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Japan's Contested War Memories
Japan's Contested War Memories is an important and significant book that explores the struggles within contemporary Japanese society to come to terms with Second World War history. Focusing particularly on 1972 onwards, the period starts with the normalization of relations with China and the return of Okinawa to Japan in 1972, and ends with the sixtieth anniversary commemorations. Analyzing the variety of ways in which the Japanese people narrate, contest and interpret the past, the book is also a major critique of the way the subject has been treated in much of the English-language. Philip Seaton concludes that war history in Japan today is more divisive and widely argued over than in any of the other major Second World War combatant nations. Providing a sharp contrast to the many orthodox statements about Japanese 'ignorance', amnesia' and 'denial' about the war, this is an engaging and illuminating study that will appeal to scholars and students of Japanese history, politics, cultural studies, society and memory theory.
- GenresJapan
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2009
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April 24, 2025
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The most interesting part of this book is Table 6.2. It kind of illustrates why Japan has a hard time apologizing. It details thể differences of views and priorities of the progressives, progressive leaning, conservative, and nationalist views of WW2 atrocities in Japan. There is huge disagreement ơn whether Japanese colonialism treated colonial subjects harshly, whether it was normal or if it should be lauded as freeing people from the European yoke. There are similar divisions of opinion ơn comfort women, the A bomb, Nanking Massacre and war trials. There is little consensus for these sensitive topics, so a nasty fight could break out if these topics were broached in everyday life. Luckily, the parties differ in regards to their priority ơn each topic, sợ there is a possibility for a deal if the parties that want to apologize to the rest of Asia do not negotiate out of fear but also do not fear to negotiate.
The most interesting part of this book is Table 6.2. It kind of illustrates why Japan has a hard time apologizing. It details thể differences of views and priorities of the progressives, progressive leaning, conservative, and nationalist views of WW2 atrocities in Japan. There is huge disagreement ơn whether Japanese colonialism treated colonial subjects harshly, whether it was normal or if it should be lauded as freeing people from the European yoke. There are similar divisions of opinion ơn comfort women, the A bomb, Nanking Massacre and war trials. There is little consensus for these sensitive topics, so a nasty fight could break out if these topics were broached in everyday life. Luckily, the parties differ in regards to their priority ơn each topic, sợ there is a possibility for a deal if the parties that want to apologize to the rest of Asia do not negotiate out of fear but also do not fear to negotiate.
Displaying 1 of 1 review