Japan urged to squarely face history of aggression and colonization

China and Japan can prevent historical revisionism and embrace lasting peace by squarely facing Imperial Japan's history of aggression and colonization, according to a symposium in Tokyo themed "80 Years Since the End of the Pacific War, 80 Years Since Japan's Defeat: Toward Building a Peaceful World".

Marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the symposium was organized on Thursday by the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, a Japanese civic group dedicated to upholding the 1995 Murayama Statement that acknowledges Japan's wartime mistakes. About 300 people, including representatives from Japan's political, academic, and media sectors, as well as peace organizations, attended the event.

Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama pointed out that true "patriotism" means confronting historical facts and acknowledging past mistakes with courage.

He stressed that Japan cannot simply claim that "compensation has been made and responsibility fulfilled." Responsibility ends only when the victorious countries or former colonies declare they will no longer pursue claims, he said.

He said, "I believe that promoting peace and the development of democracy, based on a profound reflection on past history, is the path Japan should follow."

Takakage Fujita, secretary-general of the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, quoted Japanese writer Shuichi Kato: "Distorting history brings absolutely no benefit and causes countless harms."

Fujita pointed out that some senior government officials and former cabinet members have repeatedly denied Japan's history of aggression and colonial rule. He noted that while the 1995 Murayama Statement was welcomed by Asian countries, opposition from right-wing factions within the Liberal Democratic Party persists to this day.

He called for remembering key documents such as the Murayama Statement, inheriting and promoting their spirit, and promoting peace and friendship between Japan and other Asian countries.

At the event, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao said that 80 years after Japan's defeat, the country should fulfill its serious political commitments, thoroughly repudiate any actions that distort, glorify, or deny the history of aggression. "Japan should demonstrate through concrete actions its adherence to peaceful development, thereby earning the trust of the Chinese people, the Japanese people, neighboring Asian countries, and the international community," he said.

Akira Yamada, a professor at Meiji University, noted that Japan's pacifism has often been framed by the slogan "not to become a new victim," but emphasized that "avoiding becoming a new aggressor" is even more important.

He noted, "This year marks the 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat. Television still airs programs preserving wartime memories, which is positive. But the focus tends to be on the experiences of urban victims, while Japan's wartime aggression remains largely unseen. I think that is the main issue."

Yamada stressed that Japan should foster friendly relations with China and warned that hostile rhetoric toward China is extremely dangerous. "Distorting historical understanding will ultimately erode our own politics and society," he said.

Kazuhiko Togo, former director-general of the Treaties Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that developing relations with China should be a top priority for Japan to become a responsible and peaceful nation. He emphasized the importance of promoting diplomacy and dialogue, building stable trust between nations, and leveraging this foundation to expand people-to-people exchanges.

Tomoyoshi Kimura, director of the Northeast Asia Dynamics Study Group, emphasized that most people in Japan today were born after the war. Although they did not directly commit wartime crimes, they still bear a responsibility to humbly inherit and convey historical lessons. He noted that an apology is meaningful only when the victims feel they "can coexist with these people," at which point the act of apologizing can be considered complete.

He said that it is the victims, not the perpetrators, who decide whether an apology is necessary. He added, "It's like a child hitting another child—does the one who did the hitting get to say, 'You don't need me to apologize anymore?"

Regarding Japan's defeat in World War II, Kimura said he does not believe that "Japan lost because of American power," but rather that "Japan was defeated by the resistance of China and the peoples of Asia."