Japan marks 72nd anniversary of its surrender in WWII

"We will convey the misery of war and the preciousness of peace to the next generations and work toward building Japan and an international community that will never go to war again."

please do... and start with your own government.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko reflect the true conscience and soul of the nation.

"We will convey the misery of war and the preciousness of peace to the next generations and work toward building the United States and an international community that will never go to war again."

Can a US president vow this too, please? No more war.

Hmmm ebisen.  I think Japan of 100 years ago and Japan of today 2 very different places.  not least because they have learnt from history.  Are you saying you can envisage Japan starting a war of aggression?  On who exactly?

Japan marks 72nd anniversary of its surrender in WWII

Maybe time to mark it as the anniversary of the "end of the war" instead of the "country's surrender".

The historical revisionism and whitewashing viciously pushed down from the academic, political and media elite in Japan is so disgusting and appalling, that it simply shows their indecency and skewed moral compass.

For me, it's hard to blame the ordinary Japanese people for their views and consequently their utterly vile behavior regarding countries and people who have suffered from their atrocities, but i also find it exponentially difficult to tolerate them as well.

The self-righteous and hypocritical behavior of wanting to portray yourself as a victim, when you are the aggressor, and wanting the world to remember and commemorate your skewed and twisted perception of victimhood, while viciously denying the right and fighting back at the real victims who want to do the same, accusing them of being anti-Japanese for wanting to commemorate and remember the victims and suffering imposed upon them by a foreign imperial power.

Once again the analogy of Germany comes to mind. Imagine if Germany had a church dedicated to Nazi officials, including Hitler, and high ranking officials, including the President and PM themselves regularly visit the church saying they are only paying respect for the dead who suffered a tragic war. Removing all mentions of any war crimes from their history textbooks, and cunningly arrange the textbooks so it portrays an image that Germany just happened to be dragged into a horrific war, and then viciously accusing Poland and Israel for wanting to commemorate the victims of their aggression as being ''anti-German''. It's just beyond appalling, and i personally would not even want to describe these people as humans, they are disgusting and they represent everything wrong with the world. If Germany's behavior after the war was anything remotely close to that of Japan, there would've never been peace in Europe, we would've still be fighting a third war, maybe even a fourth one.

All my prayers goes to Korea, China, and all the victims of that brutal, fanatic and murderous regime known as the Empire of Japan run by the very same people in charge of Japan today.

"If it was Japan who won the war, Japan would treat the war loser with respect."

I have to say that is highly debatable given the way the Japanese treated the "losers" i.e. POWs during the war.

Better mark the 72-th anniversary of the end of the WW2 instead of the surrender.

The biggest lesson which Japan should draw from WW II surrender is that weakness in any form is a course and that Japan will never remain weak and emerge as a strong country to face future with confidence.

IloveCoffee, I agree (actually I don't like coffee, but I agree with your post!).

Japan will never remain weak and emerge as a strong country to face future with confidence.

Depopulation has their number.

"If it was Japan who won the war, Japan would treat the war loser with respect."

I have to say that is highly debatable given the way the Japanese treated the "losers" i.e. POWs during the war.

Agree. Look at how Chinese civilian population, especially in Nanking, were treated when Japan invaded the country in 1937 and occupied the country throughout the war period.

It also well documented that Japan was pursuing an atomic bomb program during World War II (reference Ni-Go Project and F-Go Project). If Japan successfully built the atomic bomb at that time, would they have use it? You bet they would!

Of course none of this is admitted or acknowledged. It would detract from the vicimization/sympathy derived from being the only country that suffered from an atomic bomb attack. Japan history ignores or downplays their wartime conduct in the Pacific War prior to 6 Aug 1945.

The good thing out of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombs and the subsequent surrender is that it forced Japan to abandon their military expansionist ambitions and gave them a postwar mission to redeem themselves: Pursuit of World Peace.

But it still doesn't absolve them of the responsibility of their wartime actions and conduct prior to 1945..

IloveCoffeeAug. 15  11:02 pm JST

The historical revisionism and whitewashing viciously pushed down from the academic, political and media elite in Japan is so disgusting and appalling, that it simply shows their indecency and skewed moral compass.

For me, it's hard to blame the ordinary Japanese people for their views and consequently their utterly vile behavior regarding countries and people who have suffered from their atrocities, but i also find it exponentially difficult to tolerate them as well.

The self-righteous and hypocritical behavior of wanting to portray yourself as a victim, when you are the aggressor, and wanting the world to remember and commemorate your skewed and twisted perception of victimhood, while viciously denying the right and fighting back at the real victims who want to do the same, accusing them of being anti-Japanese for wanting to commemorate and remember the victims and suffering imposed upon them by a foreign imperial power.

Once again the analogy of Germany comes to mind. Imagine if Germany had a church dedicated to Nazi officials, including Hitler, and high ranking officials, including the President and PM themselves regularly visit the church saying they are only paying respect for the dead who suffered a tragic war. Removing all mentions of any war crimes from their history textbooks, and cunningly arrange the textbooks so it portrays an image that Germany just happened to be dragged into a horrific war, and then viciously accusing Poland and Israel for wanting to commemorate the victims of their aggression as being ''anti-German''. It's just beyond appalling, and i personally would not even want to describe these people as humans, they are disgusting and they represent everything wrong with the world. If Germany's behavior after the war was anything remotely close to that of Japan, there would've never been peace in Europe, we would've still be fighting a third war, maybe even a fourth one.

All my prayers goes to Korea, China, and all the victims of that brutal, fanatic and murderous regime known as the Empire of Japan run by the very same people in charge of Japan today.

Excellent POSt, and BTW it was the American people who buy their products who made japan prosperous!

OssanAmerica

Some corrections need to be made.  Japan's attempt to develop an atomic bomb was meager and it came late in the war.  They did get Germany to send uranium by sub, but it was captured when the war in Germany ended.  The Germans also made a limited attempt at making a bomb, but the effort lacked leadership and support at the top.

IloveCoffee well written I need help writing an essay on similar topic please contact me cliff(at)cliffworks.net

HalwickAug. 16 04:28 pm JST"If it was Japan who won the war, Japan would treat the war loser with respect."

I have to say that is highly debatable given the way the Japanese treated the "losers" i.e. POWs during the war.

Agree. Look at how Chinese civilian population, especially in Nanking, were treated when Japan invaded the country in 1937 and occupied the country throughout the war period.

You mean by the Korean IJA guards and camp officers?

It also well documented that Japan was pursuing an atomic bomb program during World War II (reference Ni-Go Project and F-Go Project). If Japan successfully built the atomic bomb at that time, would they have use it? You bet they would!

So was Germany and they were way ahead of Japan. And nobody doubts they would have used it of they had it.

Of course none of this is admitted or acknowledged. It would detract from the vicimization/sympathy derived from being the only country that suffered from an atomic bomb attack. Japan history ignores or downplays their wartime conduct in the Pacific War prior to 6 Aug 1945.

BS. It's all admitted and common knowledge available all over the internet.

The A-bomb is a different issue- for the entire world. Which is why representatives from a great may countries attend the ceremony. We did far more damage and killing through indiscriminate bombing of civilians with napalm which killed more Japanese than the two A-bombs combined.

The good thing out of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombs and the subsequent surrender is that it forced Japan to abandon their military expansionist ambitions and gave them a postwar mission to redeem themselves: Pursuit of World Peace.

Yup. We made them adopt Article 9 in their constitution renouncing having any military then forced them to create the JSDF when the Korea War broke out.

But it still doesn't absolve them of the responsibility of their wartime actions and conduct prior to 1945..

Actually it does. The International Tribunal for the Far East charged, prosecuted and convicted those responsible. Japan has signed the SF Peace Treaty and separate treaties with other Asian nations- including China (1972) and South Korea (1965). Where I come from you can't be charged for the same crime twice. How about you? There is no doubt that Japan has lived up to it's word as a peaceful nation since 1945 and comments like your run counter to the present US-Japan alliance.

Personally I find the idea of Japan being an aggressor and starting a war these days a little unbelievable.

Indeed, people, you included, NEVER learn from history.

Yeah, the guys are as docile as cats - the nation is being practically hijacked by a bunch of old politicians and they do not bat an eye. SA-FE.

Maybe time to mark it as the anniversary of the "end of the war" instead of the "country's surrender".

It IS the anniversary of the "end of the war", Shusen Kinenbi in Japanese. 

If it was Japan who won the war, Japan would treat the war loser with respect.

9/14

Never forget.

Moving stuff.  Personally I find the idea of Japan being an aggressor and starting a war these days a little unbelievable.  just have to look around at society here to believe that it is just not possible.