It's been 60 years, and Japan keeps apologizing. That's not enough for most of Asia, it seems.
Today's Japan is not Hirohito's Japan, just as today's Germany is not Hitler's Germany. But the victims of Japan's World War II atrocities have long memories.
I think, too, that there is an aspect of jealousy at work--jealousy of Japan's highly favorable relationship with the U.S., of its economic successes in the past six decades. Maybe it doesn't seem to Japan's World War II victims that the country has suffered enough, due to how well the country is doing now.
With the anti-Japan propaganda that saturates the lives of people in many parts of Asia, I'm not sure if even the passing on of the people directly involved in the war will have any effect on tensions among the countries. I only hope we're not seeing the beginnings of a new Israel and Palestine.
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Japan has been apologizing? I thought the whole reason for Asian outrage was that Japan refused to admit to many of the atrocities they committed during WWII?
From what I've heard, Japan's history books call the Rape of Nanjing (I think it was that one; I'm horrible at history) merely an "occupation" and neglect to mention what the Japanese soldiers did during that occupation. I heard a story about a Japanese exchange student who came to the States and spoke with his host about how America attacked Japan without provocation. Their history books are heavily edited in favor of nationalism.
Granted, I have no evidence of what I'm talking about, but this was the general consensus that I've heard from people.
It depends on where and when the person went to school. Japan's education ministry does recommend textbooks to its schools, but each district has the final authority over which books are actually used.
Japan has publicly apologized numerous times.
For more information on this issue, please see the following posts on Japundit:
Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Textbook Flap Right Back on Track
There are more on that site, but I can't seem to find them right now ^^;;
The real issue seems to be that while Japan does apologize--profusely--it doesn't apologize in the exact way that China and others want.
It is true that Japanese textbooks have distorted history in the past, but these days it's difficult for them to do so. After all, Japan is a country with free access to information, unlike some of its detractors.
Asahi has a fantabulous article about the subject today.
*ponder* Yes, people do have long memories around here.
In World War 2, Malaysia, or Malaya, as it was known back then, was a British colony. Penang and Malacca were important ports, and the Straits of Malacca that runs along the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia was a very strategic waterway. Besides, we have Singapore to the south, which was another important port. They probably have other reasons why they want Malaya - location, refueling point, whatever. Of course, the British were prepared for war - there were skirmishes off our coast, at the Straits, and the British brought in battleships. Thailand, our northern neighbour, made a deal with the Japanese. In exchange for leaving them alone, they allowed the Japanese to use Thailand as an entrance point to Malaya. You have to admire their ingenuity... they put their soldiers on bicycles and small boats and came silently in the night with no warning whatsoever. The British were taken by surprise, and although they fought hard, the Japanese planned their strategies too well, and they were pushed back. That, combined with air bombings from the Japanese resulted in the Japanese taking the entire Peninsula Malaya in a matter of days and weeks, and Singapore fell shortly after.
There are a lot of stories back then on the atrocities they committed on our people, especially those - torture, rape, beheadings... they took over the schools as bases and took all the rice - which is the staple food in Malaya - and most other food for their own troops, and prices for these food rocketed sky high, if they are available, which is rare. The economy were so bad most people ate tapioca root, tree bark, sweet potatoes and sweet potato shoots to survive. Even now, there are some elderly people who wouldn't touch these food with a mile long stick because of their bad experience eating it every single day throughout the four-year occupation of Malaya. Women were forcibly taken from their families and raped, forced into becoming mistresses or prostitutes for the Japanese soldiers. There are many more horror stories during this time, but I won't go into it. Let's just say that they deserve their reputation for the wartime atrocities committed during the second World War.
I think most Malaysians have come into terms with that though, especially since Japan apologized to the people here years ago. They also set up a lot of factories here in the 80's and helped boost the Malaysian economy and we have a lot of Japanese expatriates and tourists here. Our country's relationship with Japan is pretty good these days, and there's a lot of mutual respect between our countries, and there are a lot of young people here who likes all Japan things - cars, anime, electronic products, the Japanese language, etc. Most of the younger generation don't really understand what the fuss is all about, and most of the older generation probably decided to just let things lie. I guess that's probably why there's no one demanding anymore apologies from Japan over here... that I know of, anyway. It's not that we have forgotten - it's in our history books and all - but I guess they have been forgiven for it.
And that little piece of history was brought to you by Dawn.
Dawn, thank you so much for sharing the Malaysian perspective. I really appreciate it. Please do so often!
Japundit has a short but good little op/ed that is relevant here.
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