Friendship.

This is coolbert:

"Among the heathen we shall find no persons who exceed the Japanese in manners!" - - Francis Xavier.

During wartime understand full well that entire societies and individuals both lose control of their emotions and mental faculties. Events occur on the macro and micro scale that during peacetime ordinarily would just not happen.

As it was during the Second World War!

1. "After Pearl Harbor, Vandals Cut Down Four of DC's Japanese Cherry Trees"

"PROTEST:  Joy Cummings, riding in the Tidal Basin at Washington yesterday, came upon this Japanese cherry tree cut down the night before with this battle cry on the stump: 'To Hell with those Japanese.' Three other of the Capital's famed Japanese cherry trees were felled, Irving C,. Root, parks Commissioner, called it vandalism."

"The vandals were never identified, but the carving on the stump made their intent pretty clear: to retaliate against Japan by attacking four of the cherry trees originally donated by the county in 1912 as a gesture of goodwill."

A gesture of goodwill which indeed it was. Vandals WW2 extremely excessive in their display of patriotic zeal in a very wrong-headed manner four trees gone. Vandalism and just plain bad behavior not to be excused. Culprits never caught.

My understanding is that ALL the famous cherry trees were cut down during the war but that is not so. Four trees alone gone and that not as an action of the government stupidity. 

This also Japanese style! Americans do stupid things, the Japanese do too.

2. "Kamikaze Images and Friendship Dolls"

"In 1926 and early 1927, about 2.6 million Americans participated in a project to send nearly 13,000 American dolls to Japan as a gesture of friendship and peace. The Japanese Education Ministry distributed the dolls to elementary schools and kindergartens throughout the country. The American dolls were received in Japan with such enthusiasm that about 2.6 million Japanese children contributed one sen (about a half penny) each to have 58 Japanese Friendship Dolls made as gifts for American children."

"Most of the American Friendship Dolls did not survive the war because of a 1943 order from the Japanese Education Ministry to have them destroyed, burnt, or thrown into the sea. However, over 300 dolls given in 1927 survived and continue to be displayed in Japanese schools"

YET one more goodwill gesture authentic but during war time becoming a hot-button item, and regrettably so!

"hot button: noun - - an emotional and usually controversial issue or concern that triggers immediate intense reaction"

Do I need say that the Japanese kamikaze of WW2 were referred to as "Cherry Blossoms"? The irony of it all.

coolbert.