To explain Iraq. Japan Probe shows off a new Japanese manga (comic) book explaining the recent Japanese Defense White paper. (Boei hakusho?????)?Quoting from the Mainichi Shinbum:
In the “Manga de Yomu Boeisho Hakusho (Defense Ministry White Papers in Manga)” series printed in 2005, a little girl wearing “Lolita” fashions and an apron is involved in exchanges — sometimes violently — with a hawkish stuffed teddy bear as they rumble over the way Japan should defend itself.News of the story spread through Japan’s Internet and by word of mouth and turned the manga into a hit, with second and third editions hitting the bookstores rapidly. It seemed a given that the publisher, Japan Defense Foundation for Mutual Aid, would be given the contract to print last year’s manga version of the ministry’s white papers, but things didn’t quite turn out that way.
“Publishing rights are decided in public bidding and another company undercut us,” a spokesman from the Japan Defense Foundation for Mutual Aid tells Cyzo. “But it
was such a popular book that we didn’t want its success to end after only a
single year. We asked the same author of the 2005 edition to draw up another
manga using the same characters in a way that would help readers to understand
what’s going on with the defense of Japan.”
I would not exactly call her a “Lolita”, but judge for yourself. The front of the booklet says in Japanese: Heisei 17 (2005 in the Hesei era)-“Comics to read!” ” The Defense of Japan”. Outside the comic is saying, “Comics to read” “The Defense White Paper”.
Just my idea of a childrens bed time story…………
Once inside there are more comics to see.
In a nutshell her and the bear are arguing over whether there is a threat to Japan as the bear is saying Japan is a peace loving country. She yells at him saying there is a threat of war to Japan and needs to be talked about.
And so they do here. Unfortunately it’s in Japanese. Suffice it to say the bear continues saying Japan is a peaceful country and therfore American bases like Okinawa are bad. Which just makes the girl mad. So her and the computer explain why they are necessary. The war on terror, disaster relief, its all there……
Heavy reading.
