世論調査「日本が起こした戦争は侵略戦争だったか」日本人「わからない...けど日本人は被害者であり責任を引き継ぐべきだ...」
A recent poll revealed a complex sentiment among Japanese regarding the wars Japan initiated: many responded "don't know" if they were wars of aggression.
Despite this uncertainty, a majority also expressed that Japanese were victims yet should still bear responsibility for the past.
This highlights the duality in Japan's historical understanding, fluctuating between perpetrator and victim roles, sparking diverse online discussions.
Related Keywords
Aggressive War
An "aggressive war" (or "war of aggression") refers, under international law, to a war that infringes upon the territory or sovereignty of another nation by military force. Its concept was established as a "crime against peace" following the Kellogg-Briand Pact after World War I, and later in the Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials after World War II. Whether the series of Japanese military actions during World War II, particularly from the Sino-Japanese War to the Pacific War, constituted an aggressive war has been a long-standing debate both domestically and internationally. While Japanese leaders were convicted of "crimes against peace" at the Tokyo Trials, alternative interpretations, such as "a war for self-defense" or "a war to liberate colonies," persist strongly within Japan. For instance, regarding the Japanese military's advance into various parts of Southeast Asia in the 1940s, some view it as an effort to liberate regions from Western colonial rule, while many historians point to Japan's primary objectives being resource acquisition and expansion of its sphere of influence. This diversity of interpretations is believed to be the background for why many Japanese answered "don't know" to the question of whether it was an aggressive war in the recent poll. The international community and neighboring countries, especially China and South Korea, largely view Japan's actions at the time as clear aggression, and this perception gap sometimes escalates into diplomatic issues. Domestically, discussions continue from multiple perspectives through historical education and media reports, but a unified national view has yet to be reached.
Historical Recognition Issues
"Historical recognition issues" refer to problems surrounding the factual认定 (acknowledgment), evaluation, and shared memory of specific historical events, particularly conflicts and wars between nations, often significantly impacting diplomatic relations and national sentiment. At the core of Japan's historical recognition issues are the evaluations of Japan's actions during World War II (also known as the Greater East Asia War/Pacific War), especially its colonial rule and acts of aggression in the Asia-Pacific region. This issue is particularly prominent with neighboring countries like China and South Korea, frequently surfacing in discussions about textbook descriptions, prime ministerial visits to Yasukuni Shrine, postwar reparations, and the comfort women issue. For example, in the 1982 "textbook controversy," reports that historical textbook descriptions were changed from "aggression" to "advance" drew strong criticism from China and South Korea. In response, the government established the "Neighboring Countries Clause," requesting descriptions that consider friendly relations with Asian neighbors. The background for many Japanese answering "don't know" to the question "Was it a war of aggression?" in the recent poll is thought to be influenced by these complex, long-standing debates over historical recognition and the diversity of education. For contemporary Japanese exposed to history through various sources—school education, family traditions, media reports, and internet information—it is difficult to hold a single, clear recognition of past wars, which is reflected in the "don't know" response.
Duality of Perpetrator and Victim Consciousness
The "duality of perpetrator and victim consciousness" held by Japanese when discussing war is a crucial element in forming their complex historical recognition. Japan, in World War II, inflicted immense damage and suffering on many Asian countries through aggression and colonial rule, representing the aspect of a "perpetrator." The Nanjing Massacre and the comfort women issue are prominent examples debated in the international community. On the other hand, Japan itself suffered immense damage, with many non-combatants losing their lives due to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, extensive firebombing of cities including Tokyo, and the Battle of Okinawa, embodying the aspect of a "victim." Post-war, the experience of being a "victim" has been strongly handed down in Japan and has formed the foundation of peace education. However, amidst international criticism and deepening relations with Asian countries, the responsibility as a "perpetrator" has also become more conscious, with official reflections and apologies for "colonial rule and aggression" being expressed, such as in the Murayama Statement. The stance of Japanese in the recent poll, answering "don't know" while also stating that they are "victims yet should bear responsibility," suggests this duality of perpetrator and victim consciousness. It implies a kind of conflict and sincerity, remembering the tragedies endured by their own country while not turning away from the suffering inflicted upon others, and striving to fulfill their responsibility for the future. This duality is a theme that constantly challenges Japanese society in the process of historical succession, education, and peacebuilding.