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 political—a 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

Online availability

URI

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2006/04/japan_and_china.html

Price

free, 22 minutes

Delivery

Streamed

Credits

Contributor

Emily Taguchi; Lee Wang

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Distributor

Name

PBS Frontline/World

Web

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ External site opens in new window