“Remembering is never a quiet act of introspection or retrospection. It is a painful remembering, a putting together of the dismembered past to make sense of the trauma of the present.” Homi K. Bhabba (Y. Igarashi 3 2000)
When we observe Japan and how it deals with its history, the question occurs if Japan tries to whitewash its wartime past or if there are any other reasons behind is. The aim of this essay is to discuss this question. In the first part of it I will try to outline the known fact of the Japanese contribution on the World War II as a kind of approach to this sensitive topic. The second part will be dedicated to the role of the “International Military trial for the Far East” in the accounting of the wartime past within the Japanese society. The third part will deal with the sensitive issue of the so-called comfort women and how official Japan deals with this topic. The controversial topic of historical textbooks and how they try to show the role of Japan during the war will be the subject of the fourth part and in the last part I will discuss how the Japanese society in general sees the Second World War and the fact that executed war criminals are still worshiped by the Japanese community.
At a glance
- Grade: 2.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Examines the International Military Trial for the Far East in Tokyo
- Discusses the Japanese government’s 1991–1993 investigation into comfort women
- 13 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Japan and the Second World War
3. The International Military Trial for the Far East
4. The comfort women
5. The history textbook issue
6. The Japanese society and its dealings with the war time past
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay asks whether Japan’s difficulties in confronting its wartime past amount to historical whitewashing or have other explanations. It examines wartime events and postwar responses through the Tokyo trial, the treatment of comfort women, history textbooks and public remembrance.
- Japan’s wartime expansion and conduct in Asia
- The International Military Trial for the Far East and responses to it
- Comfort women and Japanese government statements
- History textbook authorisation and controversy
- Wartime memory and the Yasukuni Shrine
Excerpt from the Book
The International Military Trial for the Far East
In May 1946 the International Military Trial for the Far East was established in Tokyo. It was founded as a counterpart to the Nuremburg Tribunal. The former military leaders of Japan were divided in 3 classes of war criminals. Class A was crimes against peace; Class B was war crimes and Class C crimes against humanity. Twenty-eight people were convicted as Class A criminals and approximately 5,700 were rated in Class B or Class C. The trial ended in November 1948. (The IMTF Charter)
While the Nuremberg Tribunal had strength competences the Tokyo trial was quite weak and heavy footed. One reasons for its weakness could be the emerging Cold War between the former allies US and the USSR. They had different imaginations of how the Tokyo Tribunal should work. Lots of Japanese people formed the opinion that the only purpose of this trial was to find guilty men who just had done their task to defend their motherland and served their government. The Chinese on the other hand thought that the tribunal didn’t go far enough for finding justice. Despite the above mentioned opinion of many Japanese also other attitudes appeared among the population. One thing they all have in common was the not really high reputation, which the Tokyo trial had and still has. To put it simply, two different parties can be distinguished. The first one tried to find or better said tries to find proof that this trial was just a “Show-trial” that was established to humiliate Japan. The second one had the opinion that the trial has neglected several proofs for the Japan’s criminal actions and criminal intend. They also claim that the trial wasn’t eager to communicate those proofs to the Japanese people. In this context it has to be said that the vast majority in Japan just don’t really care and is not interested at all. During the 80ies in all political spectrums the opinion occurred that the International Military Tribunal for the Far East was racially prejudiced in favour of the west. They also claimed that the West didn’t want to acknowledge to itself their crimes against the Asians, for example the use of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (T. Brook, 2008)
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: The author presents the question of historical whitewashing and outlines the topics used to investigate it.
Japan and the Second World War: This chapter sketches Japan’s wartime alliances, conduct in occupied territories, surrender and postwar occupation.
The International Military Trial for the Far East: The essay describes the Tokyo trial and contrasting responses to it, then discusses accounts and denials of the Nanjing Massacre.
The comfort women: This chapter addresses military brothels, a Japanese government investigation and subsequent disputes over apology and compensation.
The history textbook issue: The author examines government authorisation of history textbooks and Saburo Inega’s legal challenge concerning descriptions of wartime atrocities.
The Japanese society and its dealings with the war time past: This chapter considers wartime myths, language, political continuity and controversy surrounding the Yasukuni Shrine.
Conclusion: The author draws together the discussion of wartime memory and notes efforts to challenge historical whitewashing.
Keywords
Japan, Second World War, historical memory, historical whitewashing, Tokyo trial, Nanjing Massacre, comfort women, history textbooks, wartime responsibility, Yasukuni Shrine, war crimes, postwar Japan
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this essay about?
It examines how Japan has dealt with its wartime past and whether its approach can be described as historical whitewashing.
What are the central topics?
The essay considers the Tokyo trial, comfort women, history textbooks, wartime myths and the Yasukuni Shrine.
What is the main research question?
It asks whether Japan’s difficulty confronting its wartime past is a case of historical whitewashing or whether other reasons are involved.
What method does the author use?
The author develops a historical discussion using published sources and examples of public and official responses to wartime events.
What does the main body cover?
It moves from wartime background to the Tokyo trial, the treatment of comfort women, textbook disputes and Japanese social remembrance.
Which keywords characterise the essay?
Key terms include historical memory, war crimes, the Tokyo trial, comfort women, history textbooks and the Yasukuni Shrine.
How does the essay address the Tokyo trial?
It outlines the tribunal and discusses differing views of its legitimacy and treatment of evidence, including evidence concerning the Nanjing Massacre.
Why are history textbooks important to the discussion?
The author considers how government authorisation and legal disputes affected the presentation of Japan’s wartime actions in schools.
What role does the Yasukuni Shrine play in the essay?
The shrine is discussed as a site of wartime remembrance and a source of controversy involving Japan and its former colonial territories.
- Quote paper
- Nina Eder-Haslehner (Author), 2009, Japan and its war-time past, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/166334
