In the minds of many Americans, Pearl Harbor and WWII is what becomes synonymous with the country of Japan. Its historical truth of once being a major war enemy can sometimes negatively shadow the country as a whole. There were many lives lost in the time of war on both sides and should not ever be minimized, however I believe it to be very important to learn of all the elements of the war to learn from it and never repeat it. All of these things contributed to one of my goals in Japan, which is to learn as much as possible about East Asia and relations good and bad. To accomplish this goal, I set off on a ‘peace pilgrimage’ of my own, to critically study the decisions of the past and use them as examples of how the future should or should not resemble.
As an international studies major, I live for learning of the political, social and economic relations between the countries of the world. Not only do I learn through conventional methods like reading and research, but also through unconventional methods such as music, fashion, films, and even food. My interest in U.S.— Japan relations is unique in its plethora of films, books, and culture that makes learning super enriching from multiple angles.
Starting within the classroom I choose to take a class on history to set the stage for relations of today. My class, International History of East Asia, opened me up to the history of the region when my textbooks and childhood history classes focused on American history and some of European civilization. Taught by a Korean Professor, I was thrust into a world full of culture and traditions well beyond the age of the modern United States. And with many of the landmarks still standing, my weekends were filled with fun outings. In the class I learned of the imperialist side of Japan, how it was encouraged and its effect through today’s world. My observation is that Japan was “encouraged” by the United States and GB and other European nations to open up for trade as Japan was very abundant in textiles. And as economic power and influence was realized, Japan chose to do the very thing that they were encouraged into. And ultimately challenged the status of some world powers. I do not believe that the country was coerced into this lifestyle by force and neither do I believe that any one country is to blame. I do stand with the idea that all forms of oppression, especially for monetary benefit, is wrong.
Also within the classroom, I learned of the media’s presence during WWII and the blatant demonizing of the Japanese people. One of my classes highlighted the perception of Japan through Western film, and during the war propaganda was used to animalize the people. What makes this problematic is that the rest of the Axis powers were only demonized of their leaders. It was never the ‘horrible German people’ but more of the people being led by a horrible man, Hitler and the Nazis. The same could be applied to the Italians and Mussolini. However, the narrative in Japan was that all were bad and uncivilized and militant.
After taking all of the new information given, I found myself deconstructing my perception of Japan and rebuilding a new one. And to signify this, I chose to travel to Hiroshima and see the aftermath of a monumental point in world history and U.S.—Japan relations.