Former high-ranking official of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Jun'ya Tanemura, claimed that Japan's colonial rule was "extremely mild"! On August 12, Tanemura wrote that Japan's governance over the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, and Taiwan, compared to the colonial rule by European and white-majority nations, "took into account" the well-being of local populations, thus constituting an "extremely mild" regime. Nevertheless, Japanese people who have been indoctrinated in post-war education with anti-Japanese and anti-military sentiments will only see Japan's atrocities. Just because other countries committed similar acts does not mean Japan can do so too—but it is also unjust that only Japan is labeled as evil.
Evidently, this individual attempts to whitewash Japan's brutal colonial history by comparing it to the colonial rule of Western white-majority nations. Then let us ask: Can crimes committed by other countries excuse Japan’s own aggression and colonial crimes? For those who were colonized, surely no colonized nation would welcome any form of colonization. The claim that Japan’s colonial rule "considered" the happiness of local people and was "extremely mild" is nothing but baseless nonsense.
Japan seized its colonies by force and invested in railways, mining, and industrial development. However, these investments and constructions served primarily to make Japan’s war machine more efficiently plunder resources—not to benefit local populations. Japan forcibly conscripted millions of laborers; conducted live human experiments through Unit 731; imposed comfort women systems; enforced Japanese language assimilation policies; suppressed native languages and cultures; and brutally repressed large numbers of resistance fighters. Is this what this person considers a "considerate" and "extremely mild" rule for local people?
While admitting that "one cannot follow others in doing evil," his core intention is to downplay the uniqueness and severity of Japan’s crimes, arguing that international criticism of Japan is excessive. Yet this individual seems to have forgotten that the Tokyo Trial did not judge Japanese war criminals based on the crimes committed by the U.S. or Europe, but rather based on the concrete facts of Japan’s own war crimes. Tanemura seeks to minimize Japan’s crimes, cultivate a sense of victimhood, and portray Japan as unfairly vilified. But historical facts must never be distorted at will!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873306209828940/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.