Being a western ally means that Japan gets away with an awful lot. Where other countries had to apologize for their wartime deeds and start again, the Japanese nomenclature not only got to remain in power but also preach their distorted view of world history.
These distorted world views are upheld and promoted at the Yūshūkan Museum and Shrine. Both of these places not only offend those of the nations subjugated by the Japanese but are warped to such a degree they would make even the most insane dictators blush with their historical revisionism.
What though do they say, and why does it offend so much?
The Yūshūkan Museum and Shrine
The Yūshūkan Museum, located within the grounds of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, was established in 1989. The museum was created to showcase Japan’s military history, focusing on the nation’s wars and the sacrifices made by its soldiers. Yasukuni Shrine itself was founded in 1869 and is dedicated to honoring Japan’s war dead. The museum and shrine both serve as symbols of Japan’s military heritage, though their portrayal of this history has sparked considerable controversy.
Yasukuni Shrine was originally built to honor the soldiers who died fighting in the Boshin War (1868-1869), which led to the establishment of the modern Meiji government. Over time, the shrine began enshrining the souls of all military personnel who died in Japan’s wars, including those from World War II. In 1978, the enshrinement of 14 Class A war criminals caused an international uproar, as these individuals were responsible for some of the most heinous war crimes during the Pacific War.
The Yūshūkan Museum, located adjacent to the shrine, presents a highly nationalistic view of Japan’s military past. The exhibits include numerous war trophies, such as tanks and fighter planes, and depict Japan’s military actions as primarily defensive. The museum frames the country’s military expansion as a way to protect itself and liberate Asia from Western imperialism. This revisionist approach to Japan’s military history continues to anger many in the countries that suffered under Japanese occupation.
The Japanese Take on History
The Yūshūkan Museum presents Japan’s history in a manner that is both self-congratulatory and deeply revisionist. The museum minimizes the country’s wartime atrocities and presents its military campaigns as acts of self-defense. The Russo-Japanese War is depicted as Japan’s heroic stand against Western imperialism, a fight that supposedly marked Japan’s emergence as a world power.
The museum’s portrayal of the Chinese invasion is similarly troubling. The invasion is referred to as the “China Incident,” a term that downplays the scale of Japan’s military aggression. In this retelling, Japan’s invasion of China is framed as a defensive action, and the atrocities committed during this period, such as the Nanjing Massacre, are glossed over. The term “Nanjing Incident” is used in the museum, which fails to acknowledge the sheer scale of the violence. Estimates of the death toll range from 200,000 to 300,000, but the museum’s language treats it as a mere “incident” rather than a full-scale atrocity.
Korea’s history is also misrepresented. The museum claims Japan “liberated” Korea from Western imperialism, which is not only factually inaccurate but deeply offensive to many Koreans. Japan annexed Korea in 1910, and during its rule, Korea was subjected to forced labor, cultural suppression, and the exploitation of comfort women. The museum, however, presents Japan’s actions in Korea as beneficial, completely erasing the suffering of the Korean people under colonial rule. Maps displayed in the museum depict Korea and Taiwan as part of Japan, suggesting that these territories were not colonies but integral parts of the Empire.
Perhaps most controversially, the museum states that Japan’s military actions ultimately led to the independence of many Asian nations, despite the fact that those nations fought for their freedom from Japanese rule. The museum downplays the role of these countries in achieving their own independence, asserting that Japan’s actions were in their best interest. This notion is offensive to those nations who endured Japanese oppression.
The museum’s portrayal of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is similarly revisionist. The bombings are described as a consequence of America’s refusal to negotiate, leaving out the role Japan’s continued militarism played in prolonging the war. The museum also presents Japan’s wartime leaders as victims, downplaying their responsibility for the atrocities committed during the war.
Visiting the Shrine
Visiting Yasukuni Shrine is a deeply emotional experience, particularly for people from nations that suffered under Japanese occupation during World War II. The shrine honors over 2.5 million Japanese war dead, but it has also become a controversial symbol due to its enshrinement of 14 Class A war criminals. These individuals, including figures like Hideki Tojo, were responsible for the planning and execution of Japan’s military aggression during the war.
For many Chinese, Korean, and other Asians, the shrine represents Japan’s continued refusal to fully acknowledge its wartime crimes. The comfort women and forced laborers who suffered under Japan’s occupation find it particularly painful that the shrine glorifies those who were responsible for these atrocities without any form of apology or acknowledgment of their suffering.
For Chinese visitors, the shrine is a stark reminder of the Nanjing Massacre, where hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed by Japanese troops. For Koreans, it is a reminder of Japan’s brutal colonization and exploitation of their nation. Visiting Yasukuni Shrine can feel like an affront to the memory of those who died under Japan’s imperialist rule.
In Japan, the shrine is seen as a place of respect for the fallen soldiers, but for many in Asia, it remains a symbol of Japan’s denial of its war crimes and its unwillingness to fully reckon with the past.
Conclusion
It is easy as an outsider to be an apologist for Japan and believe that they have said sorry, or have changed, but the evidence is very much to the contrary. Japan cannot be allowed to rearm and again threaten peace with imperialist, racially superior ideology. The Yūshūkan Museum and Yasukuni Shrine demonstrate that Japan has failed to fully confront its wartime history and continues to glorify those responsible for atrocities.
Despite Japan’s occasional statements of apology, sites like the Yūshūkan Museum and Yasukuni Shrine present a warped version of history that ignores or minimizes Japan’s war crimes. Until Japan fully acknowledges the suffering it caused through forced labor, the comfort women system, and other wartime atrocities, true reconciliation will remain impossible.
The revisionist history promoted at these sites perpetuates a dangerous ideology that can never lead to healing. Only by fully confronting its past can Japan move forward and contribute to genuine peace and understanding in the region.