Why did the Japanese fail to develop a sense of collective responsibility for the wartime and colonial atrocities they committed, and why do they continue to fail to do so? Of course, a sense of responsibility is closely interlinked with a sense of justice, and the collective sense of justice is an essential factor for the idea and practice of democracy.
Repeated denial of Japan’s war atrocities by the Japanese government and the perpetual absence of a deep sense of war responsibility among the Japanese populace are the results of complex historical processes of the interrelationship between the victor and the defeated nations. Japan’s present “democracy” is founded on this basis. Historians have so far failed to examine the absence of Japan’s collective sense of war responsibility from the viewpoint of the interrelationship between Japan and the U.S.
The aim of this book is to unravel the entangled U.S.–Japan relationship over war responsibility by closely analyzing it from five different perspectives.
“First is Japanese atrocities and war crimes. Second is the criminal nature of U.S. strategic and nuclear targeting of civilians. Third is the immediate postwar U.S. and Japanese coverup of the emperor’s war responsibility (and how this dovetailed with the coverup of the atrocious nature of America’s air war). Fourth is how this double coverup created inherent contradictions in Japan’s so-called peace constitution of 1947, which remains unrevised to the present day. The final overarching focus is on how understanding this dynamic concatenation can help us better understand the flaws and failings of present-day democracy in Japan.” (an extract from Foreword by John Dower)
Yuki Tanaka was a Research Professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute of Hiroshima City University until his retirement in 2015. His publications include Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes in World War II and Japan's Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery and Prostitution During World War II and the US Occupation.
Doors open at 6:00 pm. Dinner is served from 6:15 pm. The presentation starts from 7:15 pm.
Menu: Mixed Salad/ Pork Hamburger Steak with Demi-glace Sauce/ Today's Sherbet/ Coffee or Tea with One Drink. Book Break charges are 3,000 yen/ 4,000 yen (members/ non-members) per person.
FCCJ members can sign up at the reception desk. Reservations cancelled less than 72 hours in advance will be charged in full. Non-members can reserve at the reception desk by email (front@fccj.or.jp). Payment is in advance till Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023. No refund is available unless the event is cancelled by FCCJ.
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(The talk will be in English)
Library, Archives & Workroom Committee