International observers, in separate interviews with China Media Group on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, have voiced sharp criticism over Japan's efforts to obscure its wartime atrocities, warning that the country's accelerating military buildup is reviving dangerous re-militarism and threatening regional peace and stability.
For Singaporean historian Lim Shaobin, the historical revisionism pursued by Japan's right-wing forces is not only a betrayal of historical truth but also a catalyst for the country's accelerating re-militarization.
"Over 80 years ago, Japan committed serious war crimes in Asia. Many of these crimes against humanity remain untried. The first and most fundamental issue lies in the ongoing attempts by the Japanese right-wing leaders to reshape historical narratives. In recent years, a series of dangerous actions taken by the Japanese government expose the real threat of its militarization. Japan must confront its past honestly and commit to a path of peaceful development," Lim said.
His concerns were echoed by Yang Ki-ho, a professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at Seoul's Sungkonghoe University, who noted that since Japan's Takaichi administration took office, it has rolled out an array of military expansion measures that have sparked growing opposition both at home and from abroad. "Overall, I believe Japan is moving toward becoming a military power alongside efforts to revise its constitution. In the current period of time with stability, Japan is exerting great efforts to push ahead with a series of legislative measures that exhibit a distinct right-wing character, particularly regarding the anti-espionage legislation, military expansion, revisions to key defense documents, and the establishment of a National Intelligence Bureau. In that context, the new intelligence bureau and the revised defense strategy should be seen as part of the broader policy direction," said Professor Yang.
Prosper Bernard, a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, offered a more personal reflection on Japan's wartime crimes, urging the nation to face up to its past of aggression just as Germany has done.
"I visited the Nanjing Massacre Museum (Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre) a couple of times and I would like to bring more of the Canadians to see it and to know more about this sad part of history. People in Japan cannot say it never happened. It did happen and it is part of history. Germany has apologized many times about the war, which I don't see the same feeling in Japan," he said.
International observers decry Japan’s denial of wartime crimes amid resurgent re-militarism
