No more apologies
Tom Plate, syndicated columnist, UCLA professor, and director of the nonprofit Asia Pacific Media Network has written an interesting editorial titled: Japan apologetic: Prisoner of the past?
He correctly points out that Japanese are often puzzled at demands for a “sincere apology” by Korea and China.
“During a certain period in the not too distant past, Japan, following a mistaken national policy, advanced along the road to war, only to ensnare the Japanese people in a fateful crisis and, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations. In the hope that no such mistake be made in the future, I regard, in a spirit of humility, these irrefutable facts of history, and express here once again my feelings of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology. Allow me also to express my feelings of profound mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad, of that history.”
Not theoretically, good enough? In fact, this was the stated public apology for Japan’s war crimes delivered by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama. And this was in 1995.
In 1998, former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi again expressed “remorse and heartfelt apology.”
Plate also seems to believe that the recent boldness by the Japanese government under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi may be part of a strategy aimed at removing the apology card from the diplomatic table entirely.
Japan sports one of history’s most amazing economies, but until recently its diplomatic bottom-line has been far too conservative and risk-adverse. Under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Foreign Ministry ace Machimura, that appears to be changing. If the effort is truly successful, Japan then will no longer need to apologize to anyone.
I think people want an explicit apology for the war crime themselves, not simply for the war and the colonisation. Britain could make the same apology to much of the world that Obuchi made. But the difference here is not subtle:
“I am sorry for war, suffering, colonisation and bad policy.” “I am sorry for the war, suffering, colonisation and bad policy. And I am sorry for murdering millions of chinese, raping millions of Koreans, forced conscription of millions of Chinese and Koreans, and torturing and murdering Malayasians, Filipinos, Britons….”
The difference is the same as Germany saying “I am sorry for the war, for the suffering, and for the bad policy” and “I am sorry for the war, for the suffering, and for the bad policy. And I am sorry for killing millions of jews, gypsies, russians, and for torturing polish freedom fighters…”
March 30th, 2005 at 5:23 pmWith all due respect, i think you’re just off here. For many years, decades even, the Japanese made a huge stink about using the word “apology,” (i think the fuss was over the words “ayamari” or “shazai”) and i think Murayama’s was actually the very first to do so (which was big news in Asia), and even then IIRC, i think it was in not in an official capacity. Murayama is at any rate, no exactly representative of the Japanese political establishment. I have no desire personally to bash the Japanese, but really, Japan wouldnt be a “prisoner of the past” if it had made any serious attempt over the past 50 years to resolve these issues, and that is precisely why, many decades later it is still viewed with suspicion. They are reallly no different from the Turks in this in their mishandling of numerous issues, and likewise Turkey is still viewed with great suspicion as it attempts to enter the EU, even though integration of Turkey with the region could potentially have benefits. People in Korea and China overreact certainly, but ultimately Japan’s bad rap, like that of Turkey, is nobody’s fault but its own.
March 30th, 2005 at 5:39 pmI get the distinction that Japan’s apologies for war issues are a mixed back at best, one step forward, two steps back. A rare apology from an unorthodox member of a minority liberal party followed by a slap in the face by the establishment. Japan’s lack (or perception thereof) of an apology or proper compensation isn’t exactly limited to China or the Koreas (Where the war was felt the most) but extends to a lesser degree in pretty much all of SE Asia. (Post-war diplomatic settlements between SE Asia and Japan is a good place to learn why some of these resentments linger)
March 30th, 2005 at 8:12 pmJing: You nailed that one on the head. There are lists of ‘apologies’ given by various officials of some capacity. What you aren’t shown is the aftermath.
March 30th, 2005 at 11:20 pmOh, and anyone who wants to address this with Tom personally can email him at: tplate@ucla.edu
March 30th, 2005 at 11:25 pmTo add to GUI/Jing’s statements…As more time passes that Japan chooses to ignore it’s past the more hardened and/or outrageous their neighbors reaction will be. The more time passes the less impact any sincere overtures by the Japanese will have on their neighbors.
March 31st, 2005 at 4:03 am