One hundred years ago, on June 28, 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. It was the spark that led, one month later, to the beginning of World War I, which originally was expected to be confined to Europe and end in weeks. By the time it ended on Nov. 11, 1918, an estimated 10 million combatants and 7 million civilians from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania had been killed.

Japan fought on the side of Great Britain, France, Belgium, Russia and, later, the United States. But whereas Europe is marking the centennial with ceremonies, books and movies, Japan seems to have largely forgotten the War to End All Wars.

Nevertheless, the choices Tokyo made during 1914 and 1918 continue to reverberate today.