Modern Japanese views on Japanese imperialism

In my lifetime I had just a few oportunities to ask Japanese people about the Showa imperialist Japan and how it behaved towards their conquered neighbors. I know this is maybe the most problematic question to ask to a Japanese person and it's possible I got not the most honest answer possible, nevertheless the outcome was not unanimous: some were critics or very critics towards their imperialist past, while others excused it with variyng degrees, having even one considering Hideki Tojo a hero (I also think none of the last ones considered themselves as being uyoku).

Here my questions to the forum,

Are Japanese personal opinions as heterogeneous as mentioned above or there is one majoritary opinion about their recent imperialist past?

If most Japanese people disown the war atrocities commited during the militarist Japan, why are there A-class war criminals still venerated at Yasukuni shrine?

Does most Japanese people think Japanese Army was not more brutal in the Pacific War than the British, the Chinese or the US armies?


I thank you in advance.

You're going to get different answers based on the age of people for one thing. For another, based on their political views (Abe supporters, for example). Then there are the textbook publishers and the grassroots organizations to which people belong. Remember, too, that Chinese and Koreans make up a sizeable population here, so whether you ask a native Japanese or them, you are bound to get a different answer.

I'm guessing you outright asked people point blank, whether in a face to face situation or via a discussion room. Face to face, they will probably not feel comfortable talking about their real feelings unless they have a reason to trust you, and trust takes a very long time to acquire. Even in a discussion group, the anonymity can work against you, because usually only the very vocal will tell you their views (and I suspect it will be favoring imperialism) without fear that you will know who they are. You also have to be careful about anonymous discussion forums because you can't really say for certain who is answering, a Japanese or someone pretending.

If most Japanese people disown the war atrocities commited during the militarist Japan, why are there A-class war criminals still venerated at Yasukuni shrine?

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Well, do most people actually disown the war crimes? That's the first assumption. Very hard to say. Moreover, it wasn't "most people" who built Yasukuni or conceived of it. That was a political move.

Why those criminals are still there is actually a multiple question, too.
1) Who actually considers them criminals? Some politicians will say yes/no and act accordingly. Some will hedge and say nothing, yet visit out of some sense of respect for their (other?) efforts during the war, despite being chastised by China and Korea every time there is a visit.

2) "Still there" begs the question: who decides that they should be moved, and to where? It's not something under active debate at all. It only comes up when the PM pays a visit.

3) "Venerated" needs definition, too, and this falls under #1 responses, as well.

Complex issue.

One perspective I see is that the actual salience of these issues is very low. What we would consider "hard" or ultra-nationalism really probably plays to less than 25% of the population. Furthermore, a recent poll showed that only 6% of respondents viewed national security as the major concern today (and that's a really poor amalgam for what their views on the state's nationalistic past is important). Stuff like economic security, environment and corruption are far more important to their daily lives.

Furthermore, whatever their views on Japanese history, a far larger majority of japanese hold views that are pacifist in nature. I've met a number of citizens that might have excused away these atrocities, but still held staunch non-agression views. Many have argued that war is just bad in all respects, and therefore should be avoided altogether.

Really I'd say that most Japanese just don't care. Some do, and they get focused on by media, but nationalism actual importance is quite complex... just as as Glenski said I don't think people like Abe truly believe that the Japanese were guiltless in their imperial past. I think they would dispute aspects of it, as well as the true cause of guilt.

Also the what places like Yasukuni represents also has different meanings. For some, the individuals enshrined there are not venerated for their corporeal sins, but to appease their non-corporeal souls which are seen by some to be free of guilt (i.e. they are disambiguated from their corporeal bodies.) In the west and china, its seen as veneration of evil people, but its not necessarily seen as that by all. Certainly some do see it in Japan like that, and venerating those individuals are a way to build up Japan again. But that is very much in the minority.

I hope that helps give you some insight. Its just a really complex issue, that does not have a single easy answer to it.

Thank you both for your very profitable answers

In my lifetime I had just a few oportunities to ask Japanese people about the Showa imperialist Japan and how it behaved towards their conquered neighbors. I know this is maybe the most problematic question to ask to a Japanese person and it's possible I got not the most honest answer possible, nevertheless the outcome was not unanimous: some were critics or very critics towards their imperialist past, while others excused it with variyng degrees, having even one considering Hideki Tojo a hero (I also think none of the last ones considered themselves as being uyoku).

at first, no Japanese thinks Tojo Hideki is a hero.
he had a responsibility that Japan was defeated.
.

>Does most Japanese people think Japanese Army was not more brutal in the Pacific War than the British, the Chinese or the US armies?

all wars are brutal.

caster55 said:

at first, no Japanese thinks Tojo Hideki is a hero.
he had a responsibility that Japan was defeated.

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If I wanted to be a stand up comedian making fun of racist Japanese, this would be a joke in my act.

Tojo just became a prime minister as war time administration just before ww2 18th October 1941.
he was a personn who was a most suitable to avoid a war..
however he had to decide a war as a prime minister as an executor
he resigned it July 1944 for for fall of Saipan
it had a nothing to do with china and korea

anyway there is no A criminals in Japan

in 1952, A people's social campaign to release a person considered to be a war crime immediately occurs and is caused by the signatures of 40 million Japanese citizens having gathered

June 9 "the resolution about a war criminal's release etc.", 1952, in Diet
December 9 "the resolution about release of the convict by war crimes etc.", 1952, and August 3, 1953,
Those who were made into the "war criminal" were pardoned and the "resolution about pardon of the convict by war crimes" which restores honor was overwhelmingly approved including the Socialist Party.

In 1955 "the resolution about the immediate release request of the war convict" in Japanese diet

A "treaty" is in predominance earnestly from "municipal law" actually, therefore the problem of an "A-class war criminal" exists.

he is called a martyr of Showa era


Testament of Hideki Tojo
東條英機の遺言 - Wikipedia

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caster55 said:

>Does most Japanese people think Japanese Army was not more brutal in the Pacific War than the British, the Chinese or the US armies?

all wars are brutal.

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I agree that all wars are brutal but I recommend you to see for example the BBC documentary Horror in the East by Laurence Rees -or read its companion book of the same name- and see -in the case the interviewed Japanese testimonies are not lying- if the Japanese Empire was or not specially extreme in the Pacific War

There is no offense intended but if you are a true supporter of the overly racist government of early Showa period, I'm wondering if you have some kind of conflict in having the very roots of your own culture contaminated by pivotal elements of Chinese and Indian origin.

The "40 million" signatures story seems to be an urban myth perpetuated by certain right wing elements.

ﾂ?ｸﾂ 窶敕ｼ窶堋ｵ窶堋｢ﾅ｡ﾃ｢窶愿ｺ窶ｹLﾂ ﾂ?ｸ ﾂ静ｭ窶敕?ｽﾃ坂?禿??ｰ^窶慊ｮ窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙ｩﾂ債ｧﾅ?ﾃｨﾂ渉絶?督ｼ窶堋ｪ窶售窶唹窶唹窶唹窶毒督人窶堙俄?傳窶堋ｵ窶堋ｽﾂ？

At any rate, there was a movement to pardon the remaining war criminals held in prisons in Japan and abroad. Bear in mind this was after the most high-profile leaders had already been executed.

War guilt is a hot-button topic (like your post on the burakumin of a few days ago). So if you go charging into sensitive topics with an incomplete grasp of the language, its no surprise that you get defensive answers. If you are really curious about this stuff there is a good book by John Dowager called "Embracing Defeat", that I highly recommend. The issue is deep and complicated, like the burakumin issue. And yes, personal opinions in Japan are as heterogeneous as mentioned above - not a very surprising revelation, I would think, no?

Japanese are still imperialist even today, refuse to give back Diaoyu islands, continuing visits to Yasukuni despite strong condemnation from the world, one of the highest military expenditure and one of the best navy in the world yet constitutional pacifist.

They also claim parts of Russia and occupations South Koreas, if this isn't imperialism?

And now there is even intention to change their pacifist constitution.

If you're are pacifist and protected by the best military in the world, then why do you need to spend so much money on military?

Japanese people themselves are naturally xenophobic towards White people and racist towards other Asians they deem "inferior" which is shown through out Japanese society even in the 21st century. Japan is a long way from the democratic and tolerant country they try to portray.

They Japanese people still have a sense of superiority carried from the early 20th century and 1980s and still think they are the best nation in Asian despite the fact their economy is virtually stagnant and have a lower PPP per capita than HK, Taiwan and Singapore and only marginally better than South Korea.

Azomyr
it is same in Japan from another view oppositely. it is because relative from each view.