2014年09月16日
Forever friendship JAPAN - VIETNAM
※この記事はホア少尉の要望で、過去の記事『永生友誼の日本‐越南』を英訳したものです。
RVN Special Forces Officer Lt. Pham was glad about our reenactment. I am also happy that he's happy.
Now he heads RVNPA (Hội Bảo Tồn Truyền Thống QLVNCH) in the USA. And he named us RVNPA-Japan (Hội Bảo Tồn Truyền Thống QLVNCH tại Nhật). It is very honored to us!
But I am a foreigner. I went through some difficulties to communicate with Vietnamese.
A Communist Vietnamese harassed me in a sordid manner because I'm rooting for Vietnamese American.
On the other hand, One of the Vietnamese American said me "Fuck Japan! WW2 era, Millions of us Vietnamese people starved to death in the Japanese occupation of Vietnam".
I didn't know what to say in reply. Nothing can excuse what Japanese army did. I feel terribly sorry about the past.
However, those encounter makes me a lot of Vietnamese friends who's living in USA, Vietnam and Japan. I'm happy about it.
In 2011, the Great Earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan. My town was OK, but my relatives were damaged by nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
2 month later, I went to a Vietnamese Buddhist temple "Chùa Nam Hòa" near my town on Buddha's Birthday with my friend. We often go this temple to learn Vietnamese culture.

We were amazed. There is a banner with a written message for Japan.
The believers of this temple who's living in Japan chipped in to make this banner.


They offer an earnest prayer for the Buddha and disaster victims.

A Vietnamese nun collects a contribution from someone for the disaster victims.

And she had been praying to the end of time. I will never forget this solemn sight.
In addition, the monk group of this temple visits to Tsunami affected areas and held a Buddhist service there at a later date.
I was deeply moved to know the kindness of Vietnamese. We really appreciate it as Japanese and as Buddhist.
Cảm ơn nhieu.
I think that I had a good experience by communication with Vietnamese.
So I want to build a more good friendship with them. It is one of my lifework.
"永生, 友誼の日本‐越南" (Forever friendship JAPAN - VIETNAM)

Photo: Pleiku Airport, Republic of Vietnam, 1968
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