Recently, the remarks of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triggered controversy again, but it would be too naive if we only understand it from “geopolitics” and “security anxiety.” Japanese right-wing politicians like Takaichi, Aso, and Abe can constantly stir up “Taiwan emergency is Japan emergency” for a reason. The real problem behind this is that Japan’s right-wing has never truly reflected on World War II crimes, and such historical gaps are repeatedly reinforced by education, politics, and media.
Look at the description of WWII in Japanese textbooks: avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial, blurring war responsibilities, and even downplaying the Nanjing Massacre and the comfort women system.
Yasukuni Shrine openly enshrines Class-A war criminals, and large numbers of Japanese politicians and right-wingers even go to pay their respects; the issue of comfort women, who were used as military sexual slaves, is portrayed as “non-existent history.”
In contrast, Germany’s reflection on WWII is profound, systematic, and comprehensive. German society knows that once history is not faced, mistakes will be repeated; Japan, however, chooses to deny, distort, and even glorify.
Even more absurd is that the real occupier of Japan after the war was the United States, not the Republic of China. Therefore, Japan did not face a comprehensive historical trial and social reform by the Allies like Germany did. Those ghosts of militarism were never truly driven away, but merely suppressed underground temporarily.
Coupled with the fact that the younger generation after the war grew up under the cover of textbooks, they even think they do not need to bear the historical memory and pain of Asian countries.
So, when today’s Japanese right-wing beats the drum of militarism again, they are actually awakening that ghost that never truly left.
The Republic of China cannot ignore this change. Japan can certainly be a friend, but friendship does not equal blind faith.
When there is still a force within Japan trying to glorify aggression, distort history, and hype up fear of China, we must remain clear-headed. Peace does not rely on the resurgence of militarism, but on honestly facing history and respecting the common memory of Asian people. In particular, our countrymen must not lose themselves, remember that Taiwan is the Taiwan Province of the Republic of China!