Abstract An exploration of the political psychology of international conflict, this essay suggests the notion of a historically rooted “victim/victor complex” in its interpretation of…
Country or Region: Japan
Summary Continuously in demand since its first, prize-winning edition was published in 1975, this is the classic history of Hiroshima and the origins of the…
Summary Japan’s Contested War Memories is an important and significant book that explores the struggles within contemporary Japanese society to come to terms with Second World War…
Abstract Chinese leaders have repeatedly insisted upon the contemporary relevance of the ‘War of Resistance to Japan’ (1937–1945). However, the content of the official history…
Abstract This essay explores the emergence and impact of populist “history activism” in China. History activism includes museums and academics documenting Japanese wartime atrocities in…
Summary In the early 1960s, fewer than five percent of Japanese owned automobiles, China’s per capita income was among the lowest in Asia, and living…
Summary Since World War II “victim consciousness” (higaisha ishiki) has been an essential component of Japanese pacifist national identity. In his meticulously crafted narrative and…
Abstract The complex relationship between domestic politics and war issues makes war guilt a controversial topic in Japan. Japan’s World War II occupation of a…
Summary In the late 1980s, Japan’s strong economic performance put it on a the verge of becoming a major player in regional and global affairs.…
Abstract By the end of the Asia-Pacific War, 1931-1945, it was estimated that the Japanese Imperial Military killed over 10 million people in China alone.…
Abstract The paradigmatic case in which an almost permanent impasse exists in coming to terms with a difficult war past and ‘normalizing’ its international relations…
Summary Japan will recover. When its economic achievements once again earn the world’s admiration, its per capita GDP will grow faster, and its Information Technology…
Summary Japan, the world’s second largest economy, has suffered from a prolonged period of stagnation and malaise since 1991. Subpar growth, failing banks, plummeting real…
Abstract War reconciliation and cultures of memory themes continue to receive high attention but despite the long list of newly released books praising Germany which…
Summary With startling revelations, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa rewrites the standard history of the end of World War II in the Pacific. By fully integrating the three…
