Japan China WW2?

Question

During summer vaction I went to Japan for some college thingy and when we went there I met this Japanese boy who spoke english and we started debating over WW2. He stated that when Japan attacked China they only killed 200 people in this city instead of about 10 million people which I believe. He believes that the Chinese and Koreans made it up so they could hit on the Japanese and make it seem as they are a bad country. Then he began to continue saying that Japan has already apologized to China 17 times giving them a huge amount of money each time they apologize, and he says the only reason why they say Japan hasnt apologized is becasue they want money. Then I started babling about how wrong he is. Is there anyone out there that with this Japanese dude, if yes, why, I mean seriously?

Answer 1

Sounds to me like he is a victim of a nation-wide, historical brainwashing. The Japanese committed A LOT of war time atrocities. I am a Filipino and the things the Japanese did to my people during the war were just horrendous. Regarding the financial reparations, I dont know much about that. But I do know that Japan has always been reluctant (to some degree) to accept blame for war crimes, including the use of captured women as sex slaves. Btw, I am not biased or hateful of the Japanese people now... but what their forefathers did is something I cannot accept and forgive.

Answer 2

It is true that an aweful lot of people died in the Japanese occupations of China and Korea (not 10 million in one city, but millions, overall). I wouldn't be surprised if it was also true that Japan has issued one or more apologies. Japan is also one of the largest donor nations in the world, so it's virtually a gaurnatee that China and both Koreas have been the recipients of Japanese largese at some point.

Japanese history does spin and downplay the war a lot, though. It's seen as a shameful time in thier history, and shame is a big deal to them, culturally. Japanese histories like to paint the war as a sort of tragedy that just happened, or lay the blame at the feat of a few ambitious generals. It's not all bad, Japan has become quite pacifistic as a result.

In any case, the Japanese kid you talked to should in no way be held responsible for atrocities committed by his nation in the 1930s.

Answer 3

Due to the miserable history we Chinese suffered in WWII, I think it is impossible for us to be at peace on hearing what the japanese dude said. It is no doubt that Japan have done horrible atrocity to Chinese people as well as other Asian nations with so many proofs.Be fairly speaking, Japanese people were also victims in this war, though most of them supported the war without any doubt about it. But the propaganda Japanese goverment show to their people now makes accumulated-anger about each other between the two sides again ,there is a danger of war ,if it goes like that.

Answer 4

Japanese military committed a lot atrocities in Asia, a lot people in Asia suffered because of what the Japanese did. Nanjing Massacre and Unit 371 are the most notable examples of the Japanese military atrocities. There are many stories about Japanese military atrocities, especially in Asia.

The reason of why Japanese military did the military atrocities was because the Japanese military had an ambition to conquer the whole Asia. Japanese military conquered the whole Asia to put the whole Asia under the Japanese rule.

Japan is still reluctant to admit and regret its past atrocities because the Japanese aren't allowed by their government to admit and regret Japan's past atrocities. Japanese government doesn't allow the Japanese to know the truth of the Japanese military atrocities, instead the Japanese government downplay the atrocities and told the fabricated version of the story to whitewash the Japanese.

The main reason of why the Japanese government doesn't want the Japanese to admit and regret Japan's past atrocities is because Japanese government doesn't want the people to go against the Emperor. If the Japanese people go against the Emperor, then the Emperor has to step down. If the Emperor has to step down, then Japan would be unstable.

Answer 5

After Tarawa, American soldiers took no prisoners because they witnessed some of the atrocities the Japanese committed on POWs.

My 90 year old mother-in-law lived through the Japanese occupation of China and saw Japanese soldiers tossing babies up in the air and catching them on bayonets.

Answer 6

The Japanese are in serious denial about their role in WW2 and will probably remain so. It's pretty sad isn't it? You should research Unit 31 and prepare to be awed and sickened by some of the atrocities committed by the Japanese. The Bataan death march is another example of Japanese cruelty in the war. I believe it's a societal thing with them, the whole "face" situation.

Answer 7

History is more relative than time. The past should be the past, China should forgive and Japan should apologize, though both of these answers are only to make some people feel better, the past will still be the past which we need to accept, understand, and move on to a better future.

Answer 8

No. It's bad information or wishful thinking on his part. Japan's invasion of China was very brutal and killed millions of people. The infamous "rape of Nanking" was an especially terrible episode. Japan still needs to face some of the events of its past, and they don't do a very good job teaching some of this history in their schools.

Answer 9

I've seen footage of the Japanese herding Chinese people into buildings and lighting the buildings on fire. It was brutal.
I'll probably never see footage of US soldiers brutalizing Guatemalans...look into what went on there for two decades.
Every country has propaganda, we are no exception.

Answer 10

Well they where defeated in the war, and it must get old always hearing about it. We also have to remember all of the propaganda that took place during the time.