I had another purpose in this trip to Tokyo. It was a visit to Tokorozawa Aviation Museum, which exhibits several planes of historic importance.
Now in the museum, a zero fighter went on display for a limited time until Aug. 31st. It was captured by the Allied Forces during the Greater East Asian War and has been preserved by them with great care. It's a single zero fighter that can fly even now. The museum borrowed it for the exhibition. My father-in-law frequently told me about Japan's fighters and bombers, when he was alive. The maintenance of them was his task on an isolated island in the military field in the southern Pacific Ocean. I was really eager to see it.
The zero fighter in the room looked like taking on the pride of the Japanese Imperial Navy. Japan strived to avoid using force for the settlement of international issues until the last minute. Lots of people believe that Japan started the last war, but it's wrong. Who would want to wage war on superpowers whose industrial products are ten times bigger. Japan, however, had to fight the Allied Forces against its will. The zero fighter was designed and produced with the cutting-edge technology at that time to survive the war.
The other day, a Buddha statue stolen from Tsushima island near Kyushu in Japan was found in South Korea. The owner expected that it would be returned to him soon, but the Korean court handed down a verdict that the statue had been crafted in Korea several hundred years ago and so the statue should be kept in Korea. What do you think of that? Incredible! What would become of Greek or Egyptian historical items such as carved statues, ancient mummies and so on preserved in British and French museums. I wondered if Korea might not return the fighter plane to the U.S.
(Vocabulary)
Tokorozawa Aviation Museum 所沢航空発祥記念館
on display 展示［陳列］されて
put sth on display ＜…＞を展示する
go on display 展示される
hand sth down
＜伝統・技術など＞を後世に伝える, ＜財産・家業など＞を残す
＜衣服・おもちゃなど＞をお下がりとしてあげる
hand down a decision/verdict/ruling 〈裁判所などが〉 判決［評決，裁定］を下す
Now in the museum, a zero fighter went on display for a limited time until Aug. 31st. It was captured by the Allied Forces during the Greater East Asian War and has been preserved by them with great care. It's a single zero fighter that can fly even now. The museum borrowed it for the exhibition. My father-in-law frequently told me about Japan's fighters and bombers, when he was alive. The maintenance of them was his task on an isolated island in the military field in the southern Pacific Ocean. I was really eager to see it.
The zero fighter in the room looked like taking on the pride of the Japanese Imperial Navy. Japan strived to avoid using force for the settlement of international issues until the last minute. Lots of people believe that Japan started the last war, but it's wrong. Who would want to wage war on superpowers whose industrial products are ten times bigger. Japan, however, had to fight the Allied Forces against its will. The zero fighter was designed and produced with the cutting-edge technology at that time to survive the war.
The other day, a Buddha statue stolen from Tsushima island near Kyushu in Japan was found in South Korea. The owner expected that it would be returned to him soon, but the Korean court handed down a verdict that the statue had been crafted in Korea several hundred years ago and so the statue should be kept in Korea. What do you think of that? Incredible! What would become of Greek or Egyptian historical items such as carved statues, ancient mummies and so on preserved in British and French museums. I wondered if Korea might not return the fighter plane to the U.S.
(Vocabulary)
Tokorozawa Aviation Museum 所沢航空発祥記念館
on display 展示［陳列］されて
put sth on display ＜…＞を展示する
go on display 展示される
hand sth down
＜伝統・技術など＞を後世に伝える, ＜財産・家業など＞を残す
＜衣服・おもちゃなど＞をお下がりとしてあげる
hand down a decision/verdict/ruling 〈裁判所などが〉 判決［評決，裁定］を下す
Comments