Japan and China: The Unforgotten War

Synopsis: Just a few sentences in a Japanese history textbook in 2005 sparked the biggest protests China had seen since 1989. The subject of those sentences the Nanjing Massacre occurred during World War II, but that didn’t matter to the thousands of protesters born years after the war ended. Japan’s youth have their own interpretation of history, and their own politics of remembrance. After a decade of recession, Japan is experiencing a renewed sense of pride and a resurgence of rightwing nationalism. Sixty years after the end of World War II, Japan is asserting its place in the world by pushing back against China, its historical rival. There was a lot more at play than a textbook. The April 2005 protests were set against a larger backdrop of economic rivalry, territorial disputes, access to oil, and a bid by Japan to gain a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. In East Asia, the debate over the history of World War II has plainly become politicala surrogate for an ongoing battle over which nation will become the region’s dominant power.
Series: Roughcut
Language: English
Country: United States
Year of release: 2006
Year of production: 2006
Notes: Broadcast in the USA on PBS in April 2006
Documentation: Related website giving background and further information and links at http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2006/04/japan_and_china.html
Subjects: Economics; History; Politics & government
Keywords: China; economic geography; Japan; nationalism; World War II