The International Performance Art Festival
in Bandung, Indonesia April 2004

29 April 2004
ARAI Shin-ichi (Japan)
"I love Japan! --'Hikokumin' on the birthday of ex-Emperor Hirohito--"


ARAI said
Today 29th April is birthday of dead ex-emperor Hirohito.
In Japan today is a national holiday "Green day" cauuse Hirohito like greens very much.

Almost 3 years ago Japanese diet decided what are Japanese flag and Japanese anthem in the law. Before there was no law for Japanese flag and the national anthem. Now in some school like graduation, People should show Japanese flag and sing the national anthem. And sometimes teachers and students who do not like to respect the flag and sing the national anthem in the ceremony are punished by the director because of the law now.
Before there was some agreement among people with Japanese flag was symbol of militarism and the anthem celebrate the Emperor in spite of they agree or not.

ARAI sung Japanese anthem

"Reign of Emperor "
(Japanese anthem)

May the reign of the Emperor continue for a thousand,
nay, eight thousand generations
and for the eternity that it takes
for small pebbles to grow into a great rock
and become covered with moss.


ARAI Said

Last month 5 Japanese people were kidnapped in Iraq by whom demand that Japanese army immediately withdraw from Iraq.
Those 5 people, 3 of them are freelance journalists and other two are NGO. Most of them are against Japanese government's policy, course of as jounarists they report the situation from Iraq and NGO they are helping Iraq people.
After that the kidnappers undesrstand those people and relaceed them without any help from Japanese Gov't.

On the other hand Japanese Gov't claim that they spent a lot of money and term to those people. Also They ask those people to pay them back.
Many Newspapers and Magazines endorse the Gov't policies
But the agent of kidnappers said that they did not have any contact from Japanese Gov't.




ARAI put a page of magazines which issued 5Japanese hostages in his mouth
and Shout "I like Japan!"
after Audience shout "Hikokumin!"



At Last ARAI said
In world war II days
not only People who oposed the war or Gov't policies
especially were communists and liberalists,
and but also their relatives
were shouted "Hikokumin!"
means "You are not Japanese, Go abrord!"


ARAI Shin-ichi (Japan)
"I love Japan! --'Hikokumin' on the birthday of ex-Emperor Hirohito--"


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