Kamikaze Rap

This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.Broadcast Transcript: There's a flap over rap here in Japan. The rap in question: Kudan performed by the ultranationalist group Arei Raise. The song is dedicated to World War II's kamikaze pilots and uses lyrics taken from a letter written by one of the young pilots to his parents on the day of his suicide mission. The song was the winner of a contest sponsored by the Yasukuni Shrine where the souls of Japan's war dead are enshrined. Many people find it insulting that the final words of these "heroic spirits," as the kamikaze are referred to by some, have become song lyrics. At the very least, it is ironic that these young men are being immortalized using a musical style developed by the very culture that they died trying to wipe out. #ceas #hacker #japan #tsutsu