Posted on: Friday, October 8, 2004

EDITORIAL
U.S., Japan brought together by sports

Sixty years ago in the Pacific, U.S. forces were steaming toward the launch of a bloody campaign to recapture the Philippines, and to fight the titanic naval battles in the surrounding waters.

We were in the depths of the horrific war with Japan, one of the most savage ever fought.

What a difference 60 years makes, veteran Asia reporter Richard Halloran suggests in pointing to Saturday's Advertiser.

There were Ichiro Suzuki, a Japanese, breaking a longstanding record in baseball, the quintessential American sport, and Mushashimaru, an American, retiring with honor and dignity after a splendid career in sumo, the quintessential Japanese sport.

On both sides were resounding cheers.

When you think of where these two nations were 60 years ago, these two events give hope to us all.