Saitama Pref., 18 August 2025

Two Japanese men have only recently been shot to death in Manila, the Philippines. As yet the government of that country doesn't seem to have apologized to its Japanese counterpart for the international murder. Does Japan deserve it? Some anti-Japanese people would say yes because of what it did during WWII, which ended eight decades ago.

    I still remember that some Japanese were killed there several years ago. How many Japanese have hitherto been killed there? I've always regarded traveling to any of the countries in Southeast Asia as so dangerous to me that I've never even planned to travel there. Nor do I currently have any plans for it.

    But it would be wrong of you to label me as a discriminator. Having heard all the news about the serious crimes perpetrated against the Japanese in the Philippines for so many years now, I've just come to consider it to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Japanese people to visit. Why should I run the risk of being killed there? Or should I dare to travel there to show how safe (or dangerous) it is to be there? I'm sorry, but, as you already know, I have plans.

    Would Manila ever replace Munich or Weimar as my destination? If it ever did, then I'd be a lot happier to be killed there than any of the Japanese who have fallen victim to Death there.