Has Japan apologized for pearl harbor?

Question

The U.S. has apologized for the atomic bombs on Japan and for the Japanese internment camps in the US during WWII, I'm wondering, has Japan apologized to the US for Pearl Harbor and the abusing and starving to death of American POW's? I'm also wandering if it has apologized to SE Asian nations for it's brutal abuse on them, and to China for countless invasions and deaths. I dont know, so that's why I'm asking. And if they haven't, then WTF is wrong with them???

Yes, the US apopogized for slavery in the 70's.

this is to city girl: after WWII, the US apopogized to Japan and asked if it could compensate it for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in compensation, the Japanese asked for American scientists to go and teach the japanese, so its actually US that gave them the technology that helped them become who they are today.

To YC: Actually, 62 million people died in WWII, principal culprits: JAPAN, GERMANY, the atom bomb killed just over 200,000, I think Japan killed WAY more people with it's armies, than the atom bombs did.

Answer 1

The following op-ed appeared in the San Jose Mercury News on Saturday, December 7, 1991, under the headline "Fifty years ago, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor: Many nations caused World War II – so who whould apologize to whom?" It was prompted by what I saw as a misguided effort to assess blame. Many Americans felt this anniversary was an appropriate time for Japan to issue a formal apology for what we saw as a dastardly sneak attack that plunged half the world into war. This led some Japanese, and some Americans as well, to call for America to apologize for what they saw as an unwarranted attack on the civilian populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with weapons of mass destruction. Both sides had a point, but in my opinion, both sides also missed the point. Hence this article explaining my view.

Thoughts on the 50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Martin E. Hellman

Many years ago when my daughters were small, the younger one asked the older, "In a civil war, the two sides are the same country. So which is the good one?" The older one thought a minute before the solution dawned on her, "The one that wins." She was too small to understand the full wisdom of her answer, but children have an uncanny knack for cutting to the core of truth.

The 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor has been an occasion for assessing blame. Do the Japanese owe us an apology for the 2,400 Americans killed at Pearl Harbor? If so, do we owe them an apology for the 115,000 men, women and children killed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The general sentiment in this country seems to be that they owe us an apology, but we don't owe them one. That is normal, but a big mistake.

In the new era of global interdependence, every war is a civil war of brother fighting against brother to their mutual detriment. Now, as then, the winner in a civil war gets to write the history books and become the good guy. But also now, as then, the loser chafes under the unfair stigma and humiliation and waits his chance for revenge. It is no coincidence that Hitler had France's 1940 surrender take place in the same railway car that witnessed the signing of Germany's humiliating defeat in 1918.

In our quest for designation as righteous warrior against Japan (and Germany), for 50 years we have been setting up a similar rematch. The recent rise in virulent Japanese nationalism and militarism is an ominous sign that history may be about to repeat itself.
One of my colleagues, either crazy or prescient, thinks it will be a shooting war. But even "merely" an economic war will take a heavy toll on both sides. There are already signs that we Americans are paying a heavy price for enjoying what has traditionally been one of the fruits of victory – writing history to our benefit, thereby humiliating our opponent.

Admittedly, we have been kinder this time around than in earlier wars, but we are still far from honest and fair. On the surface, Germany and Japan are to blame for World War II. They were militaristic and warlike, and they attacked first. But, if we look deeper, we find sources of blame which we have minimized:

* France, Britain and the United States forced a humiliating defeat and impossible economic reparations on,Germany in 1918, even though it was no more responsible for starting World War I than many others.
* Both the Chinese Nationalists and Communists refused to recognize that some goals of the other side were reasonable. Instead, they fought a debilitating civil war that left a power vacuum in Manchuria that was filled by warlords and bandits. This gave the Japanese a basis for "sending the Marines to restore order" and protect Japanese business interests.
* The colonial powers subjugated much of Asia, allowing Japan the illusion that its "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" was Asians liberating Asians from Caucasian domination and racism. America of the 1930s was an openly racist nation, prone to an earlier form of Japan bashing.

This list could be extended and supplemented with equally long lists for Japan, Germany, Hungary, Russia and every other nation involved in the war.

So who should apologize to whom? Certainly, no nation should be humiliated into an apology. Forced apologies are hollow and short-lived, and no nation speaks with a single voice. Assessing blame for the last war only leads to the next.

Rather, let those among us who are secure enough to recognize that all humans are fallible come forward and apologize for their own mistakes. If enough of us find that nobility of spirit, just maybe there will be no next war for which to apologize.

Answer 2

While Japan may have submitted some form of apology following the war and after we begin building them back up again but it would be hard to find where they did so. They were and are a very proud people.

And of course any apology from a country to another by people who govern that were not part of that war is worthless.

I was in the Navy and in Japan less than 15 years after the war. The western influence even at that time was unbelievable. It was very hard to find anyone dressed in the old traditional dress and jeans were very popular.

While there I went to a movie. It was an American film about the fight against japan. If you've seen any of those old films you know how much fun they made of the Japanese solders.
What really floored me was everywhere we would have laughed at them, so did they.

They were over that war and moving on in just that short a time so not likely to have apologized. Especially after we used the atom bomb on them.

Answer 3

I'm not totally sure, I'm they probably did. It was terrible what they did, but you do have to admit, the atomic bomb was worse by far. I mean, Many Japanese today have diseases because of the atomic bomb attack in Hiroshima. Almost every person died since the bomb completely clears everything on its path because of "molecular chain." Haven't you ever wondered what Einstein's famous E=MC^2 means? Many people don't know it, but it actually explains the energy of an atomic bomb.

Answer 4

Actually, yes, they did...several years ago...in the 80's I believe...there were some surviving WW2 Japanese pilots who met with a group of American veterans who were survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack. There was an official apology offered and for some a reconciliation...but if I recall correctly, some of the veterans were still embittered and said they could not forgive the pilots.

I remember seeing it on the news...but, like I said, it was several years ago.

Answer 5

I don't know about Pearl Harbour but my guess is that they haven't. They have completely denied their invasion spree in Asia, and that part of their history is not taught to the kids in their curriculum (instead they made up a version about being attacked and them retaliating in "self defence").

Mao made the biggest mistake in Chinese history by refusing Japan's compensation to WWII victims in order to "strengthen Japanese-Chinese relationship". It was not in his position to speak for the victims, and it also gave Japan a leeway to crawl out of the mess and deny the whole thing. And now Koizumi is even taking a step further and repeatedly visiting the shrines dedicated to the monsters who took millions of lives during the war. WTF is wrong with them??? - I wish I knew.

Answer 6

Um, Hawaii didn't become a state until 1959, so why should they apologize to the United States for attacking a territory the United States was simply occupying? Besides, their apology was their surrender: To have another country come into yours, rework your system of government, prosecute war criminals, change the very fabric of your society, and greatly limit your sovereignty is about as apologetic as it gets.

While we are on the questions of apologies though, shouldn't we formally apologize to Native Americans? Perhaps formally apologize to Mexico for taking their northernmost lands for no other reason than we wanted it for ourselves?

Answer 7

Yes. However in my opinion the attack on Pearl Harbor shares unethical similarities to the attack on Bahgdad. Nations around the world attack to eliminate threats before it's too late, this unfortunatly includes nations themselves. Ensuring survival is only natural...If you're going to apologize, apologize for having ever taken any violent course of action...then change your ways.

Answer 8

I have not heard of any such. But I am not disturbed by this. Japan was thoroughly defeated in the war, and has since come back to be a country which can properly take pride in its accomplishments. Special respects to Douglas MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito for their remarkable accomplishments.

Answer 9

They`ve not even apologised for mistreating British Prisoners Of War yet ,so it`ll be a long time before they apologise for Pearl Harbor

Answer 10

Former President Reagan signed a bill that paid all the existing family members from Hiroshima and Nagasaki...one million dollars per family.