Any updates from Japan?

[Warbird Kid]

Wondering if anyone have any new pics of birds or news from the sunny island. Mr. Harada been doing anything lately? Thanks in advance.

[jet1]

..despite what the history books say they WON WW II!

[warbird1]

The latest update is the same as it's been for the last 30 years - i.e. - no flying warbirds.

[Rossco]

Things might not be flying along but there is a lot of research going on..
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/schema ... 714-2.html
http://www10.ocn.ne.jp/~a6m232/page023.html

[Kaigun Fan]

The last I heard is that Harada-san's THIRD Zero fighter is nearing completion, but it probably will never fly (at least in Japan) because of the all red tape!

Too bad he couldn't ship at least to NZ and have her fly "Down Under."

Regards,

Ron W.
www.beyondpearlharbor.com

[DaveM2]

Ron

Well Mr Harada is very interested in what is going on here, has signed up to Classic Wings and loved the Omaka airshow coverage.............we will keep working on him

Dave

[Warbird Kid]

We can only hope. Seems like a great shame that one of the major 1st world countries that fought during WWII cant allow some of there ambitious citizens to fly and honor there relatives and predecessors that fought and died. Germany, UK, and USA are all leading countries with a fairly wide and diverse group of flying Warbirds. But Japan is for some reason left out.

[Matt Gunsch]

The reason Japan is not flying Warbirds is because there is very little general aviation there, about 2500 GA planes in the entire country. Compared to 20,000 in Germany, and 250.000 in the US.

[RyanShort1]

We can only hope. Seems like a great shame that one of the major 1st world countries that fought during WWII cant allow some of there ambitious citizens to fly and honor there relatives and predecessors that fought and died. Germany, UK, and USA are all leading countries with a fairly wide and diverse group of flying Warbirds. But Japan is for some reason left out.

I think our country's post-war policy is likely part of the problem - probably leftover restrictions encouraged by US enforcement and example. We did some things right after the war, and other things wrong.

Ryan

[warbird1]

I think another reason that flying warbirds in Japan don't exist, is just due to the public's attitude towards the War. Hopefully, Ron can pipe in here and confirm this, but I gather than most modern Japanese citizens wish to just completely wipe W.W.II off of their history books and put it to rest forever. Any kind of warbird will conjur up images and memories of Japan's wartime past which most people don't want to deal with. I have heard that a lot of Japan's history books are written with revisionist history and completely ignore blame for the start of W.W.II. Between that and the atrocities committed, most want to forget that era and concentrate on "modern" post-war Japan which are happier times to most citizens.

As I understand it, there is still a lot of shame from the War and the general public don't even acknowledge their Veterans' sacrifices like we do here in the West and Commonwealth. It's a totally different mentality and public perception. To the Japanese, the instruments of war -including warbirds- are reminders that throw salt in their wounds of painful memories of their inglorious past.

[warbird1]

Ron

Well Mr Harada is very interested in what is going on here, has signed up to Classic Wings and loved the Omaka airshow coverage.............we will keep working on him

Dave

Awesome! Does Harada-san speak or write English? I would absolutely love to see him on this forum. We desperately need some representation from Asian countries for their perspectives and information on their indigenous warbird movements. Please tell him to join our forum here, if he's able to write English!

[Kaigun Fan]

Hello,

I honestly and strongly feel that the "Japanese of today" simply try to forget the war and are NEVER really taught well about it even in school.

I remember working as an English Teacher and having a picture of a Zero fighter on my wall (of course, it had a "hinomaru" (Red Sun, symbol of Japan) on the fuselage. My student asked, "Is this plane JAPANESE?"

Typically, they have NO CLUE what happened in WW II except the Atomic bombs and Pearl Harbor. As for Japan's WW II vets, there is no Veterans' Day and they are pretty much forgotten too.

Harada-san speaks fairly good English but it is a very private collector so I doubt he would post anything. Very nice guy for a wealthy man too. He loves WW II history and even donated one of his restored Zeros to the War memorial in Tokyo (Yasukuni Shrine).

Regards,

Ron W.
www.beyondpearlharbor.com

[Michel Lemieux]

A year old, but smack on topic

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24948&highlight=harada

[tom d. friedman]

does he still have his betty bomber fuselage?? i've always wondered.... is it the shell of the aircraft?? or does it have some of the original interior equipment / instruments, etc. as well ??

[Michel Lemieux]

The pics I have seem of the Betty is basically just the tail end.

It has "some" interior fittings attached to it from some pics I have seen around. Complete ? No clue however.

From Mikael great ressource site....again http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/