As 2025 marks 80 years since World War II ended in 1945, voices in Japan are growing louder for a frank reckoning with the nation’s wartime past. Scholars from Japan, Germany and Russia, along with Japanese civil society groups, are urging both the government and the public to face the truth of history and learn from past mistakes to prevent future military aggression.
On Saturday, December 13, a civil group in Saitama Prefecture organized a study session to educate the Japanese public about the historical reality of the Nanjing Massacre. Attendees stressed the importance of remembering and confronting Japan’s history in this milestone year. “It is crucial for us to critically examine Japan’s past history, and spreading the correct historical narrative has become even more important,” said one participant during the event, according to China Media Group.
During an interview with China Media Group, Japanese scholar Yoichi Jomaru, a former journalist with Asahi Shimbun, revealed that a systematic review of Japanese newspaper archives from 1937 shows deliberate concealment of the Nanjing Massacre and other atrocities by military forces. “Even if it is a brutal and shameful part of history, we cannot deny the Nanjing Massacre, nor can we deny history,” Jomaru said.
Jomaru added that genuine understanding and trust with Japan’s Asian neighbours can only be built if Japan honestly acknowledges its wartime responsibilities. He identified the lack of a widespread societal consensus on the nature of its aggressive wars as one of Japan’s major failures after the conflict.
As reflection on eight decades since 1945 continues, these calls for honesty and remembrance highlight the ongoing importance of historical memory in shaping a more peaceful future.
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Japan urged to confront its history of aggression with honesty
cgtn.com
