,

Check the line again- "following a brief stop in London, began the next leg of his trip home by embarking across the Atlantic". He didn't go west directly from Russia (that'd be the wrong ocean).

By: hobbes3

hobbes3 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:17:11 +0000

@ Vonskippy: Not only that but also the fact that a typical salarymen works 12 hours a day, and the country's economy is still bad.

I'm currently interning in Tokyo and I do notice that Japanese people tend to be shy in general, but in the city there is more acceptance for foreigners, even sometimes curiosity and admiration. It's pretty hard to make friends here if you don't get introduced by other people first...

By: Tempscire

Tempscire — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:35:10 +0000

Vonskippy: speaking of xenophobia, eh? =\

By: Emperor Tomato Catsup

Emperor Tomato Catsup — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:16:36 +0000

Project much, Vonskippy?

By: Vonskippy

Vonskippy — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:03:43 +0000

Ironic coming from a Nation that's slowing dwindling into extinction because it's xenophobic people don't even want to breed with themselves let alone any nasty foreigners. But hey, they're sure to dwindle with dignity eh?

By: Emperor Tomato Catsup

Emperor Tomato Catsup — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:33:43 +0000

An interesting side note: Hosono's grandson, Haruomi Hosono, is one of the three core members of the Japanese electropop group Yellow Magic Orchestra, one of my favorites (The best-known member of the group is Oscar-winning film composer Ryuichi Sakamoto).

By: Screen Sleuth

Screen Sleuth — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:23:42 +0000

Since when is survival cowardice? Man, hopefully people are smarter than this nowadays.

By: Woogie

Woogie — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:07:08 +0000

Actually I think Japan is still like that. Probably not to the same degree, but honorable death is, I believe, still considered a good thing.

Just watched the movie the other night. (Not mentioned for any reason other than the coincidence of that and this post.)

I wouldn't have died an honorable death. I'd have suffered the humiliation too, putting on a dress if I had too, to make sure my kids don't grow up fatherless.

By: LisaL

LisaL — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:18:56 +0000

UGH....thank goodness it's not like that any longer. At least I hope it's not. Condemn a man b/c he wanted to live? WTH

By: marieissah

marieissah — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:02:29 +0000

Hhhmm? It's really sad to be alive if people see you as someone who dishonor his own country, but what can one do? Human instinct!

By: Idil

Idil — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:33:09 +0000

He did it for his wife and chidren. his braving cultural ideals to keep his family safe and happy is the true courageous thing...

By: XuYu

XuYu — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:29:22 +0000

Um, who takes a boat WEST from Russia to get to Japan?

Sounds to me like he wasn't in any hurry to get home.

Russia and Japan are close enough to even have BORDER DISPUTES.

Sounds to me like Mr. Hosono wasn't in any big hurry to get home.

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa021400a.htm

By: Gauldar

Gauldar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:02:13 +0000

How ironic to live in a world which chooses to give sympathy to dead survivors, and fame to dead artists.