Is Japan in danger of repeating the mistakes of the past? History does not repeat itself and circumstances today are very different from those of 80 years ago, but ultra-nationalism has been latent in some circles in Japan for centuries and poses a potential threat to peace and to Japan's long-term interests.
The United States today is Japan's ally not its enemy. There are anti-American elements in Japan and understandable resentment against Japanese bases in Okinawa, but hostilities between Japan and the U.S. are unimaginable in the foreseeable future.
The Korean Peninsula has been seen for centuries as "a dagger pointing at the heart of Japan." The North Korean regime, which poses a threat to world peace, has South Korea, the U.S. and Japan as its first targets.