This month marks the 67th anniversary of Japan's declaration of war against the United States and Britain. This long span of time is one reason the Japanese people have grown oblivious to the lessons learned from defeat in war.
A typical example of this oblivion is the writings of Gen. Toshio Tamogami, the ousted chief of staff of the Air Self-Defense Force. His contest essay, in which he tried to justify Japan's aggression in Asian countries, caused a furor. One thing he failed to touch on is the large number of war reparation lawsuits filed by non-Japanese people since the war ended.
The people of China and South Korea, in particular, suffered seriously from Japanese actions and this has been a major impediment to restoring relations of mutual trust with Japan. Now that the first-ever summit conference of the three nations has been held in Fukuoka, it is incumbent upon Tokyo to do everything in its power to resolve the postwar reparations issue.