As the nation marks the 60th anniversary of its surrender to Allied Powers in World War II, the Japanese face the unfinished task of squarely looking at Japan's colonialism and modern war and seriously considering a nonmilitary path that Japan must take to contribute to world peace and stability.
Japan's long war, which originated with the Imperial Japanese Army's invasion of Manchuria (now northeast China) in 1931, ended with the nation's total defeat on Aug. 15, 1945. Japan had begun a full-scale war against China in 1937. This war of aggression toward China eventually led to the outbreak of the Pacific War, which started with Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, local time.
The 15-year-long war inflicted enormous suffering on the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region. Fatalities in the region totaled an estimated 20 million -- far greater than the 3 million deaths that Japan suffered. Unless the Japanese accept this fact and carry out deep soul-searching, it will be impossible to realize a sincere dialogue with the peoples of neighboring countries on war-related historical issues. The absence of such dialogue has hampered development of sound and lasting relations between Japan and its Asia-Pacific neighbors.