The people of Japan has transformed their society in dramatic ways since the conclusion of World War II, but there is one aspect which remains locked in the past. Japanese leaders insist their nation was the VICTIM in World War II, nor the force which led to the death of millions of innocent people. Japan seized Korea early in the twentieth century and ruled with brutality in order to stamp out the very essence of Korean society. During World War II, thousands of Korean women were forced to become prostitutes in the service of Japanese soldiers, and the Japanese continue to insist, they did this voluntarily. Japan invaded China in 1937 and the ensuing war led to the death of millions as well as the brutal rape of over 50 thousand women in the city of Nanking. Japanese school books continue to insist their nation has no apology for these actions because America and other nations caused the wars and forced their soldiers into these actions.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continued the path of arrogant behavior by visiting a memorial which honors Japanese soldiers who died during World War II. His visit to the Yasukuni memorial infuriated Japan and South Korea which regard such action as refusal to acknowledge the horror of Japanese action during the war. The Chinese government bluntly noted, “strong indignation at the Japanese leader for trampling on the feelings of the people of China.”
It is time Japanese educators visit Germany and learn how a nation confronts the horror of its past.