Japan's irreverence

A senior ASEAN official recounted that during a reception that brought together the 10 member states of the regional organization and dialog partners from East Asia, the Chinese foreign minister remarked to his Japanese counterpart that they should learn from Germany. The Japanese foreign minister replied that they had, to which the Chinese foreign minister promptly remarked: "You should learn more!"

Unlike Germany, Japan has sadly not come to terms with its past imperialist transgressions. Nor does it seem to be trying to.

There can be no doubt that over the last 50 years Japan has shown itself to be one of the most benevolent nations in the world. It has been a true friend to Indonesia and Southeast Asia, supporting the country and the region in all aspects of their development.

We do not consider Tokyo's economic generosity over the last five decades as the wages of its past military sins, but rather as an act of mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of a common region.

Indonesians are not a vindictive lot. The country has not wallowed in the saga of Dutch colonialism, nor has it found it necessary to recount the distresses of Japanese occupation. What is done is done.

To that effect, we have overlooked certain national indiscretions by successive Japanese governments, including those of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in satisfying Japan's growing nationalist sentiment and in its treatment of history. However, we feel Koizumi's latest visit to the Yasukuni war shrine was a thoughtless insult to all Asians who suffered under Japanese imperialism.

Koizumi's visit was not merely a political faux pas, nor something Tokyo can simply brush off as a domestic issue. It was a calculated move following the prime minister's reelection. Most disturbing, it was Koizumi's fifth visit to the shrine since taking office in 2001.

Initially built in the late 19th century to honor victims of a civil war, the shrine has since come to honor millions of Japanese war dead, including 14 "Class A" war criminals from World War II.

The prime minister's actions have damaged prospects for sincere cooperation in the region, which is about to undertake a monumental leap with the East Asia Summit later this year.

The response of Japan's closest neighbors has been one of indignation, and rightly so. China's ambassador to Japan, Wang Yi, described the visit as "a serious provocation", while South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon called it "the biggest stumbling block to South Korea-Japan relations".

Koizumi was apparently cognizant of the controversy his visit would stir, particularly since an Osaka court ruled just weeks earlier that such visits violated the constitution, which calls for a strict separation of religion and state. According to reports, the prime minister did not don traditional robes as he did in past visits, instead wearing a business suit. Nor did he enter the main hall of the shrine as he did in previous visits.

All this does not lessen Asia's increasing anxiety over a growing strain of Japanese ultranationalism that refuses to concede the sins of its forefathers. We do not hold the present generation accountable for the past, but we do expect them to recognize and learn from history. This, however, will not be possible if Japan continues to downplay its culpability in World War II.

This continued failure to recognize its past will impede Japan from assuming a greater role in international affairs, including its desire to secure a seat on the UN Security Council.

The most valuable quality a person or country can possess -- trust -- cannot be bought by grants, charity or investment. All that is really required is for Japan to show a degree of goodwill and acknowledge history.