Hiromichi Moteki, secretary-general of the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact, said he was “disappointed” by the tone of the statement by the prime minister on the eve of the anniversary, in which Abe apologized for the “immeasurable damage and suffering” the nation’s military caused before and during the war.
“We have no reason to apologize to other nations in Asia that became independent because the Japanese military took on the European colonial powers,” Moteki told DW. “We helped them achieve freedom and they should be thanking us.”
Nationalist Moteki claims Japan’s aim was to “liberate” Asia from colonialism
Liberating Asia?
Like many nationalists, Moteki believes that Japan invaded and occupied parts of the Pacific and mainland Asia to create a “co-prosperity sphere” and that it was liberating its neighbors from colonialism.
Equally, Moteki and many on the right in Japan are convinced that China triggered the Sino-Japanese war in August 1937, there was no massacre of civilians in Nanking four months later, the United States provoked Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and “comfort women” were not coerced across Asia and the Pacific to serve as prostitutes for Japan’s soldiers.
via Japan marks 70 years since its surrender ended World War II | News | DW.COM | 15.08.2015.






You must be logged in to post a comment.