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March.
It is amazing to me that these reparations have not been paid. Three generations have passed since WW
II. During most of this time, Japan has been extremely prosperous, yet the Japanese governments continue
to deny reparations to poor people to whom this money would mean much to their health and quality of life.
Iris Chang, in The Rape of Nanking, writes that even a little money would enable these by now very old victims
to buy air-conditioning.
Why apologize? An unconditional apology would mean that Japan could achieve closure for this nightmare
time in their history. An apology would readmit Japan to the international community. It would mean their
dignity and self-esteem would be restored. Finally, an apology would mean the end of hostility from Chinese
victims as well as other Asian victims. As late as 1997, when I was in China, I heard middle-aged Chinese
talk about how much they hated the Japanese. These were my contemporaries who had not experienced war
crimes fi rst hand but had learned from their parents and grandparents to hate the Japanese for what was done
during WW II. An apology would help to eliminate the Chinese distrust of Japan and create stronger bonds
between these two countries.
What would reconciliation be? The Japanese must acknowledge their responsibility and express remorse
for what they did. They must come to terms with the past. There needs to be dialogue—a complex process
but an important part of the peace building process.
China waits.
Works Consulted: Chang, Iris. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II.
Li, Peter. Japanese War Crimes: The Search for Justice.
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