More than 70 years have elapsed since the end of WWII during which the Japanese military committed massive and inhumane atrocities all over Asia, especially in China. These atrocities included the Nanking Massacre, Comfort Women (CW, or sexual slavery), Biological and Chemical Warfare (BCW), Vivisection on live people (including American POWs), and Slave Labor.
Yet the Japanese government still has not formally acknowledged, apologized, and compensated for these inhumane acts. And whenever the Japanese government issued some sort of acknowledgement, invariably, a short time afterward it was followed by one or more statements stating the opposite. Also, many years ago when Japan tried to set up a fund to provide funding to former Korean CWs, it was mostly rejected by the Korean CWs because it was a private entity and was not a government entity and did not come with an official Japanese government apology.
Instead, many Japanese leaders have on many occasions made statements that the atrocities did not exist, over exaggerated, or fabricated by the Chinese or the Koreans. Many Japanese leaders, including her Prime Ministers, have paid tribute at the Yasukuni Shrine where 14 Class A convicted and executed WWII war criminals are enshrined; this is analogous to the German Chancellor paying tribute at a memorial for Adolf Hitler. Furthermore, starting about 35 years ago, Japan has been revising her history textbooks about WWII history, including trying a few years ago to change American history textbooks on WWII history.
Why? Various reasons have been offered, including the following. Japan was really trying to defend herself when the West was trying to cut off her oil supply. Admitting to such massive and horrific atrocities is too much of an attack on the Japanese character and losing too much face. Admitting to errors and defeats is contrary to the bushido spirit, or a Samurai way of life. These atrocities were just consequences of war and were understandable. The Japanese soldiers were just following the orders of their Emperor, who was considered to be God and could do no wrong.
In this essay, I like to offer another explanation which not only can explain the question posed in this essay’s title, but also can provide a clearer understanding of several aspects of world geopolitics.
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How to Understand Japan’s Intransigent Policy Toward Her WWII Atrocities?
More than 70 years have elapsed since the end of WWII during which the Japanese military committed massive and inhumane atrocities all over Asia, especially in China. These atrocities included the Nanking Massacre, Comfort Women (CW, or sexual slavery), Biological and Chemical Warfare (BCW), Vivisection on live people (including American POWs), and Slave Labor.
Yet the Japanese government still has not formally acknowledged, apologized, and compensated for these inhumane acts. And whenever the Japanese government issued some sort of acknowledgement, invariably, a short time afterward it was followed by one or more statements stating the opposite. Also, many years ago when Japan tried to set up a fund to provide funding to former Korean CWs, it was mostly rejected by the Korean CWs because it was a private entity and was not a government entity and did not come with an official Japanese government apology.
Instead, many Japanese leaders have on many occasions made statements that the atrocities did not exist, over exaggerated, or fabricated by the Chinese or the Koreans. Many Japanese leaders, including her Prime Ministers, have paid tribute at the Yasukuni Shrine where 14 Class A convicted and executed WWII war criminals are enshrined; this is analogous to the German Chancellor paying tribute at a memorial for Adolf Hitler. Furthermore, starting about 35 years ago, Japan has been revising her history textbooks about WWII history, including trying a few years ago to change American history textbooks on WWII history.
Why? Various reasons have been offered, including the following. Japan was really trying to defend herself when the West was trying to cut off her oil supply. Admitting to such massive and horrific atrocities is too much of an attack on the Japanese character and losing too much face. Admitting to errors and defeats is contrary to the bushido spirit, or a Samurai way of life. These atrocities were just consequences of war and were understandable. The Japanese soldiers were just following the orders of their Emperor, who was considered to be God and could do no wrong.
In this essay, I like to offer another explanation which not only can explain the question posed in this essay’s title, but also can provide a clearer understanding of several aspects of world geopolitics.
Read More »