Survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing and civic groups in Nagasaki have long campaigned for the city's atomic bomb museum to fully document Japan's wartime atrocities, alongside its own victimhood.
August 9, 1945, marked the day the United States dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Within days, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. Now, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum serves as a window for peace education and anti-war advocacy. Yet its exhibitions devote far more space to Japanese civilian suffering than to the nation's own wartime aggression, with references to the invasion of China softly labeled as the "War with China" rather than "aggression."
Despite sustained appeals from local residents, the museum also turned down all their requests during its latest exhibit updates. Residents have called for keeping the clear term "Nanjing Massacre" on display, adding historical records of the forced recruitment of "comfort women", and acknowledging Chinese laborers killed in the atomic bombing. But, none of these appeals were accepted.
"The display panels must provide specific details about how Japan carried out its aggression and expansion. Events such as the "Sept. 18 Incident" in 1931 and the First Sino-Japanese War (commonly known in China as the Jiawu War) must be spelled out specifically. Moreover, crimes including those of Unit 731 and the 'comfort women' must also be explicitly documented," said Tatsuo Sekiguchi, secretary-general of the Nagasaki citizens' association for the protection of freedom of speech and the right to know.
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused tremendous tragedy 81 years ago. However, it must be acknowledged that Japanese militarism waged aggressive wars that inflicted enormous suffering on Asian countries and also brought deep harm to the Japanese people themselves. This constitutes an essential historical context that cannot be overlooked when understanding the atomic bombings.
Genuine peace education should not merely emphasize the devastation caused by the atomic bombs. It must also clearly explain why the war happened, why Japan took the path of aggression, and what kind of devastation the wars of aggression brought to the people of Asia.
"Schools must accurately teach the history of Japan's past actions as an aggressor. Such museums should present this history. The media, too, should accurately report on what happened in the past. If museums like this continue to downplay Japan’s negative history -- its history as a perpetrator -- children who visit these exhibitions will think Japan did not commit such serious wrongs. Japan once inflicted harm on Asian countries. It is Japan’s responsibility never to repeat such harm. And those of us who know this history also have the duty to pass it on," he said.
Japan's Nagasaki residents urge full historical truth as Japan whitewashes wartime aggression
Japan's Nagasaki residents urge full historical truth as Japan whitewashes wartime aggression
