A couple of troubling recent episodes stoked suspicions that the Self-Defense Forces, which came into being with the pacifist postwar Constitution, may not have completely freed itself from the legacy of the wartime Imperial Japanese Army.
We are deeply concerned that these episodes may indicate a fading commitment by the SDF to reflect on dark chapters of the nation’s history, namely Japan’s colonial rule and military aggression across Asia and the devastating defeat that endangered the nation’s very survival.
The 32nd Infantry Regiment of the Ground SDF based in the city of Saitama used the term “Daitoa Senso,” or “Great East Asia War,” to refer to the hostilities Japan initiated in Asia in a post on its official X account. The use of the term was criticized as an attempt to “justify the war of aggression,” prompting the SDF to remove the entry and post a revised text.
Historically, Japan adopted the establishment of the “Daitoa Kyoeiken,” or “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” as the rallying cry for its diplomatic policy to promote a unified bloc of Asian nations free from Western colonialism and exploitation. This led to a Cabinet decision to use the term “Great East Asia War” to refer to the conflict that started with the December 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor and British interests in Asia.
After the nation’s defeat, the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), which occupied Japan after the war, issued what is known as the “Shinto Directive” ordering the separation of Shinto from the state. The directive banned use of “Daitoa Senso” in official documents because of its perceived association with militarism. Even after the occupation, the government generally avoided using the term in official documents.
The regiment’s post concerned its participation in a joint memorial ceremony held with the United States on Iwoto island, formerly known as Iwojima, and described the island as “the site of some of the fiercest fighting during the Great East Asia War.”
At his April 9 news conference, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said he had been briefed on the matter and told that the term was used merely to “express the situation on Iwoto, which was a scene of heavy fighting … without any other intention.”
Indeed, depending on the context, the phrase may be used as a historical term. However, considering the significance of the criticism that the use of these words by a government organization could be interpreted as affirming an aggressive war and the general restraint by the government from using it, it is inappropriate for public servants, including SDF personnel, to publicly refer to the war by using the controversial term.
If there is a lack of awareness about this historical context, it signifies a fading memory of the war.
This year, following successive collective visits to war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo by SDF members, including officers from both the Ground and Maritime SDF, the appointment of Umio Otsuka, a former MSDF commander, as the head priest of the shrine also came to light.
The Japanese people’s high level of trust in the current SDF is clearly a result of its unwavering commitment to the principle of strictly defensive self-defense based on serious reflection on the lessons from the Japanese military’s wartime acts and vigorous contribution to post-disaster rescue and relief efforts.
The SDF should avoid any action that could undermine the trust painstakingly earned through the diligent efforts of predecessors over many years.
As the SDF’s supreme commander, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida bears significant responsibility for such incidents.
Waving the banner for a fundamental strengthening of Japan’s defense capabilities while doing nothing to change the situation where vital historical lessons do not receive serious attention is not a way for him to win public support for his leadership.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 13
EDITORIAL: SDF should make clear it shares official view on wartime past
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13.04.2024
A couple of troubling recent episodes stoked suspicions that the Self-Defense Forces, which came into being with the pacifist postwar Constitution, may not have completely freed itself from the legacy of the wartime Imperial Japanese Army.
We are deeply concerned that these episodes may indicate a fading commitment by the SDF to reflect on dark chapters of the nation’s history, namely Japan’s colonial rule and military aggression across Asia and the devastating defeat that endangered the nation’s very survival.
The 32nd Infantry Regiment of the Ground SDF based in the city of Saitama used the term “Daitoa Senso,” or “Great East Asia War,” to refer to the hostilities Japan initiated in Asia in a post on its official X account. The use of the term was criticized as an attempt to “justify the war of aggression,” prompting the SDF to remove the entry and post a revised text.
Historically, Japan adopted the establishment of the “Daitoa Kyoeiken,” or “Greater East Asia........
© The Asahi Shimbun
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