Fukuoka version of North Korean style mass gymnastics.
These old gentlemen are the most revered first generation who has a tragic history in their smiles.
Fouth or fifth generation of Korean Japanese. Their nationalities are either Chosen, which is not officially existing, Korea, or Japan. I was impressed by their fluent Korean.
Inside the elementary school. You may wonder whether you are in the middle of North Korea.
One of the most tragic things Japanese Imperialism had left is still here in Japan. Korean Japanese, or Chosenjins, (I don:t know how to call them). I visited Fukuoka Chosen Elementary School which was built 1976 by the donation of Korean Japanese and North Korean government, probably. One of my students, Kim, has worked for Souren and he is friend of principal of this school. He is trying to write his master:s thesis on the history of this school, and as a supervisor, I had to visit this school. One of the wonderful justifications for my visit!!. (Kim used to make a joke that I may have to report to the Embassy that I had him as my student. It is another joke that his joke may not be really a joke in Korea). The people I met there gave me a lot of lessons on the historical and current issues of those war crimes. I was introduced a wonderful book, Kyushu Korean School Story, which has all the stories of their pains and sufferings. I promised them to have a workshop on that book and invite all of those figures depicted in the book.
