Critics in Japan have raised concerns that some entertainment productions distort history, while historical sites fail to adequately address Japan's wartime aggression and responsibility for its atrocities.
Such portrayals and omissions, they warn, risk undermining public understanding of the past. They have called for stronger history education and a more honest reckoning with Japan's wartime actions.
The second season of Japanese TV drama Vivant, which has come under fire for its negative portrayal of China and alleged promotion of anti-Chinese sentiment, ended on Sunday. Broadcaster TBS has announced that a film adaptation will be released nationwide next month.
Criticism of the series has centered on its depiction of Chinese intelligence agents as brutal torturers and its attribution of methods once used by Japanese troops during the invasion of China to present-day Chinese characters, effectively reversing the historical roles of perpetrators and victims.
Masahiko Yamashita, professor emeritus at Tokai University in Tokyo, described such portrayals as absurd and deeply troubling. He questioned how a drama could claim to be fictional while naming real countries and presenting its story as though it reflected reality.
The season finale carried disclaimers at both the beginning and the end, stating that the story was entirely fictional, was not intended to incite violence or hostility between nations, and was intended to convey respect for people of all countries and a desire for world peace.
Japanese media outlets, including Sports Nippon and Oricon News, described the disclaimers as unusual. Their reports also mentioned the controversy over the show's portrayal of China and Japanese entertainment giant Sanrio's earlier decision to end its collaboration with the series.
Japanese historian Masahiro Yamazaki criticized the coverage, saying on social media that it framed the controversy as "Chinese media questioning the portrayals" while ignoring widespread criticism within Japan.
He also warned of the potential impact of the upcoming film, likening the decision to proceed with a production containing anti-China content despite the backlash to the way Japan's former militarists launched wars of aggression.
Meanwhile, commercial tie-ins, merchandise sales and tourism promotions linked to Vivant continue. According to TBS, the series has launched at least 40 collaborations and promotional campaigns across aviation, railways, tourism, restaurants, clothing and retail, extending its reach into everyday life in Japan.
Beyond the concerns over Vivant, historians have highlighted the broader influence of popular culture on public perceptions of war.
Yutaka Yoshida, a historian and professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, said anime and other cultural works have helped foster pacifist attitudes in postwar Japan, perhaps even more than textbooks.
However, understanding war through popular culture requires solid historical knowledge and deep reflection, he said. Without these, such works risk distorting public perceptions of history.
Yoshida also expressed concern that war is increasingly viewed in Japan through the lens of military fascination. As wartime sites and museums become tourist attractions, he warned, war risks being reduced to a hobby.
He urged greater attention to Japan's war history, particularly its role as an aggressor.
Concerns have also been raised over how Japan presents its wartime history at historical sites and museums.
At a public lecture on the Tokyo Trials in Tokyo on Saturday, participants compared former trial sites in Germany and Japan. They noted that while both are open to the public, Japan has done far less to explain its wartime aggression and responsibility.
Legal foundation
Eighty years ago, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East convened in Tokyo to try Japan's Class-A war criminals. The Tokyo Trials were a major international effort to hold Japan accountable for its aggression and wartime atrocities, deliver justice to countries victimized by its actions, and establish a legal foundation for the postwar international order in East Asia.
Today, the former tribunal site in Tokyo is preserved as the Ichigaya Memorial Hall, which focuses on the broader history of Japan's military rather than solely on the Tokyo Trials.
According to the Defense Ministry, the hall preserves the former courtroom and army minister's office, displays military uniforms and historical documents, and features exhibits on the ministry and the Self-Defense Forces.
Tsuneo Kasuga, a member of a Japanese civic group focused on cultural resources, said Germany has placed great importance on preserving the history of the Nuremberg Trials, with detailed and comprehensive exhibitions.
By contrast, he said, although the Ichigaya Memorial Hall preserves the original building and briefly addresses the Tokyo Trials, its exhibits seriously lack substance.
