— Edmund Burke, English philosopher

1. The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing. — Edmund Burke, English philosopher

2. Facing Their Histories: Germany vs. Japan What ACTIONS has each country taken to address its past?

3. Offered formal apology to its victims. Offered vague, indirect, and personal apologies. Offer an official apology ACTION: GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

4. ACTION: Dec 7, 1970: German Chancellor Willy Brandt lays a wreath at the monument to victims of the Warsaw Ghetto… Offer an official apology GERMANY YES …and then kneels.

5. ACTION: Offer an official apology GERMANY YES Brandt is named Time Magazine’sMan of the Year for 1970. In 1971 Brand is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

6. In 1995, then-PM Murayama offered a personal apology: Offer an official apology ACTION: JAPAN NO “Japan… caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly… Asian nations.” Tomiichi Murayama

7. In 1995, then-PM Murayama offered a personal apology: Offer an official apology ACTION: JAPAN NO “I express… my feelings of deep remorse and… heartfelt apology [and] express my feelings of profound mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad.” Tomiichi Murayama

8. Its Emperor has offered: Offer an official apology ACTION: JAPAN NO “I strongly hope that the scourge of war will never be repeated, and I, along with all the people in this nation [Japan], hereby express my deep mourning for those who died and suffered in the battlefield.” Emperor Akihito

9. Offer an official apology ACTION: JAPAN NO Japan’s Parliament has been silent.

10. Opened all its wartime archives to researchers and investigators. Refuses to open its archives and frequently denies the existence of documents, e.g., those related to wartime military sexual slavery and biochemical warfare experiments. Open its war-time records ACTION: GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

11. Teaches the destructive fanaticism of German ultra-nationalism and its role in the European Holocaust. Since 1972, Japan’s wartime atrocities have been downplayed or eliminated in school textbooks. ACTION: Accurately portray wartime history in school textbooks GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

12. Accurately detail the National Socialist agenda and actions. The Yūshūkan military and war museum portrays Japan as an Asian liberator, provoked into war by European and U.S. interests. ACTION: Accurately portray wartime history in school textbooks GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

13. ACTION: Accurately portray wartime history in school textbooks JAPAN Plaque in the Yūshūkan museum

14. Highlight heroic war stories, including kamikaze missions – but omit mention of -- slave labour -- ‘comfort women’ -- mass killing of civilians -- biological weapons testing and use on civilians and POWs. Highlight the heroism of German anti-fascist movements from 1933 to 1945. ACTION: Accurately portray wartime history in school textbooks GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

15. Cooperative in identifying Nazi war criminals and bringing them to justice from from foreign asylum and hidden identities. Refuses to verify names of war criminals submitted by the U.S. Dept. of Justice. ACTION: Identify war criminals GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

16. Verified over 60,000 names of war criminals as requested by the U.S. Dept. of Justice. All have been banned from entering the U.S. Refuses to conduct its own war crime investigation. ACTION: Identify war criminals GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

17. Many war criminals pursued and punished by Germany’s federal government and ostracized by German society. Contrastingly, war criminals are openly honoured and revered at the Yasukuni Shinto Shrine by government high officials and Japanese society at large. ACTION: Pursue and try war criminals GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

18. As well, most war criminals prospered: they became key government, business and academic leaders. ACTION: Pursue and try war criminals JAPAN NO

19. Coordinated a settlement with 1.7 million still-surviving victims of slave labour. ACTION: Investigate and compensate slave labour GERMANY YES

20. German companies engaged in slave labor practices have paid $4.37 billion euros to their wartime victims. Conceals records of wartime slavery conducted by Japanese companies. ACTION: Investigate and compensate slave labour GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

21. Incredibly, paid $450 million to “compensate” 135 Japanese companies for “managing the contract labourers” after the war. ACTION: Investigate and compensate slave labour JAPAN NO

22. July 2010 – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Is considering compensating South Korea women who were slave labourers during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule. ACTION: Investigate and compensate slave labour JAPAN Changing?…

23. Since 2000 has paid 525 million USD in compensation to Holocaust victims. Refuses to pay any compensation to its wartime victims. Instead, a non-gov’t public-donation fund was created to offer monies to former ‘Comfort Women’. Restitution to victims of ultra-nationalism ACTION: GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

24. Since 1985, German laws prohibit Holocaust denial and use of the Swastika and SS runes. Addressing Holocaust denial and ultra-nationalism ACTION: GERMANY YES JAPAN NO New (2002) displays at Yūshūkan blame President Roosevelt and U.S. policies for starting the “Greater East Asia War”—a war of “survival and self-defense”.

25. Since 1985, German laws prohibit Holocaust denial and use of the Swastika and SS runes. Japanese authors publish denial literature. Addressing Holocaust denial and ultra-nationalism ACTION: GERMANY YES JAPAN NO At national ceremonies, Japanese ultra-nationalists frequently display the Rising Sun flag.

26. January 27 is Memorial Day for the Victims of National Socialism. No such recognition. ACTION: Declare a National Day of Remembrance GERMANY YES JAPAN NO

27. The Yasukuni Shinto Shrine is dedicated to the spirits of 2.5 million warriors who died for Japan’s Emperors. Honour war criminals and military aggression ACTION: GERMANY NO JAPAN YES

28. Twice a year major rituals are conducted at the Yasukuni Shrine honouring Japan’s warriors. ACTION: Honour war criminals and military aggression GERMANY NO JAPAN YES

29. Since 1978, 25 Class A war criminals have been enshrined. ACTION: Honour war criminals and military aggression GERMANY NO JAPAN YES

30. Former Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi (2001-06) visited the Yasukuni shrine 5 times while in office. ACTION: Honour war criminals and military aggression GERMANY NO JAPAN YES Junichiro Koizumi

31. Japanese PM Taro Aso (2008-09) donated a potted plant to the Yasukuni shrine — a week before visiting China in April 2009. ACTION: Honour war criminals and military aggression GERMANY NO JAPAN YES Taro Aso

32. August 6, 2010: Japanese Prime Minister Kan and his cabinet refuse to attend ceremonies at the Yasukuni Shrine. ACTION: Honour war criminals and military aggression GERMANY NO JAPAN Changing?… Prime Minister Naoto Kan

33. I would like to face history with sincerity. …to have courage to squarely confront the facts of history and humility to accept them, as well as to be honest to reflect upon the errors of our own…. Prime Minister Naoto Kan August 11, 2010

34. To the tremendous damage and sufferings that this colonial rule caused, I express… my feelings of deep remorse and my heartfelt apology. Prime Minister Naoto Kan August 11, 2010

35. Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (Tokyo 2005): “Sadly, the Japanese nation doesn't have too many genuine friends in the world.” Helmut Schmidt

36. Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (Tokyo 2005): …a syndrome he blamed on “the ambiguity of the Japanese public when it comes to acknowledging the conquests, the start of the Pacific war and the crimes of the past history.” Helmut Schmidt

37. No Japanese media published the content of the Chancellor’s speech. Helmut Schmidt

38. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. — George Santayana

39. Germany has recognized its past, apologized in its Bundestag and made amends. In so doing, it has restored its honour and is a trusted member of the international community… Japan can do the same. The survivors are waiting...

40. The survivors are waiting...

41. Adapted from material from Global Alliance by Cam Fahlman — OCT 2010 cfahlman@shaw.ca http://edmontonalpha.org