Voices For Japan: Jessica Straus

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This week, Jessica Straus makes her return to the podcast to discuss her reaction to the current situation in Japan, her appearance on the Anime Fans Give Back to Japan 24 hour event, and to also share a powerful story involving her family in World War II era Japan.

 

Anime Fans Give Back to Japan:

http://helpjapan.onepiecepodcast.com

 

The American Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.org

 

Jessica’s original interview on AFGBTJ:

http://onepiecepodcast.com/audio/AFGB_24_001.m4a

 

The Anguish of Surrender by Ulrich Straus (Amazon):

http://www.amazon.com/Anguish-Surrender-Japanese-POWs-World/dp/0295985089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305067883&sr=8-1

 

Note:  

Jessica would like me to mention that her Uncle’s book was used in a US Congress debate about POW torture, as an example of how treating prisoners of war in a humane and kind way can be highly beneficial, as opposed to using torture and unkind methods. The book is a historical account at World War II’s end, via interviews with Japanese POWs proving that peaceful and ethical treatment of POWs can produce a coming together of cultures, and have positive impact and shift after the hardships of war.

Given that both the site and podcast regularly delve into Japanese culture, it’s not a stretch to say that we personally owe a debt to those who chose to see past the political and sociological differences of the time between Japan and the United States.  The book is an incredible read in and of itself, but as Jessica so astutely points out, it also contains a message that is as applicable today as it was when it was first written.