Since my living in Japan several franzy anti-Japan movements have taken placed in China, Korea and other Asian countries. Some Japanese friends ask me why Asian countries/people are never satisfied with Japan no matter how much aide or support Japan has been providing them since one or two decades, especially countries like China.
In the past I often found it hard to answer questions alike. From a sentimental point of view (as well as my Chinese-culture background), I understand perfectly the bitter feeling held by many Chinese, especially the generation who have personally fought against the Japanese invasion and those who have heard about the war stories from their family members. On the other hand, I'd prefer to look into this matter with some objectiveness - what really happened during the war and how it was dealt with after the war.
Evidently the post-war Japanese govenment did apolgize publicly to those countries (China is one of which) that suffered the Japanese military operations during the WWII. Some controversial issues, such as if the war a form of Japanese imperialist invasion to serounding countries or it's just an "alliance" membership offered by Japan, stay yet in the core of hot debate between Japan (either Japanese Authorities or acdamics) and related Asian countries. In the case of Sino-Japan reconciliation, shamefully I'm not familiar with the contexte and substance of the "official" apology made by Japanese government vis-a-vis Chinese people for the damages during the WWII nor anything related to the "compensation money" that some Japanese believe that their government has paid to the Chinese during these years. In view of the now-still-going-on politics saga featured the current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, I might get a possible answer to my Japanese friends.
Within a month Mr. Abe has made several controversial public discourses regarding the wartime "comfort women" (army prostitutes) . From the firm denial to a public apology, his ambivalent attitude indicates clearly that the Japanese government or some influencial politicians within refuse to face certain historical events, especially war crimes implicating Japanese government and/or military's participation and/or organisation, to repent for their behavior, to offer a sincere apology to victim countries, their peoples and some specific individuals (such as comfort women) and to take the responsibility for the damages during and after the war. The comfort women issue also make me to think about the fact that Japanese government (education authorities) decided again this year to stripp off "sensitive" materials related to WWII from text book and the yearly worship paid to war criminals in Yasukuni Shrine etc.
Washiongton Post has opted for a perfect headline for Japan's ambivalent attitude on 23rd March:
Shinzo Abe's Double Talk :
He's passionate about Japanese victims of North Korea -- and blind to Japan's own war crimes.
Link to the editorial:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301640.html?reload=trueAn editoiral titled "Denying the past" also appeared in the Japanese centrist newspaper - Asahi Shimbun today:
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200703290074.html (English version)
http://www.asahi.com/paper/editorial20070328.html (Japanese version was published on 28th)
And another interesting article contributed by YaleGlobal is posted on a blog frequented by Canadian Chinese community:
Abe's new clothes - Chinese in VancouverTo sum up, I think that as long as Japanese Authorities remains unconsistant with their attitude towards the historical events during WWII and reluctant to solve the disaccords between them and involved Asian countries with sincerity, the dissatisfactory emotion and even hatred feeling will always exist in the heart of many Asian people and the opposition against Japan's attempt for acquiring permanant seat in UN Security Council will still prevail among Asian countries.
Stepping into 21st century, a real democratic and modern Japan might want to look into the past history with more scrutiny and objectiveness, be frank with the historical events and make peace with the victim countries, and especially with its own conscience. If it doesn't know how to get it on, the German experience can be the best lesson.
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