Why don't the Japanese hate Americans after WWII?

[rchiu]

First of all, you need to separate Japaneses government and ordinary Japanese. Japanese government have no choice but to build a strong relationship with the US because there is lots of restrictions in what they can do with their military after WW2, and they need US help balancing out China and Russia military.

Ordinary Japanese is another matter. Older Japanese citizens remember things during WW2, and don't like the US that much. I wouldn't say they hate US, because they knew they started the war, and US did help Japan rebuild their country. So there is a mix of feelings against US. Younger generation who never experienced WW2, (it did ended 60 years ago), generally like western culture and hold positive views of US. Most people don't like the idea of US having base in Japan, especially when there is news like US solder rape local woman. But its more of not liking a foreign force on Japanese soil.

 

[jackace]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
Ask the Chinese if they hate the Japanese.

They brutalized Korea pretty badly, but they did even more unspeakable things in Manchuria.

The Japanese were EXTREMELY brutal and sadistic to the Chinese. If you are interested google "rape of nanking" you will find all kinds of information about what they did. There was even a Reverend that was there and got video of what they were doing.

 

[potato28]

That's like Canadians still hating the US and France for crap that happened loooong ago. The world moves on, people forget and in reality no one really gives a damn about it all.

 

[gamepad]

Cool topic considering I'm about 3/4 through "Ghost Soldiers," a book depicting the abuse of American POWs in camp Cabanatuan after the Bataan Death March.

It's phenomenal how these animosities diminish in such a short amount of time. However, it is inapt to hold a deep-seated hatred for crimes committed in the past. It's akin to blacks hating whites today because of slavery.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: TallBill

What percentage of 20 year olds now could give the date for Pearl Harbor? Not many.

A date which will live in... obscurity?

What percentage of any age could give the infamous date of Tokyo Bay?

Originally posted by: rchiu
First of all, you need to separate Japaneses government and ordinary Japanese. Japanese government have no choice but to build a strong relationship with the US because there is lots of restrictions in what they can do with their military after WW2, and they need US help balancing out China and Russia military.

That is backwards, actually. The vanquished Japanese had little say in the matter as Japan became a US military base to support their interests in East Asia, not the least of which was to counter the USSR. Hence the rapid reconstruction just as with Germany.

Most people don't like the idea of US having base in Japan, especially when there is news like US solder rape local woman.

Well at least it is considered criminal rather than normal practice as it was amongst Japanese soldiers -particularly with Korean sex slaves.

Originally posted by: potato28
That's like Canadians still hating the US and France for crap that happened loooong ago. The world moves on, people forget and in reality no one really gives a damn about it all.

Atrocities commited betwixt those combatants were negligible in comparison.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

It's innate human behaviour to forgive, forget, and move on. If it wasn't we never would have gotten anywhere as a highly social species in the first place.

 

[jackace]

Yeah Japan was brutal to Korea and China. People who have seen the movies say it was more brutal than what Germany did in the Holocaust. Germany killed more people, but Japan was more brutal and torturous.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: m1ldslide1

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Originally posted by: m1ldslide1
I've read various accounts on both sides as well, and its disgusting. I had a grandfather on the Bataan Death March, who witnessed unspeakable atrocities committed against prisoners. There's also the well-publicized war crimes committed in Manchuria and in the Phillipines. Then on the other side you have Truman and the US government murdering a hundred thousand civilians in order to demonstrate US military superiority to the world. Go ahead and make arguments about how the resulting MAD has saved more lives than it cost, but if I were a 1940's Japanese civilian I would be none too impressed with the morality of my enemies.

I really believe that economic prosperity is what allows wounds to be healed. There are countless examples of a country deteriorating after being ravaged by war so that it becomes a breeding ground for nationalism, terrorism, and religious extremism. OTOH when you have a nation rebuilt, you see forgiveness and forward-thinking.

Arguing morality during a war. That's funny....

I guess I don't know what you mean. Are you saying that when we were 'at war' with Iraq that we should've just nuked the whole site from orbit to be sure? Isn't it possible to wage war with concern for the civilian populace of the country you're at war with? Isn't that reflected heavily within the Geneva Convention? Even Bush likes to brag about how he is conducting the most humane war in history.

Or maybe the word morality caught you off guard in the post and you were just pointing that out.

There are no civilians in total war.

 

[uhohs]

Originally posted by: jackace
Yeah Japan was brutal to Korea and China. People who have seen the movies say it was more brutal than what Germany did in the Holocaust. Germany killed more people, but Japan was more brutal and torturous.

that depends on what count you're looking at. the civililan casualties in china caused by japan are estimated to be between 10 and 15 million, with some counts up to 20 million.

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
There are no civilians in total war.

Unfortunate, but true.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: potato28
That's like Canadians still hating the US and France for crap that happened loooong ago. The world moves on, people forget and in reality no one really gives a damn about it all.

not even close.

 

[jackace]

Originally posted by: uhohs

Originally posted by: jackace
Yeah Japan was brutal to Korea and China. People who have seen the movies say it was more brutal than what Germany did in the Holocaust. Germany killed more people, but Japan was more brutal and torturous.

that depends on what count you're looking at. the civililan casualties in china caused by japan are estimated to be between 10 and 15 million, with some counts up to 20 million.

Yes true. The count on the number of Chinese killed is not very accurate considering the amount of bombings they did to cities fully inhabited by people.

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: m1ldslide1

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Originally posted by: m1ldslide1
I've read various accounts on both sides as well, and its disgusting. I had a grandfather on the Bataan Death March, who witnessed unspeakable atrocities committed against prisoners. There's also the well-publicized war crimes committed in Manchuria and in the Phillipines. Then on the other side you have Truman and the US government murdering a hundred thousand civilians in order to demonstrate US military superiority to the world. Go ahead and make arguments about how the resulting MAD has saved more lives than it cost, but if I were a 1940's Japanese civilian I would be none too impressed with the morality of my enemies.

I really believe that economic prosperity is what allows wounds to be healed. There are countless examples of a country deteriorating after being ravaged by war so that it becomes a breeding ground for nationalism, terrorism, and religious extremism. OTOH when you have a nation rebuilt, you see forgiveness and forward-thinking.

Arguing morality during a war. That's funny....

I guess I don't know what you mean. Are you saying that when we were 'at war' with Iraq that we should've just nuked the whole site from orbit to be sure? Isn't it possible to wage war with concern for the civilian populace of the country you're at war with? Isn't that reflected heavily within the Geneva Convention? Even Bush likes to brag about how he is conducting the most humane war in history.

Or maybe the word morality caught you off guard in the post and you were just pointing that out.

There are no civilians in total war.

And here we have the most retarded quote of the week! *ding ding ding ding*

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: AMCRambler
Here we are 60 years after the horrors of WWII and relations between the US and Japan make it seem like the war never happened. It's a beautiful thing, but my god some of the things that went on on both sides during that war were pretty god awful.

I read the book Letters From Iwo Jima and the Japanese commanders on that island were friggin' crazy (eating the organs of US airmen) as was some of the things their soldiers did even just during training. Beheading Chinese prisoners for one.

At the same time I also read about the horrors of the bombing raids the US made on the city of Tokyo using incendiary bombs. Most of the buildings were made of wood which our bombing groups knew and purposely used fire bombs so that the city would burn. Supposedly 16 square miles of the city was burned and over 88,000 people killed, 41,000 wounded and 1,000,000 left homeless. The firebombing raids on Tokyo killed more people then the initial casualties from the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Some of the first hand accounts of people getting caught in the firestorms that engulfed the city are just terrible.

All in all that was one awful war and I hope to hell we've learned from our mistakes. It just boggles the mind that both sides have been able to forgive the things that happened during that awful time.

Wikipedia link in case you're interested

We burned their entire country down. The atomic bombs used were nothing in comparison to the firebombings of their wooden cities.
Probably our firebombings of Japan killed 1,000,000 people before we dropped the A-bombs.

 

[Nik]

Who the hell cares, OP? What a trolling flamebait of a thread.

There's some considerably ignorant people posting in this thread. This is why I don't bother participating in legit conversations on AT anymore.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Perry404We burned their entire country down. The atomic bombs used were nothing in comparison to the firebombings of their wooden cities.
Probably our firebombings of Japan killed 1,000,000 people before we dropped the A-bombs.

We did not even come CLOSE to "burning the entire country down".


The Japs don't hate us because...hell, why would they? THEY are the ones who started the war, THEY are the ones who committed pretty much as many atrocities as the Nazis, even though they weren't as publicized, THEY are the ones who brought the US occupation of Japan on themselves.

A better question would be, why don't the rest of the Asians hate the Japanese, since the Japanese pretty much never owned up to all the atrocities they committed throughout the region? And still don't.

I'd say they like us for a couple of reasons. We beat them. They respect that. We rebuilt and still to this day defend their country. Can't hate us for that.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: manowar821

Originally posted by: PingSpike

There are no civilians in total war.

And here we have the most retarded quote of the week! *ding ding ding ding*

When the civilian industries become an essential component of the war machine (as in a "total war" scenario) unfortunately they become strategic military targets.

...now that's not to say that marching soldiers down a street and shooting civilians as they try to escape is anywhere excusable or justifiable....but bombing a converted auto plant, that now manufactures tanks, which has civilians working in it is another story.

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: Perry404We burned their entire country down. The atomic bombs used were nothing in comparison to the firebombings of their wooden cities.
Probably our firebombings of Japan killed 1,000,000 people before we dropped the A-bombs.

We did not even come CLOSE to "burning the entire country down".


The Japs don't hate us because...hell, why would they? THEY are the ones who started the war, THEY are the ones who committed pretty much as many atrocities as the Nazis, even though they weren't as publicized, THEY are the ones who brought the US occupation of Japan on themselves.

A better question would be, why don't the rest of the Asians hate the Japanese, since the Japanese pretty much never owned up to all the atrocities they committed throughout the region? And still don't.

I'd say they like us for a couple of reasons. We beat them. They respect that. We rebuilt and still to this day defend their country. Can't hate us for that.

Listen to this excerpt from Robert Mcnamara in The Fog of War talking about the firebombings of Japan.
We firebombed 67 Japanese cities all of which were made of wood. The fires in the larger cities would actually create winds of up to 100mph.

Name of Japanese
city firebombed -% of the city destroyed - Equivalent in size to

Yokohama 58 Cleveland
Tokyo 51 New York
Toyama 99 Chattanooga
Nagoya 40 Los Angeles
Osaka 35.1 Chicago
Nishinomiya 11.9 Cambridge
Siumonoseki 37.6 San Diego
Kure 41.9 Toledo
Kobe 55.7 Baltimore
Omuta 35.8 Miami
Wakayama 50 Salt Lake City
Kawasaki 36.2 Portland
Okayama 68.9 Long Beach
Yawata 21.2 San Antonio
Kagoshima 63.4 Richmond
Amagasaki 18.9 Jacksonville
Sasebo 41.4 Nashville
Moh 23.3 Spokane
Miyakonoio 26.5 Greensboro
Nobeoka 25.2 Augusta
Miyazaki 26.1 Davenport
Hbe 20.7 Utica
Saga 44.2 Waterloo
Imabari 63.9 Stockton
Matsuyama 64 Duluth
Fukui 86 Evansville
Tokushima 85.2 Ft. Wayne
Sakai 48.2 Forth Worth
Hachioji 65 Galveston
Kumamoto 31.2 Grand Rapids
Isezaki 56.7 Sioux Falls
Takamatsu 67.5 Knoxville
Akashi 50.2 Lexington
Fukuyama 80.9 Macon
Aomori 30 Montgomery
Okazaki 32.2 Lincoln
Oita 28.2 Saint Joseph
Hiratsuka 48.4 Battle Creek
Tokuyama 48.3 Butte
Yokkichi 33.6 Charlotte
Uhyamada 41.3 Columbus
Ogaki 39.5 Corpus Christi
Gifu 63.6 Des Moines
Shizuoka 66.1 Oklahoma City
Himeji 49.4 Peoria
Fukuoka 24.1 Rochester
Kochi 55.2 Sacramento
Shimizu 42 San Jose
Omura 33.1 Sante Fe
Chiba 41 Savannah
Ichinomiya 56.3 Sprinfield
Nara 69.3 Boston
Tsu 69.3 Topeka
Kuwana 75 Tucson
Toyohashi 61.9 Tulsa
Numazu 42.3 Waco
Chosi 44.2 Wheeling
Kofu 78.6 South Bend
Utsunomiya 43.7 Sioux City
Mito 68.9 Pontiac
Sendai 21.9 Omaha
Tsuruga 65.1 Middleton
Nagaoka 64.9 Madison
Hitachi 72 Little Rock
Kumagaya 55.1 Kenosha
Hamamatsu 60.3 Hartford
Maebashi 64.2 Wheeling

My point is that the amount of damage we inflicted with the nuclear bombs at Hiroshima & Nagasaki pales in comparison to what we did with the firebombings.

 

[0roo0roo]

yup carpet bombing civilians😛

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

At least we built it back up. What was t he reason for that? To make them happy?