Reexamining Japan's Role in World War II: A Broader Perspective

I live in a country where Americans are often portrayed as the villains of history. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 marked the end of World War II. I have always felt sympathy for the Japanese people and the terrible incident they endured. However, let’s consider it from another perspective.

In Europe, students learn extensively about Hitler and his sick plan to exterminate the Jews (and many other groups he despised, including the gay community). However, we often don’t learn about Japan’s expansionist policies. Japan was a military country that conquered many areas, including the Philippines, Indonesia, China, and even Madagascar. Japan didn’t just want to conquer China; they aimed to kill all Chinese people (which is a difficult task considering the vast population and their resistance). In other words, Japan was the Germany of the East.

Japan attacked the Americans at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, prompting President Roosevelt to famously declare that Japan would surrender unconditionally. After prolonged battles and many casualties on both sides, the atomic bombs led to Japan’s unconditional surrender as Roosevelt had predicted.

That day might have been devastating for the environment and tragic for the Japanese people, but I bet the Chinese people felt a sense of relief. They had been tortured by the Japanese in brutal ways, and it was said that rivers ran red with Chinese blood for years.

I don’t know if Japan would have surrendered without the bombs, and I imagine their schools tell a different narrative. My point is that in history, all countries have had their moments of wrongdoing. The narrative of the “bad Americans” seems outdated. What about the “bad Japanese”?