It`s with a bit of irony that our Japan study tour touches down in Hiroshima within hours the Japanese nuclear plant exploding.
Over the next two days, our groups of six American journalists will meet with activists and survivors from the US bombing. The East-West Center, our sponsors, are pushing for us to continue the program despite obvious pressure from some of our news outlets to snap into service. I did file a story, which I hope my employer runs.
Back to the central premise of this post.
The day after we arrived in Tokyo news broke that US diplomat Kevin Maher allegedly made some inflammatory comments denigrating the Okinawan people. Whereever we went in Okinawa people were eager to talk about his allegedly boneheaded rant.
The Mayor of Nago (Okinawa) summed it up well when I asked about his reaction to the comment which among other slights called the Okinawan people "lazy" and "master manipulators:" he acted out his head exploding -- as gesture that needed no translation.
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