From: liu10@husc8.harvard.edu (Eric Liu)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.taiwan
Subject: Re: Learning about World War II in Japan
Date: 21 Jul 92 22:42:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1992Jul21.184222.14034
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <1992Jul21.184034.1735@physics.ucla.edu> aoki@physics.ucla.edu (ken aoki) writes:
>In article <21JUL92.16143193@twncu865.ncu.edu.tw> u322543@twncu865.ncu.edu.tw writes:
>>
>>  What causes the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Yes, it is horrible
>> to let the innocent people shoulder the responsibility. Today, most of
>> the Japanese think they are the only people suffering in WWII because
>> of the nuke. But what had the Japanese army done to the Asian countries? 

In my personal opinion, I believe the using of a-bomb was necessary at the
time.  I admit with most other people that the bombing caused great tragedy,
but people seemed to ignore that without the bombs, the war would have 
lasted many months longer because Japan does not want to surrender 
unconditionally!  The militant government was so determined that they would
have fought on at all cost!  (I believe when the emperor made the surrender
announcement, many many Japanese were were in shock, and there was a strong
military faction tried to block the announcement).  May I remind people that
if a-bombs were not used, the U.S. army would have to invade Japan just like
what they did to Germany, only at a greater cost.   Remember Okiwana (Sp??)?
where I think thousands of U.S. soldier died, but hundreds of thousand of 
Japanese became casualty!  Yes, the Japanese soldier at the time believed
they would be tortured terribly if captured by Americans and they would 
rather fight and die!  Imagine the tragedy it would cause if the U.S. is 
force to invade Japan!!!!  In a twisted sense, a-bombs actually saved lives!!
(Don't flame me on the advocacy of a-bomb.  I am in no way implying that. I
hope a-bombs will never be used again, just like most of you out there.)

>
>All of my Japanese friends, as far as I know, believe that
>a lot of other Asian countries suffered, largely due to the Japanese
>imperialism. Are they all coincidentally in the small small minority?

From what I know, most Japanese don't want to talk about WWII.  It seems to
me that they just want to forget about history and live on.  In their text-
books, they have covered up WWII as much as possible, using words like 
"advance" instead of "invade", and mentioning the Nanking Massacre as mere
fighting.  I don't think any figures of civilian casualty is mentioned in
those text, and I bet you can find the casualty figure of the Hiroshima and
Nagasaki bombing in every booking concerning the war in Japan!  Let me show
you some figures:  China alone suffered 18 million casualties in WWII, and
between 100,000-300,000 civilians were killed in the one month of massacre 
in Nanking!  So tell me how many were killed by the 2 a-bombs?  60,000 in
Hiroshima and 30,000 in Nagasaki, maybe??  SO TELL ME WHAT MAKE THE JAPANESE
GOVERNMENT THINK THE 2-BOMBINGS SHOULD BE MENTIONED MORE THAN THE MASSACRE!!
With the people ill-informed about the war, no wonder so much indifference
about the war exist in the Japanese people today.

>
>> The people killed in Nanking may be more than the sum of the people died 
>> in two atomic bombing. Why should Chinese suffer that?
>>  Let's pay attention to the Japanese government. Had the emperor made
>> any apology to Chinese? NOT YET!

Not only did the Japanese emperor never apologize, the late emperor of 
Hirohito was never condemned for his war crime!!  I understand it would
have been a great insult to Japan as a nation to condemn the emperor, but
I think reigning for another 40 years without saying anything apologetic
about the war is inexcusable!  Hirohito should have apologized to the whole
Asia for the war long long ago!!

>
>>
>> Lai, Yi-Shao
>> u322543@twncu865.ncu.edu.tw
>
>              ___Kenichiro Aoki.

Some of my figures maybe inaccurate.  I am putting them down purely through
my memory.  Please correct me if I am wrong.

-- 

Eric Liu
liu10@husc.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime