The Debate over Japan's War Responsibility

Abstract

From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor is the English translation of Kenshō: Sensō Sekinin (2006) written and edited by the Yomiuri Shimbun Sensō Sekinin Kenshō Iinkai. The organization of the contents of the English and Japanese editions differ, reflecting their assumed readerships, but the overall views presented are the same. The explanation of the Yomiuri Shinbun, with which the editor and authors are affiliated, as given in the book (p. 441) is quite inadequate, so I would like to supplement it here. The Yomiuri Shinbun is the national newspaper with the largest circulation in Japan, and it stands out among other papers in that its editorial stance closely reflects the views of Watanabe Tsuneo, the chairman and editor in chief of the Yomiuri Shinbun Group. This is the only newspaper in Japan where one individual's position is so thoroughly reflected in its content. Another point that must be noted is that this book is not a work of research in the strict sense, but reflects particular political motives. The original Japanese edition is based on a column commemorating the 60th year since the war's end serialized in the Yomiuri Shinbun from August 2005 to March 2006. The timing is significant, as the column's publication coincided with conflicts both nationally and internationally over Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichirō's visits to Yasukuni Shrine. Yomiuri Shinbun has traditionally taken a conservative stance regarding such issues, but when editor-in-chief Watanabe switched from favoring the visits to opposing them, the column was launched, not to defend, but rather to critique the story of Japan's wartime experience. The column, blasted by conservatives determined to defend the actions of prewar Japan, ended up adding fuel to the long-smoldering ‘Yasukuni problem’.