There is nothing new about Japan's ambiguous attitude towards its approach to history. You have heard it pointed plenty of times already that Japan mumbles vague apologies but continues with its endeavor to rationalize its aggression and war crimes. This time it is pretty much the same.
It has been revealed that during Yasukuni Shrine's spring festival last month, prime minister Shinzo Abe gave an offering in the form of a potted plant in used his official title when doing so, the first time a standing prime minister has given an offering at Yasukuni since Yasuhiro Nakasone twenty years ago. He said he "wants to keep on showing respect for those who fought for the country and died, and to pray for their souls." His way of expressing himself was all that was different. In his heart he might as well have gone there to worship.
Yasukuni Shrine is home to the memorial tablets of 14 Class A war criminals from World War II. It is also home to a civilian who served ten years in prison for war crimes, having operated a comfort woman station. Expressing "respect" to the likes of these ignores Japan's apology and responsibility for war and acts of aggression and it insults the close to 200,000 women who suffered as comfort women. Abe has nothing to say for himself if criticized for chanting what he says depending on where he is, since he gave at least a vague apology over the comfort women issue while visiting the U.S. last month.
The results of the Japanese education ministry's review of textbooks for the 2008 school year is very much cause for concern. The ministry saw to that neutral expressions about Dokdo and the name of the body of water between the two countries were changed to be more advantageous for Japan. It ordered the comfort women issue omitted from a list of "issues to be resolved" because (in Japan's view) post-war compensation is a done deal. Ministry recommendations, therefore, are said to essentially be government directives. In other words, the Japanese government is saying it has no responsibility to bear regarding the comfort women. This is something that comes in the same context as the move by Abe's cabinet to deny that coercion was used in rounding the women up in the first place.
The international community needs to send Japan a clear message of protest regarding its ambiguous attitude. We watch with interest the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives calling on Japan to apologize over the issue and for which there will be a vote at the end of May. The Japanese government needs to take this opportunity to issue an apology and compensation and have it be an official act of the state. It was right for the Korean government to send Japan a letter of protest over its distortions of history, late though it was in sending it.
Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]