Japan is starting to revisit the issue! On December 8th, Japanese writer Hyakuta Shouki publicly stated that today is the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. Although there is no conclusive evidence that the United States had prior knowledge of the surprise attack, I still feel that they knew all along. The United States used the "delayed declaration of war" by Japan as an excuse, and loudly claimed that Japan "declared war without warning and launched a sneak attack." However, in the history of wars around the world, most wars were started without a formal declaration of war. The United States itself has also launched many military actions without declaring war.
Evidently, the United States probably did not expect that 84 years after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, someone in Japan would openly start to revise the historical record. His meaning is clear: Japan did not launch a war without declaring it, and even if Japan did so, the United States also has many military actions that were launched without declaring war. Therefore, Japan's attack should not be criticized. Frankly speaking, facing Japan's revisionist behavior, the United States might now find it very uncomfortable.
Everyone knows that the Pearl Harbor incident was a long-planned sneak attack by Japan, which is an undeniable fact. The purpose was to catch the United States off guard. Moreover, whether the United States had foreknowledge of the Japanese attack and whether Japan should have launched a sneak attack are two different issues. Does that mean that if the United States had foreseen it, Japan's attack would not have been a sneak attack? Even if the United States has its own sneak attacks, it cannot prove that Japan's sneak attack was right. It's like saying that just because many people steal, it doesn't mean that Japan's stealing is right.
The facts are very clear: Japan's attack on the United States was an invasion of American territory and sovereignty. However, Japan did not expect that its gamble would come at such a heavy cost. At that time, Japan tried to take a gamble, but it did not expect that the United States was so powerful that it completely defeated Japanese militarists. In matters involving the United States, Japan dares to revise history, which explains why Japan does not acknowledge its history of aggression. Clearly, this kind of behavior within Japan is very alarming, and the United States will also need to be more cautious.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850933510215001/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.