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In 1974, a cabin was discovered in Indonesia, occupied by a Japanese soldier who was still fighting in World War II. He was called Nakamura Teruo (中村輝夫), but in fact, he was Attun Palalin. He was born in 1919 and was from the Amis tribe, a Japanese colony in eastern Taiwan. As his name suggests, he was a brilliant husband who enlisted in the army because the Japanese promised to provide his family with food and money.

At 24 years old, he was sent to Morotai, an island in Indonesia. It was invaded by the Allies in 1944 during the Battle of Morotai, and he was declared dead in March 1945. Nakamura’s cabin was accidentally discovered by a pilot in mid-1974. He did not speak Japanese and wanted to return to his homeland in Taiwan, but he was saddened to find out that his wife had already remarried.

The fact that he did not have pure Japanese nationality meant he received less money and was little acclaimed by the media. Until he pursued and managed to be better compensated. Five years after returning to his home in Taiwan, he died of lung cancer.

Japanese Found in the Philippines in 1974

Nakamura Teruo was not the only one to fight in World War II after it had ended. The case that received the most attention was that of Hiroo Onoda, who during World War II was sent to Lubang Island in the Philippines. He and his companions were on the island when it was invaded and captured by American forces in 1945; many died while Onoda and a few companions hid in the jungle.

He and 3 companions lived in the mountains until his 2 companions died in battle against Philippine forces. Onoda lived alone in the mountains for 29 years, even with attempts to convince him that the war had ended with the Emperor’s surrender. In 1960, Onoda was declared legally dead in Japan. To survive, Onoda stole rice and bananas from local residents and slaughtered cows for meat.

Even after Onoda met a Japanese student, Norio Suzuki, he refused to accept that the war was over unless he received official orders from his superior to lay down his arms. The Japanese student returned to Japan with photographs to prove his encounter with Onoda and managed to find his Superior to order Onoda to lay down his arms.

Thus, Lieutenant Onoda was duly relieved of his duty without ever surrendering. He accepted the official order from his commander wearing his uniform and sword with an operational Arisaka 99 rifle with 500 rounds of ammunition, several hand grenades, and a dagger that his mother had given him in 1944 for protection. During this time in the mountains, 30 Filipino inhabitants were killed by Onoda, but he received forgiveness from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

He went to Brazil!

After his surrender, Onoda moved to Brazil, where he became a cattle farmer in the agricultural colony of Jamic in Terenos, Mato Grosso do Sul. Onoda received on December 6, 2006, the Santos-Dumont merit medal from the Brazilian Air Force. In February 2010, the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso do Sul conferred upon him the title of “Citizen of Mato Grosso do Sul.” Unfortunately, Hiroo Onoda passed away on January 17, 2014.

Shoichi Yokoi Fought Until 1972

Shoichi Yokoi was born in 1915 and became world-renowned when he was found hiding on the island of Guam located at the southern tip of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. When the Americans recaptured the island in 1944, Yokoi hid in the jungle to avoid surrendering to enemy troops.

During those 27 years, he remained hidden in a shelter/cave and hunted at night. He used native plants to make clothes, bedding, food, etc. He was afraid of being killed by the inhabitants of Guam and did not want to surrender even upon seeing leaflets announcing the end of World War II.

On January 24, 1972, he was rescued by Jesus and by the Grace of God. That’s right, he was found by 2 local hunters named Jesus Duenas and Manuel DeGracia. In reality, Yokoi was captured by the hunters through his traps; DeGracia wanted to kill the Japanese man because of the death of his niece after the end of the Battle of Guam, but Jesus convinced him that this was not right.

“It was very embarrassing for me to have returned alive,” Yokoi said upon returning to his country, with his combat rifle slung over his shoulder, in a phrase that would become a popular saying in Japan. He became a celebrity in Japan, got married, and moved to rural Aichi. In 1991, he received the greatest honor of his life when he was received in an audience by the Emperor of Japan, Akihito. During an interview, he said he had strong and deep reasons for having remained isolated from civilization for so long. According to him, his childhood was very hard, and his relatives were very rude, which made him venture into the forest to stay away from them. Shoichi Yokoi died in 1997 at the age of 82 from a heart attack.

The media today is full of misinformation, and people nowadays do not tend to reason and believe in anything they hear and take it as an idea. A simple report showing Chinese people eating dog at a festival in a certain city in China was able to root the idea that Chinese people eat dog even though 99% of Chinese people have never eaten a dog in their lives.

Because of these reports, people tend to create generalized ideas about countries and nationalities, and they don’t even notice that in Brazil similar practices occur, such as the slaughter of rabbits, frogs, armadillos, bull testicles, mocotó, chouriço, sarapatel, and other foods that may be considered strange and disgusting to some. It is no longer enough for the idea that Japanese people eat some live seafood, now people claim that Japanese people eat dolphins. Let’s try to really understand what is happening and what practice this is to silence the generalizers.

Yes, they kill dolphins

Just like with the whale hunting, the capture of dolphins has other purposes. Unlike whales, dolphins are far from extinction; to be honest, even the whales that the Japanese hunt are far from extinction. The concerning generator of the controversies surrounding dolphin eating is not the meat itself, since criticizing the consumption of an animal just because it is cute is nothing but hypocrisy. What is truly concerning is the way dolphins are captured and killed; dolphins are lured and surrounded by a sound barrier and killed with spears, while other dolphins watch this sea of blood.

All this slaughter happens only in ONE small place (village) in Japan called Taiji. They claim that eating this meat is a local tradition. And it is not 20,000 dolphins as some sites claim; decades ago the numbers were only around 1500 and now in recent years it has drastically dropped to 200. This is because it is not at all advantageous to kill dolphins; let’s understand the reason.

Firstly, selling a live dolphin to abroad or to a water park generates a profit of 300,000 dollars. While with the sale of the meat, the profit is less than 1,000 dollars. Not to mention that the meat is not sold throughout Japan; while some news lies that it is a common meat, it is only consumed with low frequency in the Taiji region where this hunting takes place. Not even 1% of the population has had the chance to try this meat; some have only tried it once in their lives. Many Japanese people do not even know about the dolphin slaughter and the sale of its meat, which is mostly sent abroad. Many who know still condemn the practice and campaign against it!

Curiosities about Dolphin Slaughter

Let’s see some information, data, statistics, and curiosities so you can examine them calmly.

• Dolphins are hunted in other countries such as the Solomon Islands, Faroe Islands, and Peru;
• Dolphin meat poses health risks due to pollution;
• Taiji in Wakayama is the only place in Japan where this hunting occurs;
• Currently, the method used to kill dolphins is with a spear to the neck so that they die quickly without suffering;
• Countries like Taiwan, Hawaii, and even Washington have hunted dolphins. Various countries where hunting is prohibited still occur and in large numbers; in Peru, for example, nearly 2000 dolphins die each year;
• In 2007, about 1000 animals were killed;
• The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums does not support hunting;
• Several veterinarians and scientists concluded that the method used for hunting must be prohibited;
• Taiji started the first commercial hunting operations in 1606;
• The hunting season opens on September 1st and goes until February; a maximum of 1800 is allowed per year;

Where do we want to get?

The simple fact that the news spreads in a generalized manner or with wrong numbers and information makes people draw conclusions or have absurd ideas about what really happens. We are not defending this practice; any act of violence and cruelty against animals is condemnable. But what happens is not so severe to the point of making idiotic people create hatred against an entire nation that does not even know what is going on. Especially when our nation and all other nations are responsible for similar and repugnant acts.

The truth is that this tradition in Taiji is nothing more than a lucrative business to sell live dolphins and merchants to sell a little meat at exorbitant prices to an insignificant number of people. Of course, I do not blame anyone who eats the meat of this animal; there are many other animals that die cruelly and that people eat daily. I will not criticize the practice just because they are cute and intelligent little creatures. But I believe that the method used could be a little different and less cruel. But don’t we fish fish with hooks and let them die from lack of water?

And what is the Government’s position on this? When it comes to money, every government is flawed, and practitioners end up circumventing or using loopholes in the laws to carry out their lucrative businesses. Prostitution is prohibited in Japan, and yet it is not difficult to find; understand that the law is always flawed and there is no perfect governmental system. If you research deeply into things that happen in the dark in any country, you will be shocked. So do not let generalized information make your mind to the point of generating hatred for people who have no relation to the subject. We can hate the practice and the people who practice it, but not an entire nation that has nothing to do with it.

The lie has been part of the lives of most people, over the years thousands of people spread lies and other thousands believe and end up spreading them too. Do you remember that there were rumors that if you put a 2-liter bottle full of water in the clock, the electricity bill would be cheaper? How could thousands of people believe in such things?

Unfortunately, over the years rumors and lies about famous things have been spread, mainly by religious people without any knowledge. We have already heard reports that Hello Kitty, Xuxa, Pokemon, Katy Perry, Globo, and various famous things were accused of having a pact with the devil. Nowadays, 90% of famous things have had a pact with the devil… It seems that some love to burn famous things.

This all happens because some idiot spreads a rumor on the internet, and people believe it and help the rumor spread. How is a lie spread? The more scandalous, famous, and sensationalist the subject, the easier it is for it to go viral and end up being defined as truth for many people. And even with the existence of sites like Google and e-farsas, where we can easily research the subject, it seems that lies only increase. WhatsApp and social networks are one of the biggest sources of lies spread throughout Brazil.

Lies about Hello Kitty

In 2005, a rumor circulated on the internet that Hello Kitty was created by a woman through a pact with the devil to cure a 14-year-old child who had cancer. This rumor spread in such a way that many people around me stopped buying products from this brand and criticized those who had such products. And this was not the only rumor; there were versions that said the little girl was born without a mouth or with cancer in her mouth.

Others said that the word Kitty meant devil in Chinese, even though Hello Kitty was created by Japanese people. China and Japan are completely different from each other, especially in language. Any English student obviously knows that Kitty means kitten. And the character’s name has always been Kitty White or white kitten. The fact that the character has no mouth is a marketing move so that people can imagine the kitten’s expressions; her eyes are black and without eyebrows exactly to not present facial expressions. Some claim that the kitten was created without a mouth to criticize the submission of Japanese women, something we cannot dismiss.

The big truth is that Hello Kitty was created by 3 men in 1974 who worked at Sanrio. The designer of the kitten was made by Ikuko Shimizu. Japan is famous for creating mascots and fictional characters; the company Sanrio had exactly this focus, to create characters and sell their licenses or products.

Lies about Pokemon

Pokemon was another franchise that was successful worldwide, created by the great Japanese gaming company Nintendo. The franchise where you capture little creatures on handheld video games became so famous that it gained toys, card games, and television adaptations. At the time the anime was released in Brazil, many religious people already had in their heads that all Japanese cartoons were from the devil. The mere fact that there were non-real creatures was already a reason for parents to prohibit their children from watching this cartoon.

The problem is that Pokemon was created using non-real creatures precisely to avoid any issues with organizations that defend animals. Nintendo managed to solve this problem with animals and didn’t even worry about Christians, since they do not predominate in Japan. It is up to the person’s conscience to decide whether or not to watch Pokemon. The problem is that many criticize with all their might but play Mario Bros, the biggest franchise of Nintendo that clearly has magic and supernatural characters.

Pokemon does not take place in our universe; many characters may be native to there, and much of it was created in a laboratory. There are no scientific arguments to defend the pokemons that have hypnosis powers or ghost types that may hurt the conscience of some Christians. The fact is that Pokemon is a franchise with thousands of games, each with its story and characters; I personally don’t know why to condemn a franchise just because 1 out of thousands of pokemons has something questionable. If that’s the case, we can’t watch absolutely anything on TV.

People don’t know how to translate

Now let’s talk about the biggest stupidity and lie spread on the internet related to Pokemon. Many religious people suggest that the name means pocket demons, while the literal translation of Pokemon (Pocket Monster) means pocket monsters. Of course, if we research the meaning of the word monster, we can understand that it is something questionable; however, monster is a word that means any being or thing contrary to nature, anomaly, or deformity. Since the pokemons are not real animals, they are not normal. Now to turn the word monster into demon is a big exaggeration. Thousands of video games and cartoons use the word monster to refer to collectible characters that do not exist in our world, whether science fiction or not.

Other lies that have been spread on the internet are related to the names of the pokemons, which are nothing more than adaptations, abbreviations, and mixtures of the animals they were inspired by, or their elements and abilities. Some even said that Pikachu means Destroyer Monster. Any Japanese student knows that pika is synonymous with light and chuu is rat. Pika is also simply a small mammal that looks like a rat; in Brazil, it is called Ochotona.

Some also claim that the cartoon caused hallucinations, suicides, and sent several children to the hospital. An argument without any foundation; the only concerning thing that happened was that people who suffer from epilepsy ended up having problems in an episode where a strong light was used in the animation.

What can we conclude from this?

We cannot deny that many cartoons, games, and other things that originated in Japan have something considered wrong by Christians. The fact that most of the population is Buddhist and Shintoist ends up making the authors of these works simply put biblical references because they find it interesting and do not think that Westerners will criticize or find it strange. Japanese culture is completely different from Western culture, and they do not see the devil in everything, nor do they think about conspiracies, hidden messages, or anything like that when creating their works.

If you want to know if a Japanese game or anime is appropriate for your child, simply research reliable sources, watch, and check the story. Do not believe in rumors just because something is famous and various lies have started to circulate about it. The internet is full of lies; stop depending on the opinions of others or believing everything you read! Consider your own conscience!

If you live with Japanese people, you may notice that most women tend to cover their mouths when they laugh or even when taking photos. It seems that they are embarrassed by their smiles. There is a historical reason behind this, and in this article, we will try to understand it.

Nowadays, Japanese women believe that this practice is a polite way, good etiquette. Of course, some do this just to hide their teeth, because in Japan, people do not care much about dental hygiene and having a beautiful smile; many teeth are misaligned or crooked. This is so common that some girls even pay to make their teeth crooked. Some Japanese girls claim that they hide their smiles because Japanese society disapproves of scandalous women.

Another thing that influences this practice is the fact that laughter in Japan is usually quiet. Japanese people do not tend to shout or laugh loudly; this can be viewed negatively among women, which is why they cover their mouths. Japan is a collectivist country; some Japanese women had this practice, and other Japanese women ended up imitating it, and it became a standard. Nowadays, putting a hand over the mouth when smiling is seen as something graceful and cute.

Historical reasons for covering the mouth

Some claim that the custom of covering the mouth when laughing dates back to the Kofun period (250-538). We do not know exactly when it started, but a common practice at that time in various Asian countries was to dye teeth black to strengthen them and protect against cavities and periodontitis. Because of this, many women were embarrassed to show their black smiles. Another ancient custom was that showing the inside of the mouth was not polite; it was normal to only show a smile.

This custom of dyeing teeth black was called Ohaguro (お歯黒). This was not a source of shame; many did this to hide their yellow teeth, as white makeup on the face highlighted the yellow of the teeth. Having black teeth was fashionable during the Nara Period (710-794), but it would not be unusual for some girls to dislike it and end up creating this custom of covering the mouth, which spread to most Japanese women.

Other reasons and facts about covering the mouth

Covering the mouth when smiling can also be something natural for women. A universal custom is to put a hand over the face or mouth when a person is surprised or embarrassed. There are many similarities regardless of cultural backgrounds. Nowadays, it is common for Western women to feel embarrassed to open their mouths or laugh loudly, or they simply find it cute and graceful when girls cover their mouths while smiling.

Embarrassment and shyness also have a significant effect on this custom. We can see that many Japanese women like to post photos on Instagram covering their faces. Some even have the habit of wearing masks even when they are not sick. Other people simply feel embarrassed to laugh and cover their faces. You can notice that even with a hand over the mouth, you can still see the person’s beautiful smile.

Do men also cover their mouths when laughing? Yes, the problem is that women are more sensitive, polite, and have more fear of offending than men. It is worth noting that this is not a Japanese custom; it is just more common in Japan! People who cover their mouths when laughing can be found all over the world. Many times it will depend on the situation and the subject. Some find it rude to laugh openly in public, while some Japanese women do not adhere to this custom.

And you? What do you think about this subject? Do you find it polite? Strange? Do you usually cover your mouth? Do you find it attractive and graceful? We would love to hear your opinions in the comments. Thank you in advance for reading, sharing, and commenting.

Taiyaki (鯛焼き) literally means grilled sea bream, but it only has the appearance of fish. Taiyaki is a sweet (or savory) cake made with a batter of flour, water, and yeast… It is usually filled with sweet red bean paste (azuki) and grilled in a mold shaped like a sea bream. Many buy Taiyaki because of its symbolism, as the red sea bream symbolizes good luck and fortune.

Taiyaki is basically a normal pancake or waffle in the shape of a fish. It is placed on a grill with a mold on both sides. It is quite similar to those Swiss crepes. It is usually grilled until golden brown. It is also similar to imagawayaki, which is a thick, round cake also filled with azuki bean paste or cream. This is the famous cake that the character Yami from To Love Ru often eats.

Curiosities about Taiyaki

Its first appearance was in 1908, in a candy store called Naniwaya in Azabu, Tokyo. Today it can be found anywhere in Japan, but it has gradually lost the shine it once had. It became even more popular after a single (song) was released in Japan in 1975. The single named Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun tells the story of a taiyaki that got tired of staying in the mold and escaped to the sea.

You can find taiyaki not only with sweet bean paste but also with chocolate, cream, cheese, green tea, and others. The reality is that it offers endless possibilities just like pancakes. They have even invented ice cream, and there are also savory flavors filled with meat and chicken. It is considered a street food and for festivals, but it can also be found in markets and food courts. They usually cost around 100 to 300 yen each. The size depends on where you buy it, but it is generally about 15 cm.

Taiyaki Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of wheat flour;
• 2 eggs; (there are recipes without eggs);
• 5 tablespoons of sugar;
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder;
• 1/2 cup of water;
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

How to make:

1. Beat the eggs with the sugar until frothy, and gradually add flour and water;
2. Finally, add the salt and baking powder;
3. Heat the taiyaki mold, grease it, and pour enough batter to cover the bottom;
4. Fill it the way you want and cover with a little more batter, close the mold, turn it over, and bake until both sides are golden;

Some had the idea of buying a taiyaki mold and selling it at fairs in Brazil instead of the traditional Swiss crepe; perhaps this is an option for you. So it is easy to find them at events about Japan and anime. Have you had the chance to try it? Share your experience in the comments and share this article with friends.