He is not ordinally costume player. His costume is uniform that was weared by broken soldier at the Wlorld war II that finished half century ago.
He say he lost his arm at the world war II. This is the reason he have this costume. Actually he need not wear this costume now.
But this costume is very affective for begging money on the street.
This is his collection box. He say he made it by himself. This box have inner lid. So people cannot see the inside money from outside. He say this is his tenderness for the poor kind people who are shame of his poorness because he can give just a small money to him.
Already lots of people who experience the Wlorld war II die. So the person who know the meaning of this costume is few. So lots of this kind of people appeal with the sigh board that say we are injured at World War II.. or some talented broken soldier played instrument even though they have no arm or leg..
But actually they need not such kind of appeal. This costume and empty sleeve is enough for the appealing of their tragedy. And Japanese people easily moved by this kind of tragedy.
Lots of people feel pity for them. Yes, they make use of their pitty to get money to live.
Before time, there are more miserable broken soldier who lost one arm and one leg or who lost two eye bolls or who lost two legs and one arm or who lost tow arms and one legs. But almost such extream miserable broken soldier already died because they are too much miserable. Less miserable broken soldier still living.
But at least they are still miserable enoght for modern Japanese people who have no war experience.
He remind lots of modern people of the lost memory of lost war.
This must be the history we should not forget.
He seem to fuck the war by the lost arm.
Comments
These kind of people are even stronger than us, because they can live without parts of their body, even if they’re poor but they’re still living.
日本政府
He doesn’t look old enough to be a WWII veteran
============================from MasaManiA
Yes, certainly there are also some fake broken soldier to get money. But I don’t know this guy is so or not.
“hadashi no gen” de yondakoto arukedo… gendai nimo mada itanante…
I was not too fond of this story, sir. No middle finger, just sadness.
I hope you are doing well in spite of recent problems in Japan like typhoon and earthquake.
He looks like a scam artist. I’ll bet his arm is inside his shirt too.
The person in this photo reminds me lot of what happens back in my hometown Beijing. On the streets every morning i’m reminded of the war from those who’ve survived it. They bare much hatred for the japanese people, and i hear there are some parts of Nanjing that posts signs restricing japanese vistors from coming. It’s a horrific tragedy what happend back in day… From what i’ve researched many japanese people didn’t know what they were signing up for, but that still doesn’t excuse them for what they did to my country. I used to have a same hatred for japanese people my elders did… but seeing people like this on the streets of japan turns my heart soft. In a war, not only do the victims suffer, the solders suffer as well.
==============================from MasaManiA
Thank you for your comment. We cannnot change the past, but we can change the future. the thing we should study from histry is not to hate. Not all Jap are bad people. Sometime there are good Jap.
Salut
i beg to differ. there are lots of people who suffered under the jap imperial army.
lost arm? lost leg? can you compare the pain to a little girl who lost her parents back then? or the mothers who got their babies bayonetted by jap soldiers when the war was ending? or the women who got raped by jap invaders?
so tell me, how did the jap government react to these shameful atrocities? they swept it all under a rug and hid everything from the next generation!
I wonder what would happen if he sat in a street in Nanking? Would he get a lot of money?
Fuck Him, he is a cunt…. If he loose his arm, why is his uniform still so nice? He booshit.
I dont feel sorry for that bastard… cover up how much his BIG Bugget got insye bugget.
money ある
FUCK YOU
Fuck this selective history. Japanese soldiers did bad shit during the war. Chinese troops killed other Chinese during the revolutionary war, and allied bombers fire-bombed sleeping women and children in Dresden in WW2. Grow up and stop crying about who did what to you. Japan lost, ok? Stop bitching abut them and let it go.
Fuck the bellyachers! And a big FUCK YOU to war!
It’s very sad that the elderly, who have been through so much, must beg in the streets to survive, (whether he is a “fake” or not).
Masa, your site rocks! You are truly a talented story teller and a very good photographer.
I won’t pass judgement on the past actions of your country, just point you the craftmanship of his ‘begging cup’. It is really well made, you can see that there’s lots of presicion and craftmanship that has gone into it. It’s even clean!
The beggars here in Oslo are so dirty, I hestitate even getting close to give them money: http://cache.aftenposten.no/multimedia/archive/00050/null_50804a.jpg
And they use dirty, filthy disposable cofee cups to gather money.
============================from MasaManiA
THank you for your message. and Yes, this man’s collect box is really well made. Amesing.
HEY canadamanada!
Do you think we Americans can forget what those damn Al Qaeda terrorists did? Let it go?
The problem here is not who did what to who, but who edited their history! Japs censored their history. Nobody knows their role in the axis forces back then. Why? Because Japs are too fucking ashamed of their war crimes and instead of owning up to it, they chose to just hide it.Don’t it piss you off?
If I went to your house and killed your family, would you let it go?
I appluad the Japanese agression in the pacific (WWII) it was the perfect ocassion for the Japanese to expand her empire! I love history, Japan, masamania.com, and the valor of war and motives of the wars all before Veitnam. In war people lose loved and life is wasted and I understand that. Just saying i’m not a heartless feind
Hey masa, how are the No Surrender Japanese Holdouts faring? They can be viewed at
http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/
and From: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000310.html
I found the following:
Dear Cecil:
What’s the straight dope on those Japanese soldiers who surrendered long after World War II was over? Did it really happen or was it yet another urban legend? –Jack Biggs
Dear Jack:
Oh, sure, it happened–quite a few times, in fact. The last holdout of whom I have definite knowledge surrendered in the Philippines in 1980. One admires the Japanese fighting man’s steely tenacity, devotion to the warrior’s code of Bushido, etc. However, the practical Yankee in us has to ask, What’s the matter, these guys never heard of “ollie ollie outs in free, free, free”?
In early 1945 Japan had about three million troops overseas, about a third of them dug in on islands throughout the Pacific. These men were thoroughly indoctrinated in the Bushido code, which held that it was better to die than to surrender–and by God, that’s what they did. Of 23,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima, for example, 21,000 were killed and just 200 captured. Only after Emperor Hirohito ordered his forces to surrender following the dropping of the atom bomb did Japanese troops give themselves up in massive numbers.
This being the era before the pocket pager, however, not everybody got the message. Many Japanese soldiers had been cut off from the main army during the Allies’ island-hopping campaign and continued to resist. Sporadic fighting continued for months and in some cases years after the formal surrender. Two hundred Japanese soldiers were captured on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines in 1948, some others surrendered on an island north of Saipan in 1951, and a few hard-core types didn’t surface until the 1970s and later.
One much-publicized case was Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda. He had been stationed on Lubang Island in the Philippines when it was overrun by U.S. forces in February 1945. Most of the Japanese troops were slain or captured, but Onoda and several other men holed up in the jungle. The others were eventually killed, but Onoda held out for 29 years, dismissing every attempt to coax him out as a ruse. Finally the Japanese government located his commanding officer, who went to Lubang in 1974 to order Onoda to give up. The lieutenant stepped out of the jungle to accept the order of surrender in his dress uniform and sword, with his rifle still in operating condition.
Onoda was hailed as a hero in Japan, as was another holdout, Shoichi Yokoi, who surrendered in 1972 after decades in the jungles of Guam. Yokoi’s comment to his countrymen: “It is with much embarrassment that I return.” He felt he’d let down the side! That’s Japan for you: good on stick-to-itiveness, maybe not so good on midcourse corrections. Not to encourage the slackers, but there’s such a thing as knowing when to quit. For more, see http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/.
========================from MasaManiA
Lots of Surrenders still living everywhere in the world, and they try to fight anybody who fuck Japan. Be careful.
Hi Masa,
Japan should stop paying China because of what happened during WW2. And Chinese should stop moaning about what happened.
This all happened long time ago and was all a plan of the neocons and Zionist.
Just Google a bit on PH and you soon will find out that the USA new about PH and they did nothing to stop it as they needed a reason to get to war. Same as Iraq, There where never weapons of mass destruction, no links with All Quada, Saddam been captured. It is all part of the big plan. You will see that Israel is going to make a pre emptive strike on Iran and then Iran will attack Israel. The USA will follow saying that they have to help Israel, and for what?
The draft for USA will come up soon.
Please wake up all of you!!!!
kind regards,
Alex
==============from MasaManiA
What’s brave opinion ! Let’s creat new world for the new generation !
Yea it is the neo cons and zionists and Europe, They’ve been using something called operation gladio that was cooked up by the CIA and M16 back during the cold war. It wasnt just the weapons that incited us to war. It was the world trade center which was a controlled demolition, our leaders murdered 3000 of our own people and blamed it on terroists to incite us for war. Have you noticed after the elections in Iraq the shite cleric party leaders wanted to get the american troops out reasonably quickly? Then there was a sudden increase in terroist bombings and such? It was to scare Iraquis into thinking they need to keep us there beacause they cant protect themselves yet. We’ll never leave were building permanent bases near oil resourses. It all just makes me sick, America going from the land of the free to the Banking Empire Police Force, Acqusition and wealth redistribution Coalition of old rich white men. BEPFAWRCOORWP
Shut up nazi retards >:(
War is just a load of shit. I’m serving compulsory military service right now for 9 months – if there ever is a war here, I’ll be a dead soldier. Fuck war, fuck pussy!
this is a very noble and respectable man that probably has some very interesting stories to tell of his expierences
I am honored and humbled by the images of him
although I would not want to shake his hand, (because it is the same one he wipes his ass with after taking a shit)
maybe he could make a fortune by selling the design of his portable toilet to some camping store/outfitter?
========from MasaManiA
and it is suitable toilet for your shit in your brain.
war is hell, and i`ve been there done that. in vietnam, we must continue to rid the earth of evil, every where we can…this old man is probably not old enough to have been in ww2..beggers are a smooth crowd, they learn all the tips to get your sympany….not mine…let them get a job…and do sumpin…if u want to waste your coins, go ahead..i`ll hold on to myne till i see a real person in need i would not of cared if usa would of bombed tokyo at the same time they was nuking the other 2 cities..they needed a real ass kicking, from what they did at pearl hrb…i have no use for japs..they will someday rise again…belton
forgive me, for my having
“shit for brains”
I was only trying to make light of an important subject
my bag
My own grandfather also was veteran of war, so I do understand some bit of the horrors of was from stories he told.
This man here, the fact he is still alive and trying in this world, proves his incredible strenght of mind! And I respect that.
Thank you for sharind this human destiny, it helps me to realize how easy my life is. and be thankful of that, sametime envying him and his destiny, as he has more meaning in his life, and has experiences where he has gotten to prove his power and courage like true soldier, unlike me who lives in this age.
But you never know how life turns, maybe war comes to me too, and allows me to either prove myself, or fall under preissure.
One destiny I do not know either to fear, or wait with enthusiasm.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORP
HOO! RAH!
Fuck, how many people did this guy fucked over during the war? Shit, maybe he got what he deserved!!
I think people should see this matter with compassion. Not vainful boasting.
At that time people were forced or brain washed into war.
Everyone has a reason why they are that way. We all just have different ways dealing with problems. =(
=========from MasaManiA
Yes i also think that people was brain washed at that time
nice bit of humour there from pavingstone.
…but belton and his prophecies… the american “government” needs more of his kind.
All wars are evil and all who participate are evil and only when everyone stops participating will wars stop! Refuse to wage war ever again!
japs start te war, japs r evil. Japs r greedy hyena, vermin, killer, raper, war criminal…
It is very sad that our generation can scoff and toss aside these elderly war survivers, yes, even if the faught, they survived. War is hell, and we must honour those who lost everything, to fight for their country only to be discarded when they are no longer needed. I am from the UK, and feel anger at what I see. War veterans, those who have been disfigured, limbs lost, those who fought so that WE can feel safe and live without fear and suffering. They have been let down so badly, i see them on the streets in cardboard boxes, begging, while asylum seekers who have fought for nothing for us get houses, cars and free money. Its a disgrace. Politicians should hang their heads in shame. They live off the brocken backs of our fathers and grandfathers.
he does what a soldier must do
comply orders
…I know, when I don´t know a word in english, I can inventing hehehe
They are proud of what they done. They enjoyed the looting and raping of Chinese and others they saw as inferior. They kill 300000, they must be very proud, and grabbed thousands of Chinese and koreans as “comfort women”
It concludes that Japs are perverted and racists.
Hahah I would’ve kill them sooner or later, but those atomic bombs were even better.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. I never did like Tojo, he was a perverted and inferior vermin of a Jap. But a useful tool.
That’s a war. He’s consider lucky to lose only one arm. Lots of soldiers loses legs, eyesight, even their life. Imagine those who dies and left their families and friends. Don’t make war, make love!
hail Hittler u can all fuck off