Japan's stalled maturity

Amid all the controversy over the Japanese government's decision on Tuesday to approve the revised New History Textbook, intended for use in the country's junior high schools, it is certainly worthwhile to read again the speech of German Chancellor Gerard Schroeder during a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January.

As reprinted by this newspaper on Thursday, the Asahi Shimbun quoted Schroeder as saying:"The past cannot be overcome. It is the past. But its traces and, above all, the lessons to be learned from it extend to the present. We have a special responsibility to engrave Germany's past in our hearts."

The speech clearly demonstrated the German leader's maturity -- and also that of the German nation -- in accepting responsibility for that country's World War II wrongs and to learn from it.

Germany and Japan were the losers of World War II and they had to pay very dearly for their leaders' ambitions. The two nations, however, proved themselves able to rise again from the ruins of the war. Japan is now the world's second-largest economy, after the United States, while Germany is the largest economy in Europe.

Both are now playing prominent roles in the international community, with Japan the largest donor in terms of official development assistance (ODA) for the developing world. With foreign currency reserves standing at US$818.56 billion, Japan has been the world's largest holder of foreign reserves for the past 62 months.

Due to their prominence, the two countries are now tipped to become new permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) once the council decides to enlarge its membership.

But why do we get the strong impression that the two countries are very different in dealing with their past? The tempting question may arise: Is it natural to expect Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to express a similar message as the German leader -- of course, in his own way -- when the world commemorates the end of the World War II in August this year?

At least on the surface, we can see signs that Japan has been left behind by Germany in coming to peace with its past; in healing the old wounds caused by the war. Why is that so?

China and South Korea immediately protested when the Japanese government approved the history text book on Tuesday, saying that Japan continued to hide the facts of its conduct when occupying the two countries. We do not intend to enter into this controversy. Disagreements do arise from time to time. And we must remember that Japan also has territorial disputes with South Korea and China.

Whenever we talk to Japanese youths, we may easily get the impression that their knowledge of history, especially their country's role in the war, is not as complete as many people would expect it to be. And some may question why those youths do not seemingly have enough knowledge about this subject.

In the meantime, there is a growing opinion among many Japanese people that "enough is enough." Many Japanese feel that they have done more than enough to show their regret and pay their war debt. They feel that they continue to be cornered and now it is time for them to stand up.

It is in the interest of the world that Japan remains strong, especially because of the gigantic scale of its economy. The country has also proved its great contribution and responsibility towards world peace and prosperity. Despite the economic recession that has lasted for more than a decade, the country is still able to maintain its position as the world's second-largest economy. Japan also has much support for its bid to become a UNSC permanent member.

As the world will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II this August, perhaps it is time now for Japan to ask itself why its version of history is always challenged by its neighbors. Has Japan been honest enough in judging its role in the past?

As long as we continue to hear defensive remarks from Japanese leaders about the country's war history, their words will continue to become bullets that ricochet back to wound the speakers.

The statement of the German leader that "the past cannot be overcome. It is the past. But its traces and, above all, the lessons to be learned form it extend to the present," could inspire Japan's leaders in how they respond to the controversy.

We should not let ourselves be trapped by our own inability to confront the past. We must learn from our wrongdoings and from the good things we have done in the past to ensure that we will not repeat the negatives. This reflection may help us to heal old festering wounds. Of course, each person or nation has their own way of resolving their problems.

And we do not intend to say that Japan has not learned from the past. They have learned very much. But then, one question remains: Why is there still controversy?