I don't agree. Did you hear about those massive protests in China over Japan asking to be on the Security Council? There was a lot of this issue mixed up in those protests as well. A lot of Japan flag burning.

Oh really? So you're saying that they are taught that Japan attacked China without provocation and raped and murdered more than 300,000 people in Nanjing? I believe that the number is lowered and its described as if it were a battle, as opposed to what it really was, a massacre and a rape.


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Just as no one should care what the Nazi's side of the story was, no one should care about what the Japanese side of the story was.


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I would care about what both of their versions of history was. Not because I want to believe them but because looking at different angles help get a better and more complete picture. I have seen different versions of history to fully appreciate Napoleon's quote, "History is nothing but a set of lies agreed upon". Growing up in Switzerland, Russia, India and Malaysia taught me as much, everyone blows their own trumpets.

That has a lot to do with what I said. Older generation on the Japanese side who refuse to apologize for what they did. Older generation on the Korean and Chinese side still angry (and rightly so) that the Japanese will not apologize for what they did. The younger generation will fix all that. It has not been a long time since WWII and although it would be ideal for the older generation to admit the wrongdoings... obviously (as has been proven throughout history in many, many, many countries for various reasons) it is not realistic to believe that they will. The only way you usually get one of those apologies is if you reduce the other side to rubble and then force them to say it. And then it's not meant. It's just forced.

Of course, until the sides come to an agreement or engage in talks about the past atrocities there will be protests. It doesn't necessarily mean that they hate each other. It means that until the Japanese say and truly mean they are sorry and they recognize what they did as wrong and admit to it... China and Korea will do all they can to make sure Japan does not join their 'club'. Flag burning doesn't necessarily mean "hate" anyway. It is a symbolic gesture of protest.



I believe they are taught the gist of what happened. Just as Americans are taught the gist of what they did to the Native Americans (and continue to do). Countries don't like to dwell on what they did wrong. Japanese are not taught that China attacked first. They are taught that they did. What the numbers given are and all that I couldn't say. But ask the average American how many Native Americans were slaughtered with guns/swords/disease and they won't be able to tell you. Countries don't teach things they are ashamed of. I don't believe that the Japanese even really learn too much about the bombs that were dropped on them since I was in the area of Hiroshima and even my Japanese teacher was shocked when she and another student took a day trip there. As I said... countries gloss over those shameful parts. If you want to force them to teach it the way you think it should be taught then don't forget to enforce that with every other country out there.

Things will change with the younger generation. People expecting it right now are thinking passionately and not realistically. Look at other examples of similar things throughout history... the resolution came generations later when those who lived through it were dead and others could move forward to improve relations with the "enemy" without the anger that is associated with living through horrible ordeals like that.

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although this sensitive issue directly concerns many women in my country i cannot help but agree with your general point of view and Izzibith's as well.

I'd have to contradict you there, Izzibeth. Since I've worked at an international exchange center for foreign students at a UC, I've had a chance to meet many Japanese students. Since I'm quite interested in Asian regional history/politics, on occasion, I've had the opportunity to ask them regarding the "controversial" topics of Japanese textbooks and wartime atrocity. For most of them, if they were not oblivious to certain events, they did not learn about it until they came to the United States through American or Chinese friends. Those that knew certainly never learned it from the Japanese school system. I am unsure as whether or not they are taught that they were forced in to war, although I'm sure some of the older generation believe that. What I'm sure of is that there is a large Japanese population ignorant about WWII events being manipulated to believe that everyone is against them for events that, in their view, have no concrete proof of occurring.

Japan is extremely homogeneous and always unified together. I think no one can argue the fact that the Japanese soldiers are the best soldiers that you can find in the world. They would definitely fight to death without surrender even if it is so obvious that they are losing.

For China and Korea, the most important thing is not about whether or not Japan acknowledges that they acted like animals during WW2. It is about how to prepare for the new Japanese militarism. Believe it or not, the "Pacifist Constitution" is soon going to evaporate. The conflicts between China and South Korea are insignificant compared to the threat from Japan.

*kjhworld
You don't need worry that "their nothing to do with..." is not your problem but theirs!
During all the history, korean never did kill any Queens of japon and enter to burn their nationals bibliotheques all the pays like them.
I realy have a curious "Why Japanes militaries did many times maden fires of all libraries of Korea during the history?" Could answer to me the reasons can be surposed?
What they wanted about?
So now Korea did lost many important history books, and then!
But they are a some, you know?




during some hundreds years...

Hmm... well, the students that I had talked expressed a knowledge on the subject. It could be that they did the research on their own...?

Regardless, I am convinced that the apology will have to come at a much later date. It won't happen now. As I said, throughout history... the apologies have always come (in various situations for various reasons in various parts of the world) after the generation that lived through whatever happened has left. If the apology comes while that generation is still alive... heh... well, it's probably not too sincere. Old beliefs die hard. I'm not going to say that it's never sincere... it's just harder to expect it to be. Obviously somebody believed they were right and trying to make them believe they were wrong after the fact is hard to do in many cases.

Anyway... I think some time needs to pass. Japan is going to have to deal with an influx of immigrants very, very, very soon and with that influx will come the changes most likely.

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[quote=Izzibeth;56974]
They will be the ones to apologize, I can almost guarantee.

They aren't taught crazy lies about history in Japanese schools like ants. They are given the correct history even if they don't delve as deeply into it as people would like...

Well,
I just see, you know, we can speak about German that did during the warII.
but what do you know about in Asia during war?
I don't know well, because they are not so many histories than Deucht & Hitler & Juifs & Nazzi... But what happen in china, Korea, Indonaise?
And compere with Europ, who did have the history contre of Japan?
Even before speaking somethings, like you do speak "the apolosize will be arrive/come" , now how many years past from the warII?
And again, it will be come?? Are you kidding?
Time is past, it's gone!
They are allways like that, that 's O.K, we know it, and we don't need their blablas not sirious speaking about his hipocrate till now.
And what do you want speak here?
So love them continue well... hide by the other hipo.