Understanding what draws Japanese visitors to Pearl Harbor.
A few days ago, my family and I visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Both my and my wife’s fathers served in World War II, my dad in the US Navy, and my father-in-law in the British Army. It occurred to both my wife and me that as awful as were the events at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and all that came before, and after, that “day of infamyâ€, had the Japanese not attacked Pearl Harbor that day, that would undoubtedly have altered the course of our respective fathers’ lives so as to preclude our very existence. Hard to get my head around all that.
Visiting the site was a very moving experience. The US National Park Service runs a good operation there, and I’m very glad we went. One thing that surprised me, and that I can’t quite figure out, was the large number of visitors to the memorial who appeared to be Japanese. Probably not Japanese-Americans, but residents of Japan visiting Hawaii.
Hawaii is popular with Japanese tourists, and this week being a holiday in Japan, their numbers were especially large. So seeing Japanese people everywhere we went in Hawaii didn’t surprise me, but the turnout at Pearl Harbor did.
Without exception, every person there regarded the memorial with great respect. Palpable was the sense that everyone knew that this was the site of one of the most significant historical events of our era, and the tomb of nearly 1,000 who perished that day on the Arizona.
I know why I was there, an American whose father served in the conflict initiated by the attack. But why would someone from Japan be drawn to this place? Please, I don’t mean this to sound insensitive, or politically incorrect in any way. I’m glad they were there. I’m glad so many Americans and foreign visitors were there (we queued up for an hour to gain entry), I was simply surprised by the Japanese representation.
Any ideas? Please don’t flame me. Let me reiterate – I think the presence of so many from Japan at Pearl Harbor is a very good thing. I simply wouldn’t have expected to see them in such numbers at the site of the Japanese attack. If anyone has any ideas, or insight, I’d love to hear from you.
Mahalo, and Arigato.
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August 13th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Well for one, the Japanese I know celebrate Pearl Harbor day as a day of victory. If you read about Japan’s history, especially since when they opened up to the “outside world”, you’ll understand that they take pride in events where they are successful.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Hi - thanks for your comment, and for sharing your point of view. I really appreciate your reading the blog, and commenting. Your answer makes sense…and it adds to my puzzlement. There’s little question that while the attack on Pearl Harbor was a success for the Japanese, the outcome of World War II was a resounding defeat for them. I guess that still leaves me wondering. I can see their gratification over the attack, but not the big picture. Thanks again for commenting. All the best to you.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Hi,
People are drawn to what is known and famous regardless of outcome. When you learn about Japan, isn’t Hiroshima one of the cities you hear the most of ? If you went to Japan, would you not be interested in seeing Hiroshima? I was and it was one of my first destinations. Reverse the concept and you have Pearl Harbor.
Best Regards,
Anon