Civic groups call for Japan to reflect on wartime past

At a rally held by several Japanese civic groups on Tuesday, participants called on Japan to learn from history and guard against the resurgence of militarism.

They said Japan should face its history of aggression squarely, engage in sincere reflection, draw lessons from the past, and demonstrate its commitment to peaceful development through concrete actions.

The rally took place on the 89th anniversary of the July 7 Incident, also known as the Lugou Bridge Incident, which marked the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China in 1937.

Participants said Japanese society's understanding of its wartime aggression remains seriously inadequate, arguing that this has become a major obstacle to the development of Japan-China relations.

Groups participating in the rally included the Japan-China Friendship August 15 Association, the Fushun's Miracles Inheritance Association, and the Kanto Japan-China Peace and Friendship Association.

Susumu Yabuki, a professor emeritus at Yokohama City University, said Japan had failed to provide meaningful postwar historical education.

He said the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and other authorities had long avoided addressing the country's wartime aggression, leaving many young Japanese with little knowledge of that period of history.

On March 24, the ministry approved textbooks for use in high schools starting from the 2027 academic year.

Some of the approved textbooks stated that there had been "no coercion" regarding the issue of the Japanese military's "comfort women" and wartime forced labor, while continuing to describe the Diaoyu Islands as Japan's "inherent territory".

Fujio Kato, co-representative of the Japan-China Friendship August 15 Association, said the Japanese government has long merely "pretended to reflect" on its past war of aggression, an attitude that, in his view, cannot earn the genuine trust of the Chinese people.

He said Japan should sincerely acknowledge the grave mistakes it committed against China and other Asian countries and, based on repentance and atonement, demonstrate a genuine commitment to advancing bilateral ties.

Miyuki Endo, a participant at the rally, said members of the organizing groups believe Japanese people must understand what the Japanese military did during the war.

Particularly, she said they must learn of the extremely serious atrocities committed on the Chinese battlefield, which were later repeated elsewhere in Asia.

"If people do not understand this history, then no matter how many peace campaigns are organized, they will ultimately remain superficial and fail to address the essence of the issue," Endo said.

Concerns voiced

Participants also expressed concern that the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continues to expand the nation's military capabilities and promote what it describes as threats from neighboring countries, a course that they warned could once again lead Japan toward war.

Yabuki said Japan's arms exports have expanded each year, restrictions on arms exports have been steadily eased, and military deployments have accelerated, calling the overall approach fundamentally misguided.

He stressed that Japan and China are close neighbors separated by only a narrow strip of water, and that treating China as a "hypothetical enemy" leaves Japan with no viable future.

This year, in addition to strengthening military deployments across the country, Japan has continued to introduce and revise legislation and policy documents aimed at further enhancing what it calls its "defense capabilities".

The ruling coalition has also proposed increasing defense spending in revisions to the country's three key national security documents to prepare for what it describes as "potential contingencies".

Hiroshi Akiyama, a member of the Japan-China Friendship August 15 Association, said several right-wing politicians holding senior positions in Japan have vigorously advocated military expansion while facilitating the relaxation of restrictions on lethal weapons exports.