Japan and its history

The ghost of wartimes past

The history wars erupt afresh, with consequences for the country’s prime minister

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Mr. SeeclearYou misunderstood my meaning. I do not mean that the experiences of POWs from WWII whether they be American, English, Candiand, Australian, Japanese, German, Italian, etc that their experiences and the things they experienced were meaningless or that their personal experiences per say was part of the history that the Allies wrote afterwards of the events of WWII. If you look at history it is full of footnote such as the bridge that was built over the River Kwai by British and American POWs held in a Japanese POW camp. Their stories like the stories of the POWs in Europe and other camps across Asia are part of history yes, but they are not part of the history that most people learn about WWII. Yes, we know that there were POW camps, but how many and where? What of the American internment camps? Are the experiences of the people that were rounded up and placed in these camps meaningless? My point is that history is always changing because new facts, evidence, and documents are always being discovered that shed new light on what we previous thought. For example let's look at the American Civil War. Most people in the US see it as a war that was fought over freeing the slaves. However, this view is wrong. The war was about keeping the Union (North and South) together and over trade. Later, toward the ends of the war when abolitionist gained the ear of President Lincoln that freeing the slaves became a larger issue in the war. We are constantly learning new things about the past. That is my point, not that the personal stories of people that lived through events are meaningless to history. They are part of history, but do their stories contribute to understanding an event or series of events as a whole and why they happened? It is not right to look merely at what American and Allied soldiers did during the war to understand what was going on. You have to understand the results of WWI and the armistice agreement signed at Versailles combined with the resulting devastation that this event combined with the Great Depression of the 1930s had on the rise to power of the Nazi party. Also, you have to look at the weakness of the Leagues of Nations to prevent the German invasion of Poland as more evidence. You cannot look at just one side of history. You will never truly understand what happened. You have to look at both sides. I am not saying that what the Japanese are doing by denying what they did in WWII and before it as a correct view of history. I never said that. If you think that I did, then you are misinformed as to the meaning of what I wrote earlier. They should fully admit and accept what they did. That also means that the US should fully admit and accept what it did to the Japanese-Americans in this time. As well as government reluctance to stop the German Concentration Camps, treatment of Japanese POWs, and German POWs. As for Japanese war criminals...did you ever see President Truman brought up on charges of genocide for ordering the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagisaki? or the Pilots of the Enola Gay? The answer is now. Were the bombings of these two cities horrifying, horrendous, and crimes against humanity? Yes, they were. The actions of the Japanese military in Asia and the Pacific are equally horrifying and horrendous. Don't think that the US is not guilty of similar actions for a second. War is war, and it is a horrendous affair that takes its toll more on those who are innocent or not fighting than those in uniform. Have you read the statistics on civilian casualties and death tolls from Allied bombing of Germany compared to the number of German soldiers that were killed? Seeclear, there is more to history than you know. Go to the National Security Archives and read a bit there and you might understand my point. I strongly encourage you to read the documents that they have declassified and put on their website. You will see a new window into the history that you learned of the world in the 20th century.


Japan is a confucian society and as such the "airing of one's dirty linen" in public is not the done thing. The older generation in Japan know what happened, the younger generation do not. My wife is Japanese and has no idea, as it was not taught or talked abut in the the school curriculum (and still is not taught). Although my 'Nanjing Massacre' book sits on the bookshelf, it has no meaning to her.

I agree with the balanced comments in this blog that Japan could have done more by way of public apology, no question about that. The Japan government did, what the Japan government does best and gets out the cheque-book as their way of apologising. Since the war, Japan has paid billions and billions of dolars to China in aid money as their way of aplogising. Only two years ago did it decide to stop. What happens? China gets upset and starts the propoganda about Japan's war atrocities. I think Japan has paid the debt.

I agree that the Yasukuni Shrine is a joke as far as historical fact is concerned (I wandered up there a few weeks ago having nothing else to do that day), but then again the UK keeps quiet about the Indians that it slaughtered, that historically is not that long ago.

All in all, Japan does have a strong right-wing faction, but so do many other countries. We all as individuals make mistakes in our lives, do we carry on for the rest of our lives apologising? No, we apologise then move on to do better things. This does not deny the atrocities of the Japanese military government in World War II, but at some point a country needs to move on.


Just wonder how ordinary Japanese think of their ugly, shameless, evil, sinful acts by the bunch of “right-wing extremists war-hawks” toshio tamagami liked.How come the military aggression towards other countries becoming “protecting its legal territories”? How would you self-defence by “entering others’ land to kill all, steal all, burn all?


My goodness...much ado about nothing! Guess what? Not many people even know about the nanjing massacre and not many people care. That's what happens in war. The Jews were different as they were not a wartime casualty, but a casualty of a madman. Making Japan remember this ugly moment in its history will do nothing. They are too proud to apologize, and they didn't murder six million people.


If the goal of these revisionists was simply to highlight the courage of individuals fighting in defense of their homeland, e.g., the kamikazes, without consideration to the government and its ideology, then I would have no problem. The average soldier, in any war and regardless of the politics of their particular time and place, fights for his comrades, family and a personal and often idealistic view of his country. However, these people are going much further by discounting and or attempting to justify countless acts of inhumanity perpetrated against civilians and captured soldiers with the full support and approval of those in power. When murder and subjugation are the policy of the state, as opposed to an anomaly committed by a few barbaric individuals, then something is very wrong. Seeking to glorify such policies is nothing short of shameful.

I am a white southerner (USA) and take great pride in the heroism of those who fought in our Civil War, particularly those who fought for the Confederacy - because of the South’s lack of resources and industry. The generally accepted (revisionist) view that this was a war fought primarily over the issue of slavery disregards the myriad of other motivations of the common men in either line, which far outpaced the noble ideal of freedom for all. While the fight for or against slavery may have been a considerable factor for those at the higher levels, the vast majority of men on either side of this conflict were not aligned against one another based upon their view of this one issue, but more likely saw themselves as protecting their own best interests or those of their particular “homeland”. Having said this, however, the immorality and brutality of that institution should never be seen as acceptable. Those Japanese who want to rewrite or gloss over their dark past seem to be on just such an endeavor.

One can appreciate the sacrifices made by individuals in service to their country without endorsing the policies which brought about the necessity for such sacrifices. Conversely, one should also hold individuals accountable for any crimes they committed under color of authority - as was done during the trials of high-ranking Nazis at Nuremburg and, sadly, to a much lesser degree at the post-war trials in Japan. To praise war criminals for their actions or to deny or rewrite those actions in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary does a great disservice to humanity as a whole. These revisionists would have one believe that the Japanese forces occupying Manchuria, Korea, Indo-China, the Philippines and parts of China, to name but a few, were benevolent to and supportive of the people they "governed" - when nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone buying into the "rape of Nanking" as the (mass) killing of Chinese soldiers disguised as civilians is certainly lacking in both objectivity and reason. We must all be vigilant that as time moves on we are not given to romanticize the brutality of our collective past.


In cool, calculating, twice-nuanced Japan there is slim to no chance the timing of this contest came so soon after Abe's election. Japan's right wing institution wants to force Abe's hand; hopefully backing the PM into their corner or , if he doesn't agree with them, that Abe's displays of contrition will equally discredit him among the revisionists and by extension "Real" Japanese.Tamogami's participation was just as calculated. By entering he would give the contest the publicity necessary to elevate the issue internationally. I'm sure the 6 million yen Golden Parachute and private congratulations from many of Japan's elite will adequately compensate for his public rebuke and early retirement. In his mind, its probably a worthy sacrifice for the cause.However, I would agree that Japan has restrictive and claustrophobic freedoms of speech. In few other places around the world is so much emphasis placed on agreeing with the official line. This restrictive culture of limited public and private discourse is part of the reason revisionist views can flourish.It would be ironic if a revisionist hawk's complaints could ultimately destroy him, but I know that all of Japan would benefit if "Freedom of Expression" became more of a reality not just a figure of speech.


Wonder you are a japanese? strugglingtraveller. Actually does not matter. There could be many of YOUs.Presume you can read, and hopefully, you can think.Here is a WWIIPOWs web site for you to study of. My sincerely wishing, you are able to learn something from this.http://www.forties.net/WWIIPOWs.htmlNote that it is the COLLECTIVE ‘contribution ’ of many, many prisoners of wars during WWII, regardless their nationalities. How grateful I am, to those who sacrificed for our freedom today.So keep telling your own people your ‘ glorious history’ does not help. The world has recorded the ‘bloody version’. Anyone who has a grip of the 20-century history will not be fooled by you kind.


As an Asian, and the victim's family, I would not see pilots of Enola Gay as criminal, if the bombing met their national interests, whether a concern of American‘s casualty/fighting for domination of the region/really helped ending the war quickly.( I couldn't help to think of the civilian killed, and their families...) Would it be better Truman at the time, sending troops to Far East, instead of dropping the A bomb? Would the war ended differently, if the Pearl Harbour didn’t get bombed? The economy , human cost of fighting away have degraded many countries like Britain, France, and also Russia. I do not know if there were not the Versaillies treaty, Germany, which have been heavily punished by the so-called allies for its war guilt, the third Reich ,might not have been developed. Should we blame the allies ? Who started the West’s war, while the Japanese started the Asia’s? I would not doubt who were the aggressors. I would not doubt they should be condemned, and bring to justice.Please note that I never mean ALL Japanese are criminals. I am talking about those who wants to bring back the ghosts-the Unit 731, comfort stations, the Kill All, Loot All, Burn All team, who still, as I have read from the sources, hiding behind the curtains of Japan political, economic and medical fields, doing the warm up, before jumping onto the theatre again. We could not cut off from the past. And Mr Zecharia, if we can trace back to 1992, the 28th of June, saw French president Mitterrand’s sudden visit to Sarajevo, where the place was the main war zone at the time, we could tell WHY he picked the day: it was also the day of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914; which led to WWI. I rest my case.


“Japan has paid billions and billions of dolars to China in aid money as their way of aplogising. Only two years ago did it decide to stop. What happens? China gets upset and starts the propoganda about Japan's war atrocities. I think Japan has paid the debt”@mitamin,If you don’t have any source (official letters, email exchanges, academic research/report from third parties) to support your claims,the above statement is the other non statement. Please save it for your next generation.Surely you heard about SABURO IENAGA Professor EmeritusTokyo University of Education, who has been fighting very hard since 1965-, suing Japanese government for ‘text book screening’;not telling the crimes of Japan in WWII.What do you think his initiation of doing that? Money?“Those likeProfessor Ienaga who have spoken out for the truth have often beenphysically attacked by extremists or otherwise penalised. WhenProfessor Ienaga first gained a victory in one of his textbooklawsuits in 1970 right-wing extremists issued death threats to him(as well as to the judge and to lawyers involved in the case) and hishouse was surrounded day and night by thugs who kept him awake byshouting slogans and banging pots and pans. The actions of ProfessorIenaga in continuing to fight for the truth have therefore requiredgreat courage, as well as determination and persistence”www.h-net.org/search for Unit 731No 11 H-ASIA: Nobel Prize Nomination for historiography? By Steven LeiboJapan war criminals took away my grand-parents and their properties, my family never asked for compensation, all I want is, to hear these criminals to tell the world they have done those ‘WRONGS’.


Mr ZechariaSo you are talking about comparing figures/ judge if others have committed the same sort of crimes/ being able to objective reading ...Note that I DO NOT STUDY the issue. I am just a person who had been haunted by the brutality of wars happened in the last century, and also, the beginning of this century...though I never experienced any wars. In short, I read, and stop by here sometimes...I search from different sources, be it history channel, u-tube, blogs, academic research, personal experiences, and press, trying to connect myself to the past. You are right, there is always discrepancy. It is hard to get a clearer picture as nowadays, you can’t even trust a so -called independent reporter’s report. You may end up finding him/her funded by particular group, or mouthpiece of specific organisation, sort. The so-called global village, the web, becoming a weapon of misinformation/place for spreading hatred/place for lies. I might get the ‘truth’ here, found it something totally different somewhere. Ordinary person like me could not afford to spend much of my time to compare/sieve /check ALL data. Apart from academic/ researchers, not many people do. I agree reliable sources becoming few and fewer, but It sounds bit serious to find things from so-called security council archive ...I probably would if I want go further.. . Am sorry, if I have misunderstood your post. I must have written rude. I DO read historians’ works. (Yes, because I appreciate the input of their times on research, and their initiation/motives, etc) Not necessarily see them the “Records of Truth’. I only wish I can get to nearest ‘truth’.


To everybody trying to comment this article, I think that we humans are despicable, we like WAR, CRIME, CHEATING, BLAMING EACH OTHER, ETC, but if VIOLENCE is imprinted in our genes, why get astonished on our HISTORY, as it is just a circle, we do it again and again, never showing any remorse, we are the problem, therefore there is no remedy.


Mr. Zecharia,On war criminals, I see WWII the ‘continue’of WWI, where the warlike ghosts (west and east)who had been standing by, looking for chances to enter others’ territories for resource/land expansion. The Great Depression opened the doors for those from hell-the japan military expansionists had been already very active in NE China, before it won the Russian in war 1904-1905. I didn’t overlook the Japanese’ motive of joining the WWI, even it was basically, a European War; and their profits gained when they took over Germany’s territory in China, at the time when China, had that corrupted, disgraceful governing bunch. Indeed people I have been talking to so far, not necessarily Chinese ,understand the thoughts of Japanese; who have been so keen, working on domination of Asia, which notably to be the expansion from their crowded islands to mass land, and after whatever resources. We can tell what they pursue. I do think military expansionists’ ‘ACTIVITIES’ in Asia -Pacific, brought the ‘ACTIVITIES’ of the west allies, which had many ‘nationals’ interests/territories in the far east. I did not mistake the allies, mostly, at the time, were fighting for their own interests, rather ‘ for the fate’ of Asia. Yes, wars kill. But the medieval/barbaric/sadistic ways of treating the civilians (just go reading /watching the recorded, especially the ones related to China) and the POWs, have not been critically noted, or analysed by the so-called international HR groups, for example, the Unit 731 covering up by Japan, or the US. And why? Particular the intention of its developing bio warfare.I could not imagine: if their staying in Harbin longer than 1945,history of genocide could have been rewritten.


It is sad the west does not deal with Japan in the same way it does with Germany over its attrocities in WWII, while you cannot compar the deliberate extermination of the Jews and what Japan did, to deny its history is wrong. The west should more strongly demand Japan accept and teach its true history. I don't hold current Japanese to blame for the attrocities of their forebares any more than the Germans or the attrocities the west inflicted on Africa but they all have to accept their actions (only Germany of that lot truely does)


Your writer obviously does not know that Roosevelt knew about the coming attack beforehand but needed it to have the population prepared for war. Churchill even knew the date but did not inform Roosevelt because the entry of the US into the war would save Britain. Japan's aggression was decided after enormous pressures with a cutting of oil supplies and other means.


To All Japanese,

Would you give me a break? Why must you make the rest of the world your enemy today by denying you have done so already 70 years ago? Your action has demeaned yourself, and worse is that you seem to have no knowledge of what others are thinking about you.





I have always wondered about this:Were the allies angels ? Didn't they ever commit any kind of Human Right violations ? If so, what is the extent ?


>That is, after all, part of the reality of different perspectives, and we would do well to remember that people around the world think differently, and will act of assumptions different from our own.That is a pretty strong argument against trade and international integration. Some countries would be on a politically much safer path by not to integrating deeper into the Anglo-Saxon world. Deep inside, many countries are still very much married to materialism and its twin, authoritarianism. Free Speech, Free Trade and Free Enterprise are not as universal as the Anglo-Saxons would like. Some cultures prefer Free Bred, Free Butter, Free Beer and Guaranteed Social/Economic Status.Who are these nations/regions ?Germany, Italy, France, Latin America,.....


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