25 replies to this topic

[William O'Chee]

I read this article from Strategic Forecasting today:

Japan: Apology Issued For Korean Colonial Rule
August 10, 2010
The Japanese government issued an apology on Aug. 10 for the country’s past colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, AFP reported. In a statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressed deep regret over the suffering inflicted during Japan’s colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. Kan expressed feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for the tremendous damage and suffering brought by the colonial rule. Through colonial rule that was against their will, the people of Korea were deprived of their nation and culture and their ethnic pride was deeply hurt, he said in the statement.

Without diminishing the tribulations of the Koreans under Japanese occupation, the sufferings inflicted on China were at least as bad.

Does this suggest an apology to China, and the Chinese people, will be forthcoming soon? I have many Japanese friends, but this is something the Japanese should have done not decades but generations ago.

If there is to be an apology, what form should it take, and how will it change relations between the two countries?

[mrclub]

I think this is useless. Apology means nothing.
Do you know till this day, many Chinese and Koreans still hate Japanese ? And if you think its only restricted to the older generations, think again.
Many haters of Japanese are the younger generations

[General_Zhaoyun]

I think this is useless. Apology means nothing.
Do you know till this day, many Chinese and Koreans still hate Japanese ? And if you think its only restricted to the older generations, think again.
Many haters of Japanese are the younger generations

There is a Chinese saying: 化干戈為玉帛 （to bury the hatchet and work for peace; to turn hostility into friendship）

I believe if the Japanese sincerely apologized and truly studied the history of its invasion and sufferings it inflicted on the Chinese, the Chinese are willing to forgo the hatred. What they can do is to learn how the Germans do.

However, I believe historical hatred takes generations to wash away.

[mohistManiac]

Many nations are beginning to say sorry, "Oh sorry we used nuclear weapons, oh sorry we pointed missiles at you, oh sorry we exploited you for slavery, oh sorry oh sorry." I am most afraid that saying sorry no longer has the value it once had in these type of situations. The way it works nowadays is that you need to back it up with money in your treasury. Then even generations of hatred can be washed away using this method. It's very superficial.

Edited by mohistManiac, 10 August 2010 - 09:25 AM.

[William O'Chee]

There is a Chinese saying: 化干戈為玉帛 （to bury the hatchet and work for peace; to turn hostility into friendship）

I believe if the Japanese sincerely apologized and truly studied the history of its invasion and sufferings it inflicted on the Chinese, the Chinese are willing to forgo the hatred. What they can do is to learn how the Germans do.

However, I believe historical hatred takes generations to wash away.

You know, I think this is a good analogy, and I kick myself for not thinking of it originally.

A very dear friend of mine from college is Jewish. His family suffered during the Holocaust, but he says he defends Germany against people who would condemn it now for the atrocities of WW2. In his words, no country has done more to atone for their wrongs than Germany. They have outlawed Nazi behaviour, apologised, made reparations, and been Israel's staunchest ally.

If something half as good as that could happen between Japan and China, it would be good.

Australians also suffered at the hands of the Japanese during the war. They were starved and brutalised as POWs on the Burma Railway. In Borneo there was the infamous (Sandakan death march). In Papua New Guinea there was savage hand-to-hand fighting, and the infamous execution of prisoners.

Yet in spite of all of this, it was the veterans of Australia's 39 Battalion, who fought the Japanese at Kokoda, and suffered terrible losses, who first made friends with their enemies.

As early as 1957, the Menzies-McEwen government began exporting iron ore to Japan, and we have been trading together closely ever since. My point is that Australians have come to put the past largely behind them. Japan should make an effort so that Chinese around the world can start to do the same.

Edited by William O'Chee, 10 August 2010 - 09:32 AM.

[LinDynasty]

I think this is useless. Apology means nothing.

I disagree. a sincere apology can go a long way for creating a friendship between the two nations. We all can agree what Japan did was absolutely wrong during the early to mid 1900s. I truly believe that Japan today is not the same as Imperial Japan back in early 1900s. Vast majority of Japanese today are no longer brain washed by nationalism and as obedient as they were back in 1930s.

It took Japan this long for an apology, and I won't be surprised to see it will take Koreans a few more generations to completely forgive them. I grew up remembering my grandparents on my mother side hating the Japanese. I remember all the history I studied on World War 2 and how Imperial Japan invaded Taiwan and mass murdered the Chinese in China (Nanjing, Beijing, etc.,) I was hateful and I resented them but the people who did this are no longer alive. We are looking at a new generation of Japanese who, like us, are just simply human being who are trying to learn from our mistakes.

[Gan]

That would be interesting. I don't know how it might work apologizing to China because I've read the words for sorry in a diplomatic situation is different. If it's the same as this, then, yes I think it will do a lot of good for the two countries relations.

I remember the US military plan incident with the Chinese pilot back in 2001. The US had to send a apology but it was all written in English as they claimed in Chinese it would mean something more than what they intend to say. I think it was a little bit of BS though, as the US has too much ego in that matter. However, that's pretty much how politics work. The Japanese seem quite humble comparably speaking.

[Pattie]

I disagree. a sincere apology can go a long way for creating a friendship between the two nations.

I agree. Forgiveness has to start somewhere and we cannot unmake the past.

[Lu Su]

I think this is useless. Apology means nothing.
Do you know till this day, many Chinese and Koreans still hate Japanese ? And if you think its only restricted to the older generations, think again.
Many haters of Japanese are the younger generations

Quite being such a pessimistic antagonist. I imagine you have skills that far exceed statements like this, so please use them. I must concur with LinDynasty and Pattie.

SIMPLE LOGIC - what can they do besides offer an pology? It's past. Already done and over. What can they possibly do now, Mr. Club? Apologies, memorial services, special tributes, historical upgrades in possibly inaccurate learning material for public schools, etc. that's about it. Things along those lines. in all fairness, I agree that an apology in itself, although significant considering where and who and why, does not carry as much weight as additional actions such as those I mentioned above. Should the apology be coupled with even a few such things, it would be a diplomatic event quite ground-breaking in its implications of future relations, which have been shaky now for many years. The apology in itself is unexpected, but certainly noteworthy, be it only words. It's still quite a significant gesture from the Japanese.

On the other note our fine William mentions, I agree that it would be only fair to apologize to China, as well. Apologizing to only Korea makes little sense, considering the scope of things. It could very well be taken as an insult to the Chinese, if one is not presented to them as well, and those who know this time period deeply, more than understand why. William raises a superb point about China's suffering. This is one area of Chinese History where my studies readily excel. So, it is highly questionable why one has not come for China.

If one is not raised for China as well, I suspect the current political hatred between them is the likely answer for one not being made. Not past relations. It is no secret that the two are ideological opposites in many ways, and this is stirring more unrest these days as the world becomes increasingly unstable in foreign relations. I honestly think Japan is trying (at least) to be an 'Asian good guy' and absolve their former image, because of this very fact. It is very smart, now more than ever, to make their positions known, and preferably positively. Also, with rising tensions between North and South Korea escalating rapidly again, and China being more persistent than ever about holding rights to Taiwan, it is the perfect opportunity for any Asian nation to improve its image and relations with neighboring countries, with the right steps, and by avoiding similar aggressive policies and favoring more benevolent actions, however large or small in scale. One could argue Japan is doing this as a form of political and time-reasoned convenience, rather than sincerity, but I believe they harbor both.

[Shaolin]

Does this suggest an apology to China, and the Chinese people, will be forthcoming soon?

Highly Unlikely.

Firstly there are still right wing Lawmakers in Japan and I think it will at least last for another few generations. Secondly, China is not perceived the same as Korea by Japan. It is viewed as a security and hegemony threat to Japan.

[WuXiaHer0]

It's funny, really. I mean, history and politics? A weird combination. Incidents of the past bring great impact on the future of one nation.
Doing nothing is easy, but to forgive is difficult. It takes an insane amount of time for some people to forgive and forget their past deeds. If the fire never ceases, history will repeat itself.

The evil doers are long gone. You can't wake the dead by simply blaming the future generations though some still think what their ancestors did is right. It is kind of unfair to blame them for their ancestors' wrongdoings.

I read about a story with its situation very much like this when I was a little kid. It's about a magistrate in ancient China who discovered that his seal was missing and suspected that somebody had stolen it. He nabbed someone randomly and questioned him. That poor guy didn't steal anything but he admitted that his grandfather was once a thief. The magistrate thought that he must be a thief like his father too and beat him up. Soon, another man came to see the magistrate. He was the son of that poor guy and he wanted justice. As he entered the court, he did not kneel down. He said that his father has got a boil on his leg and he can't do it. Unsurprisingly, that blur of a magistrate asked what has his father's boil got to do with him. Then, his son came waddling towards him carrying his jade seal. It turned out that his son mistook his seal as a toy and ran off with it.

Moral of the story? You decide.

[William O'Chee]

If one is not raised for China as well, I suspect the current political hatred between them is the likely answer for one not being made. Not past relations. It is no secret that the two are ideological opposites in many ways, and this is stirring more unrest these days as the world becomes increasingly unstable in foreign relations. I honestly think Japan is trying (at least) to be an 'Asian good guy' and absolve their former image, because of this very fact. It is very smart, now more than ever, to make their positions known, and preferably positively. Also, with rising tensions between North and South Korea escalating rapidly again, and China being more persistent than ever about holding rights to Taiwan, it is the perfect opportunity for any Asian nation to improve its image and relations with neighboring countries, with the right steps, and by avoiding similar aggressive policies and favoring more benevolent actions, however large or small in scale. One could argue Japan is doing this as a form of political and time-reasoned convenience, rather than sincerity, but I believe they harbor both.

I think these are good observations, and definitely concur.

[Gan]

Highly Unlikely.

Firstly there are still right wing Lawmakers in Japan and I think it will at least last for another few generations. Secondly, China is not perceived the same as Korea by Japan. It is viewed as a security and hegemony threat to Japan.

I think you're right in this part. China and the Koreas are viewed differently in Japan. I hope it doesn't stop the process of apologizing though.

[pm01]

A general apology is a beginning, but I think recognition, acceptance and ending the denial of the atrocities must come before any apology will genuinely resonate with the Chinese people.

[Amathev]

They've already apologized around 30 times, I don't see how this time is any different.
http://en.wikipedia....issued_by_Japan