The above picture shows former prime minister Shinzo Abe doing the very least required of him to acknowledge Japanese war crimes in a remembrance speech.

 

Japan, while having to admit the atrocities its armies committed on a global scale to the allied powers as a way to create peace again, has done no such thing with its people. This is a huge problem as that area of the world is becoming increasingly tense politically and militarily. 

Now, normally Japan would then militarize and ensure the safety of its citizens as the U.S. seeks for them to do, but that isn't the case in this situation… over 40 million people, according to a recent NIPPON poll, are against the remilitarization of their country, Japan.

 I believe that this is due to the lack of recognition of what really happened in the wars around World War 2, mainly concerning the invasions of Korea and Manchuria. 

While they occupied those areas there was numerous war crimes including mass rape by the soldiers of the Japanese army creating the local women into what they called “Comfort Women” as well as numerous human experiments that rivalled if not topped the Germans cruelty in their own gruesome ways during World War 2. 

This is needed not only because I have heard of it on some news website but because i have lived in Japan for 5 years prior to where I live now and I was able to recognize that while they recognize the heroes of both sides they do their best to glaze over the terrible things that were committed in the name of the emperor.

As it was all about protecting the reputation of their families as they were seemingly having the biggest honour to die through suicide and other equally gruesome terms in the name of the emperor during the war. 

Approximately 34% of the entire population of Japan has stated mistrust of government to remilitarize as stated by the aforementioned poll.

As well as backed up by information provided by the New York Times and many other news sites on the need to confront this lack of acknowledgement is the reason that I think the lack of recognition has led not only to mistrust of the government as a whole by the Japanese citizens but also the push against remilitarization due to the horrors still remembered of the last war the country went through.

I have driven past protesters in Okinawa Japan as they stand out in the sweltering sun, not worried about their comfort but about the security of their country and the education of their next generation as they are fed up with the lies and white washing that the Japanese government has been doing with textbooks ever since the Second World War.

 

This doesn’t just affect the young generation of Japan, while it is supremely important they get a correct education so that history won’t ever repeat itself it is also leading to a lack of a military presence by Japan in the Asian theatre which could be detrimental should the United States need to move their current Japan Stationed troops to respond to conflicts that arise in the European and middle eastern theatres.

By signing this petition you are able to help us force a recognition that it isn't just Japanese or just Asians who care about the controversies revolving around this problem but that it is a global problem that needs to be fixed on a global scale. 

This petition signifies that this issue needs to be fixed NOW, not in a few years when the next textbooks come out, not once the Japanese leaders make their next speech in a western country that continues to overlook the horrors caused by the Japanese Imperial Army, this is a problem that would have made global headlines and been changed long since if it had happened Europe as it had with Germany.

So I have one final question to ask you: if you, if your child, your friend, your relatives, couldn't even trust your government to defend itself because it won’t even be honest of its imperfections with its citizens, wouldn't you want others, not just of your country, to take notice? To do something about it? To recognize the murder and rape committed and push a change onto the country to reform it? 

If so I ask that you consider signing this petition, not for me, but for people not unlike yourselves, to gain the voice they deserve and can’t get on their own. Because Humanity is stronger together and can make incredible changes for the better despite our traumatizing and warring pasts we can join to make a brighter future for everyone.