isn't it time that japan got a break from its past

[Goldiegirl]

I can't say what Japanese know or don't know about their history. I can't comment on that. Sorry. I guess it is up to the countries that Japan invaded or went to war against to make movies, documentaries etc. to get their history into the publics attention. I suppose it all comes down to the fact that we want "our" side of a war validated.

 

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

Japanese do know their history.
Also the history from what happened during WWII. But I am afraid that the Japanese government prefers to deny any committed crime.

The archives of the Pacific war are in Washington and in Tokyo.

 

[pipokun]

Sorry I should have said more that I saw a TV documentary about Obama, CBS document or something, and it told about Jim Crow laws.
And the brothel,

窶堙懌?堋ｽﾂ進窶吮?愬坦窶堙娯?牌窶ｹﾂ≫?堙?，窶昶?卍人窶堙?坂?｢ﾂ人窶堙??堋ｪ窶ｹﾃｦ窶｢ﾃ岩?堋ｳ窶堙ｪﾂ，ﾅｽO窶凖ν?ｮ窶ｰﾃ猟新窶冢窶堙娯?堙絶?堙??堙や?堙娯?之ﾅ?f窶堋ｪﾂ坂?｢ﾂ人ﾂ静ｪ窶廃窶堙??堋ｵ窶堙??藩懌?廃窶堋ｳ窶堙ｪ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙??堙??堙遺?堙≫?堋ｽ窶堋ｪﾂ，窶堋ｱ窶堙娯?堙??堋ｫﾂ，窶慊ｹﾅ津｣窶堙?ｽO窶凖??堙娯?愿⇒?ｹﾅ?X窶堙戸?藩??窶｢w窶堙坂?啀窶啌窶唹ﾂ人窶堙ｰ窶卍ｴ窶堋ｦ窶堙??堋｢窶堋ｽ
http://www.cc.matsuyama-u.ac.jp/~tamura/SENGO--MATYUYAMA.html
(This is a case about brothels in Matsuyama, Ehime.)
At the request from the Allied force, brothels were separeted for white and black soldiers and a red light district was chosen for black only brothels.

Elizabeth van Kampen, the greatness of Europe is that you society allows someone like Rudy Kousbroek (I read his book before) who can see the world from a different point of view, even though he was the victim. When someone in Asia wrote a book like him, he/she could not live peacefully in their country, even now.

 

[WHEATTHlNS]

As soon as the government owns up to it and accepts it - then sure. But all signs point to that not happening.

One simply needs to visit the A-Bomb dome and the museum to see that history is tragically muddled.

 

[bakaKanadajin]

As soon as the government owns up to it and accepts it - then sure. But all signs point to that not happening.
One simply needs to visit the A-Bomb dome and the museum to see that history is tragically muddled.

If you're saying that the a-bomb museum and ground zero area are propagandist or historically incorrect I'd have to disagree. Those places are fairly objective in their presentation of the horrors of the atomic attack. Alot of the exhibits are simply remnants; old watches, lunch boxes, etc., and they aim to remind all people, regardless of their background, that no matter what the political circumstances, nuclear war should be avoided at all costs. I don't think that simply because it underscores the horrors of atomic bombs and their long-term effects on people it somehow contributes to any misinformation. I personally didn't read or hear anything there that was trying to make the participant feel bad or suddenly feel sorry for the Japanese, one can indeed learn a great deal and still walk away with their political views unmolested. Of course, some exhibits are not for the faint of heart but this is simply the reality of radiation and its effects on the human body.

 

[soraAI14]

it may just be me, but isn't the issue of japan's war crimes being heard about in the news a little too much lately? i know about its history of mistreating pows, and that they were bloody and violent and all and as a Jew i can empathize with all the victims. But by now hasn't their culture evolved past that? I don't see anyone going out nowadays and cutting open their stomachs over minor things. Japan has become a modernized and civilized nation. I don't see anyone still yelling at Germany over what it did, we Jews remember that it happened but we don't constantly harp on it. In fact it is like japan a prosperous member of the international world. Isn't it time to stop beating the dead horse over the head?
I don't think that trying to push the Japanese government into a corner will accomplish anything.
Again I'm just offering my opinion and don't mean to offend anyone. If I'm being stupid or childish please let me know. I'm only 16 after all and still learning.

Other countries are only doing that because they want to steer everyones attention away from their own bloody pasts. I't called the "blame game", everyone just want's to clear their names and look as innocent as posibly by pointing fingers at the next contry they see. It's really typical at how no one forgets how to a kindergartener

 

[tomorrow_apple]

I agree Sora.
With the anniversary of the bombs being dropped on Hiroshima, I think it's sickening that there are still Americans who believe it was 'neccessary'. I hear so many people saying that it was 'neccessary' to kill so many innocent people, and that it was 'neccessary' because they were the enemy. And that the Japanese 'were evil' because of their cruel torture camps, yet the Americans think it was okay to drop two atomic bombs on Japan (which still affect people today). It's just not right!

Every country has their own way of making themselves look like the good guys. When, in fact, nobody was "good" back then.

I went to the Australian "Shrine of Rememberance" quite a while ago. I was disturbed that one of the tour guides still thought that the "Japs and Turks" were evil. *shakes head*