Regarding Yoshio Shimoji's Sept. 2 letter, "Best venue for settling dispute": Shimoji points out that the International Court of Justice must prepare for the opportunity to discuss disputes such as the Japan-China territorial row over the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyu in China) before the problem develops into a serious conflict between the two countries.
In my opinion, the root of the problem is the Japanese government. It should apologize for historical wrongdoings such as the heinous crime against humanity of sexual slavery, which Japanese military forces carried out in China and Korea during World War II. We must keep in mind that many people in China and on the Korean Peninsula harbor anti-Japanese sentiment to this day. The Japanese government must look back on the inhuman actions taken by militarists in its colonial states.
I heard from an old man who spent World War II in China that some of the leading Japanese manufacturing companies were directly involved in deaths and torture. He said they were more cruel than the Japanese Army.
If, as is often said, history is a dialogue between the past and the present, the Japanese government and large manufacturers must make an effort to erase the memory of past wrongdoings on the Asian continent. This is a prerequisite for Japan to evade international conflicts and disputes in the region, and contributes to strengthening a friendly and cooperative relationship in Asia.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.