Japan should return the looted Chinese cultural relics as soon as possible and deeply reflect on the history of aggression, said the country's historians at a seminar held in Tokyo on Saturday.
From First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945), Japan looted a great number of cultural relics from China.
For many years, scholars from both China and Japan have been urging the Japanese government to return the cultural relics.
Some of the historians attending the seminar said the only way for Japan to avoid taking the wrong course again is to face up to the history and deeply reflect on its history of aggression.
"Japan looted a great number of cultural relics from China during its war of aggression against the country, which is a historic 'negative equity' that should be corrected. Returning the cultural relics to China will also contribute to the Japan-China friendship in the long run," said Takakage Fujita, secretary-general of the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement.
Scholars also said sending the relics back to China will also help raise the awareness of the history of aggression among Japanese people.
"We should verify those looted Chinese cultural relics and actively return them. By doing so, Japanese people will have more comprehensive awareness of the war of aggression as well as the responsibilities for the aggression," said Atsushi Kouketsu, professor emeritus of Yamaguchi University.
The historians at the seminar also highlighted the significance of returning the relics for pushing Japan to rethink its modern history so as to truly contribute to peace promotion. "We are simply claiming that we are reflecting on the war but taking no real actions. I think not returning the looted cultural relics is an example of such thinking," said Tsuguo Toukairin, vice chairman of the Tokyo Association of History Educators.
"Japan needs to rethink its modern history. Without doing so but just claiming anti-war stance will provide no foundation for promoting peace and the return of cultural relics," said Akira Igarashi, director of the research department of Tokyo Buried Cultural Properties Center.
Japanese historians urge return of relics looted from China
Japanese historians urge return of relics looted from China
