Twenty years ago, I wrote a poem titled Do Not (Thoughts on Prime Minister Koizumi Visiting the Yasukuni Shrine). Originally in Chinese, I translated it into English at a later stage. 

The following is an excerpt:

Sons and daughters of Japan,

Do not try to pretend away the sins of your forefathers.

Nor be burdened by what they had done unto others.

Whether or not you stand truly upright,

Depends entirely on how you lead your own life.

Ancient times or modern; here, there, and everywhere

Men who bring blessings live alongside those who bring ill.

What’s done is done do whatever you will.

Do not intoxicate yourself with past glory

Take command. Life shall not be tainted by past folly!

My wish is that the young people of Japan will face the historical facts with tenacity. If they show courage in espousing the truth and do what they can to help foster understanding and world peace, they are civilized and stand tall. There is nothing to be ashamed of, because they played no part in the atrocities committed by others. Sadly, from 1931 to 1945, many young Japanese people were fooled by politicians into invading other countries, believing it was for the national good.

For years, I have been hoping Japan will have the courage to face the fact that the Imperial Japanese Army committed atrocities that caused a lot of suffering in China and other Asian countries. For years I have been disappointed.

Japan is the first foreign country I ever visited. Back in 1971 when I attended university, I joined an AIESEC exchange program and spent two summer months at Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd in Osaka on a traineeship. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay, and found the country full of friendly and nice people. I also got to know an organization called Soka Gakkai, which was associated with a sect of Buddhism called Nichiren Shoshu, whose adherents formed the Komeito Party, which has a long history of cordial ties with China, and which eventually chose to part company with the Liberal Democratic Party because the LDP failed to tighten rules on the funding of political parties.

For years, I have been hoping Japan will have the courage to face the fact that the Imperial Japanese Army committed atrocities that caused a lot of suffering in China and other Asian countries. For years I have been disappointed

Almost 20 years ago I organized an International Interdisciplinary Conference on “Lessons from History” (June 9-10, 2006) at Lingnan University. Regrettably, humans apparently have not taken lessons from history to heart. So, history keeps repeating itself. This sad reality, I believe, is the result of unenlightened politicians who focus only on their own short-term interests and those of their patrons. Under global capitalism, wealth is now very much concentrated among a tiny percentage of the global population, and it is these vested interests who call the shots. Enlightened, respectable people who are strong ethically and who have a strong sense of responsibility to do good for the country and the world have a slim chance of winning elections. Former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama, who died in October, is known for making a public apology over Japan’s role in World War II. He held office from 1994 to 1996 almost 30 years ago.

On Saturday, China held a national memorial for victims of the Nanjing Massacre. A survivor of the massacre that happened 88 years ago, Xia Shuqin, 96, attended the ceremony in Nanjing, where she witnessed seven members of her nine-person household tortured and killed by invading Japanese soldiers. She herself was stabbed three times and lost consciousness, only to be awakened by the crying of her 4-year-old sister lying among dead bodies. To avoid a repeat of such tragedies, we must remember history.

The failure of Japan to face up its history is not the way for Japan as a nation to stand tall. Japanese politicians these days, instead of acknowledging the facts of history, have chosen to rewrite history by downplaying Japanese aggression. The New History Textbook, published in 2000, is an example of how Japanese war crimes are being whitewashed. Quite apart from the textbook, the attempt to hollow out the pacifist constitution to advance military expansion is particularly concerning. This is likely fueled in part by America’s portrayal of China as a “threat”.

Yet this clearly goes counter to Japan’s own interests. The European Union worked closely with the United States at the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the world thought that Europe and America working alongside Ukraine would win the war. Yet both Ukraine and the EU have suffered miserably while America appears to be the only winner.

The Japanese animated film written and directed by Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies, was highly acclaimed for the success of its anti-war message without trying to depict Japan as a victim. Although Takahata kept saying it was not intended as an anti-war movie, he is known to be an anti-war advocate and a staunch supporter of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. He implores young people to have independent, critical thinking. Sadly, these days too many people play into the hands of self-interested politicians who just want to stay in power and are too ready to comply with the demands of their patrons.

The author is an honorary research fellow at the Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University, and an adjunct professor at the Academy for Applied Policy Studies and Education Futures, the Education University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.