Defiled Shrine
Today is the 60th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine this morning, where 14 Class A war criminals from the WWII were enshrined. Protests broke out in China and South Korea as a result.
What’s the big deal with the Prime Minister visiting Shinto shrines? Why can’t Mr. Koizumi freely pursue his religious belief? Some people argue that Shinto worship was channeled into Japan’s imperialistic ambitions in the WWII and thus was a sore spot to many. To me, visiting Shinto shrines itself does not have to be a big deal. It becomes a big deal when Japan has never been forced to confront its behavior in the WWII and when it consistently brushes away and denies its wrongdoings.
Japan has been able to get away with not confronting its actions in WWII. There have been so many incidents that cause me to lament. How can the Japanese government get away with editing historical facts in their textbooks? Why was the last emperor never tried as a war criminal when he clearly was one? How can some right-wing political groups repeatedly deny killings of civilians during WWII? In comparison, Germany has been much more apologetic.
To me, the status quo of Japan’s unapologetic attitude towards WWII is a remnant of the geopolitical environment after the War. As the only “civilized” nation in Asia, Japan was considered a capitalism stronghold against rising Communism threat in East Asia. Japan was whiffed by its U.S. occupants into reconstruction quickly and skipped a period of repentance entirely. Germany, on the other hand, had to apologize profusely, as was considered imperative for its co-existence with its neighbors.
A terribly weak excuse that Mr. Koizumi came up with today was that he did not believe him not visiting the shrines would improve Japan’s relations with China or South Korea. Indeed, apologizing for WWII is not sufficient for harmony in East Asia. But it is necessary. Much change has taken place in the past sixty years. Japan is no longer the superpower in East Asia. It is time for Japan to consider co-existing with others, or time for it to introspect.
What’s the big deal with the Prime Minister visiting Shinto shrines? Why can’t Mr. Koizumi freely pursue his religious belief? Some people argue that Shinto worship was channeled into Japan’s imperialistic ambitions in the WWII and thus was a sore spot to many. To me, visiting Shinto shrines itself does not have to be a big deal. It becomes a big deal when Japan has never been forced to confront its behavior in the WWII and when it consistently brushes away and denies its wrongdoings.
Japan has been able to get away with not confronting its actions in WWII. There have been so many incidents that cause me to lament. How can the Japanese government get away with editing historical facts in their textbooks? Why was the last emperor never tried as a war criminal when he clearly was one? How can some right-wing political groups repeatedly deny killings of civilians during WWII? In comparison, Germany has been much more apologetic.
To me, the status quo of Japan’s unapologetic attitude towards WWII is a remnant of the geopolitical environment after the War. As the only “civilized” nation in Asia, Japan was considered a capitalism stronghold against rising Communism threat in East Asia. Japan was whiffed by its U.S. occupants into reconstruction quickly and skipped a period of repentance entirely. Germany, on the other hand, had to apologize profusely, as was considered imperative for its co-existence with its neighbors.
A terribly weak excuse that Mr. Koizumi came up with today was that he did not believe him not visiting the shrines would improve Japan’s relations with China or South Korea. Indeed, apologizing for WWII is not sufficient for harmony in East Asia. But it is necessary. Much change has taken place in the past sixty years. Japan is no longer the superpower in East Asia. It is time for Japan to consider co-existing with others, or time for it to introspect.
posted by Kishuki | 9:21 PM
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