japanese and WW2?

Question

does the common Japanese today feel responsible for the great number of innocent deaths caused directly by them during WWII?

Answer 1

Absolutely not. Most Japanese today feel that WW2 was a tragedy that should never have occurred, but they really don't know that much about it, and certainly don't feel responsible for it.

Answer 2

Yes it was the "actions of a few" if you compare the number of guilty to the total number of Japanese. But even if it weren't the "actions" of a few, people are NOT responsible for what others do regardless of whether or not they are members of the same group of people. Harboring resentments and expecting that people should carry guilt does nothing more than promote prejudice. And yes, I most certainly would feel the same way if I had loved ones who had suffered these atrocities. I'm not suggesting that we forget history. I'm suggesting that people stop hanging on to hatred, resentment, and holding entire races, cultures, and countries accountable for past atrocities. Letting these things go doesn't dishonor anyone's memory. It does just the opposite. And comparing various atrocities throughout history is absolutely ridiculous. How can you compare the torture that some people endured to the torture that others endured? The acts committed may not be the same. The number of people tortured/murdered may not be the same. But horror is horror and pain is pain. To belittle what some people have gone through in order to make a point that others have gone through what you think was worse is to denigrate each and every person who has been made to suffer.

Answer 3

How could that be possible. Generations have passed so how can one feel responsible for something you not only had no control over but weren't even physically present to witness or be part of?
Besides...you should also ask how the "uncommon" Japanese citizen feels as well. Politically correct thing to do you know.

Answer 4

No, but they certainly ought to. The way that they treated Allied prisoners of war was not the "actions of a few", it showed that a majority of ordinary Japanese soldiers had a national belief in their own racial superiority and in the worthlessness of non-Japanese lives. It was much much worse than the German treatment of PoWs.

I think that many Japanese still have this detestable belief, but they now know that they have to conceal it from non-Japanese.

Answer 5

Why on earth would they feel responsible? Even if you were asking about the Japanese people of that time, your question is ridiculous. Why should an entire people feel responsible for the actions of a few? The Japanese people are not responsible for what Japan has done or will do any more than I am responsible for what the United States has done or will do.

Answer 6

The ones responsible are their forefathers. The thorn in relations between Japan & her neighbours is her refusal to state their role in WW2 in their history textbooks - in fact, the official school books look to the war time as a glorious military part of their history.

The Yakasuni shrine has a sign board that blames FDR for forving Japan into war.

Answer 7

No, Japan has and is changing and too crowded. I do think though as a race they see themselves as their ancestors of a purer bloodline and above other Asians. The way in WW11 their ancestors treated prisoners of war and occupied nations was horrible. In the Philippines for example, they killed 60,000 Americans and about 2 million Filipinos, with too many tortures, starvings and rapes to count. The people here that say to move on and forget, dishonor their heritage, if it was their dad that endured this maybe they would think differently.

Answer 8

No. In a word no. Nor should they. The common Japanese citizen is too young to have been a part of WW11. They are no more responsible for what happened than I am for slavery. My grandfather came over in the 1890's from Norway. It is over, and has been over for many years. Let's move on.

Answer 9

If your grandfather was a murderer, should you feel responsible for what he did?

Only the Japanese people living at the time were responsible for what their leaders did. They suffered the consequences.

We are responsible for what our leaders are doing now. We will suffer the consequences.

Answer 10

The answer was US and European should have feel sorry by opening their isolation and helped Japan build their military power without even try to slow them down (because British intention to weaken China) and remember Japan was their ally in World War I.
Don't believe here's the proof:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan