GO256: Conflict in East Asia

Professor Walter HatchColby College

Case #2

“One would expect people to remember the past and imagine the future …. But what they more often do is imagine the past and remember the future.”

-- Lewis Namier

And then fight over the difference

What is Imagined/Remembered

1895

1937

The Most Contentious Memories

“Rape of Nanjing”

Unit 731

Comfort Women

Nanjing Massacre

Massacre Museum

Yushukan

Unit 731

Has Japan shown contrition?

Depends on whom you talk to

Japanese Apologies

Nakasone (1985): regret“ultranationalism”

“militarism”

Hosokawa (1993): “sincere sympathy”“acts of agression”

“intolerable pain and suffering”

Maruyama (1995): deep remorse“tremendous damage and suffering”

Yasukuni Shrine

History Textbooks

Question:

Why did China decide to make this an issue in 1980s?

Protests

The Snub

China’s Vice-Premier Wu Yi Leaves Tokyo

The Burden of History

Yasukuni Shrine