Comments on: Is Time doing another Newsweek?

By: Charles Jannuzi

Charles Jannuzi — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:17:43 +0000

Time? Newsweek? Who reads these things anymore?

By: MarQuenzo MadSci

MarQuenzo MadSci — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 17:25:10 +0000

My name is Mark Kees Miller aka MarqUenzo MadSci. I wanted to find out how I could one day be known as a national Japanese hero.

By: WASP

WASP — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:41:58 +0000

lots of blondes on that WSJ list…

By: Sotei-guy

Sotei-guy — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 00:47:57 +0000

What excellent timing. The Wall Street Journal published its list of “The 50 Women to Watch 2006″ yesterday. In it there was one Japanese person, Akiko Ide (Senior VP at Docomo). Interestingly, they seem to have added an extra page to their Asian edition. I quote:

“A single, global list of Women to Watch doesn’t always do justice to the growing influence of Asia’s women business leaders.”

I wonder how that got past their global editor. This list has two more representatives from the Land of the Rising Sun: Mika Noguchi (Peach John) and Yukako Uchinaga (IBM Japan). Have you heard of either?

I must say, including Zhang Ziyi is stretching it a little too far…

By: Gold

Gold — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 06:25:25 +0000

Is this the wrestler Rikidozan? The guy who was became famous for relighting the Japanese spirit in the 50′s as he beat a couple of guys from the US? This was also just when the TV appeared making him all the more famous. But all his fights were rigged right?

He had huge Yakuza connections, and was eventually stabbed to death.

I think he counts as a hero for what he did to Japan as a nation, but you need to exclude both those parts as well as the Korean part.

By: Red

Red — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:57:39 +0000

Fair point, Michael. What is interesting is that the vast majority of Japanese people don’t seem to know that Rikidozan was Korean. It doesn’t mention it on the wikipedia site that you linked for us, but apparently 力道山 (the kanji for rikidozan) is the name of a mountain in Korea. All said and done, a hero is someone who excites a nation, and I’m pretty sure that Rikidozan did a better of job of that than General Douglas did. (In way of rebuttal, “Time” was happy enough including 王監督　(Sadaharu Oh) who is half Chinese!)

By: Red

Red — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 01:39:36 +0000

ET – you are hitting the nail right on the head there. Nowhere is Time defining what they believe to be a hero. I think Kadaijin has a pretty good point that even the definition of “hero” might be different in the West than in the East (or at least Japan.) Have you ever asked a Japanese what the word “hero” means to them?

By: Hideki....Kangeki!!!

Hideki....Kangeki!!! — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 15:16:25 +0000

It was interesting to see Sachin Tendulkar in the list. Maybe someone bothered to ask the Indians who they want as their hero rather than electing heros on their behalf (as seems to be the case for the Japanese heros)

By: Gerard

Gerard — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:28:00 +0000

Dont worry guys, anyone that reads Time magazine needs their heads examined anyway.

You can never rely on it as a source of objective and unbiased journalism, just as CNN for TV news….its just a widespread U.S. propaganda tool.(as every good Iraqi knows…)

That special on Asian Heros proves it in black n white!

By: Red

Red — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:26:51 +0000

Thanks for your comment Kadaijin, why shouldn’t the 天皇陛下 (emperor) be up there on the list? A hero for the people of a nation is a person who captures the hopes, dreams and sometimes even fear of the populace. I think Hirohito did a better job of doing that than MacArthur.