Koizumi wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on the butt...

So, the other day, hopped up on a nice cocktail of morphine and other goodies, I was reading the lastest news from Asia and saw this tidbit.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Wednesday that China and South Korea overreacted to his controversial visits to Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's war dead, including Class-A war criminals, are enshrined.

"Apart from China and South Korea, no other countries in Asia have criticized my visits (to the shrine)," Koizumi said during a House of Councilors session.

I was annoyed by this. Again, we have Koizumi trying to downplay his visits to a shrine for, amongst others, class A war criminals. You know, the guys responsible for millions upon millions of deaths as well as torture, rape and unimaginable cruelty. But hey, who cares about that, right? I mean, it's ONLY Korea and China, right?

WRONG.

Again, numnuts is wrong.

Indeed, virtually everyone knows that Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni cause friction with neighbouring countries. What is less well-understood in Japan is that "neighbouring countries" does not only mean China and South Korea. This is because Koizumi and other prominent government figures -- such as Foreign Minister Aso Taro -- have been able, at least until recently, to get away with pretending that only China and Korea oppose the Yasukuni visits. They seek to exploit discontent with China and Korea as well as to suggest that the political and economic costs of the Yasukuni visits are minimal.

But Koizumi's Yasukuni pilgrimages continue to be opposed by plenty of governments and groups outside of China and Korea. The criticism goes back to Koizumi's first visit on August 13 2001. Not only China and South Korea reacted. The Vietnamese and Filipino governments also issued statements expressing concern and regret. There was also criticism from Filipino comfort women, Australian veterans and others. And major newspapers throughout Asia, the US and Europe have openly criticized each visit.

In Koizumi's addled mind, Vietnam, the Philippines, comfort women, Australians and a plethera of newspapers are beneath his notice. China and Korea are mearly pimples on his butt, these others are truly beneath notice or mention.

I'll be so glad when this 'leader' is gone. Please, please, please Japan, pick someone decent this time!