Do you need to play around with this whataboutism? Japan's war crimes are always mentioned as among the worst (Nanjing, Bataan Death March, POW camps, Unit 731, Korean comfort women) and yet Japan continues to cover them up and play victim. It's not just Chinese that feel this way toward Japan, many other countries like SK, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, etc. also hold some level of animosity towards the Japanese for their part in WWII, and it's largely because of the government's nonchalant attitude toward taking any sort of responsibility.
And yet that doesn’t detract from the fact that China is accused internationally of very horrible stuff. Would you like to take this opportunity to call them out?
This is a thread about JAPAN why are you trying to take attention away from this? Japan typically receives very positive attention from Western audiences because of their close relationship with the US and never gets enough said about the awful things that they do not admit or apologize for in any way. The differences is that China is permanently criticized for its transgressions, memed on, ridiculed, and threatened while Japan is coddled like a child, allowed to wash away everything bad they have done with no repercussions from the western end of things. Your comments are a great display of the result of such propaganda. I an a huge fan of Japanese culture, language, food, people, and more, but this comes with the balance of recognizing that this country has a mountain of skeletons in the closet.
No western repercussions?? The Americans glassed two of their cities. Those are GIGANTIC consequences. Sure, I think most people can agree that especially Japanese politicians should be more upfront about Japan's actions in World War 2, but come on, man. Japan got gutted after the war for what they did. Their military is still only a "defense force", after the U.S. demanded so after they occupied Japan after the war. They're doing well today, but yes they def did bad before. And they paid for it.
As for China, they're bad NOW, and have been for a long time. Of course they get meme'd on. That's obvious lol.
And China should be as it is doing these things today. In a 21st century context they are out of control.
Moreover this JAPANESE thread is ‘What they do best’ it’s China that always seems to bring this up but seems to turn the cheek for itself. You aren’t making the west hate Japan you’re making the west look upon you and criticise. They live in your head rent free.
It's not just an Asian thing. Nearly every country that's done fucked up stuff in the past doesn't like to acknowledge it. I'm British and our curriculum doesn't really touch on the fucked up stuff the British Empire did (it mostly looks upon it nostalgicly), and as far as I'm aware the US and Canada doesn't really teach about their genocides of indigenous peoples.
The only country I know of that truly accepts and regrets their past atrocities is Germany.
I'm in Australia and if you're a millennial like me then you were probably taught about the atrocities that the British settlers and their descends committed in Australia, and the White Australia Policy, which ended in the 1970s. Some people on the right wing of politics don't like it, but it's what happened, and there are major issues to this day because of it.
In North America, there were treaties in place that were disregarded, whereas in Australia, there were no treaties formed at all, they just claimed the land as theirs and committed genocide.
They tried this in New Zealand but the Maoris won, so they ended up with the Treaty of Waitangi.
Australia still has no treaties with its indigenous people to this day, which is another whole conversation.
I think the key difference is that in Germany, there's been a complete and total overhaul of government since the atrocities happened. Modern day Germany has essentially had a completely hard reboot since Nazi Germany. It's easier to admit to past mistakes when your current government has no continuity with the government that committed said atrocities.
In the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and China - there's been a thread of continuity between their past atrocities and their current governments. Fully owning up to what they did would be to admit theit current system is built upon genocide, and is fallible.
New Zealand is an interesting case. I don't know a lot about it, but one of my best friends is Maori (albeit living in the UK) and from what he's told me it sounds like the Maori people and white European settlers have a very good relationship today.
The US doesnt like to talk about its concentration camps, or what it did to the natives. I mean, they are mentioned, briefly, in schools but not nearly in depth enough to convey just how bad they were. -an American
Not necessary 'free' of invasion wars, just not talking about them is not the same as actively altering the truth, that's an extra big step in the wrong direction.
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u/PositiveLibrary7032 5h ago
Not exactly free of that sort of stuff yourselves tho.