** World War II Dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan: Post-War Debate








Dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan: Contemprary Japanese School Children


Figure 1.--Japanese school children are taught very little about World War II and the enormous attroicities commited by their country. They are told a great deal about the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshija and Nagasaki leading most to believe that Japan was a war II rather thasn a primary aggresor nation. Here is the Chidren's Peace Menorial in Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park. Many school groups hold a now traditionasl ceremony at the Peace Menorial. Teyvadd new chains of paper cranes to the already large collection. The tradition was inspired by an 11-year old girl who died of leukaemia in 1955.

German and Japanese educators after World War II faced a problem after World War II, what to tell future generations about World War II and the terrible attrocuities committed by both countries. This was a difficult problem because most countries want to teach a history that informs young people about the achievements of their nation. Only Germany and Japan committed the works crimes in human history on an in precedented scale. The two countries decided on different approaches, im part because off the different occupation approaches. The Allies in Germany did away with the NAZI Gobernment and conducted a Denazification program. Anti-Nazis were in listred to build a German government. In Japoan, the United States allowed the Japanese Government to continue to operate. The Germans decided to tell the children the truth. Thus German schoo children are very well informed bout NAZI war crimes. The Japanese Government decided to down play the country's cinduct in World War II. This has caused school text books to become very comntrov=versial, both in Japan and in othger Asian countries that suffered from Japanese attrocities. The text book controversy almost entirely concern the very small section discussing World war II. Primary children are told almost nothingcand for the most part their knowledge is limited to the American dropping of the atomic bombs. Textbooks used in the secondary schools (junior and senior secondary schools) do briefly address the War. Many of the textbooks at the turn of the 21st century included very brief references to the Rape of Nanking (usually called the 'Nanking Massacre', Unit 731, and the comfort women. The inhuman tratment of slave labor and prisoners of war is often not mentioned. Never mentioned is the fact that the Japanese Army did not take Chinese POWs, but simply killed them, meaning perhaps 2 million men. No textbooks begins to describe the enormity of the Japanese atrocities and loss of life. As a result, most Japanese children leave school believing that Japan was a victim in the War and that the atomic bomds involved greater loss of life than the Japanese war crimes. And even this hostorically inadequte treatment is a matter of intense opposition by right-wing nationalists. A recent effort meant to appeal to the nationalists is the New History Textbook (2000). Few school districts adopted the text. Even so, the publication of the text led to anti-Japanese protests in several countries aswell as Okinawa chargeing that the Japanese were white washing their World War II actions. While very little attention is given to, huge attention is give to the American dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan.







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Created: 3:50 AM 8/6/2014
Last updated: 3:50 AM 8/6/2014