In his speech marking May 8, 1945, then President Richard von Weizsäcker said we needed the strength to face up to the truth. His actual words were: "Anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present. Whoever refuses to remember the inhumanity is prone to new risks of infection." (source of quote)
過去に目を閉ざす者は現在に盲目となる 。これは1985年5月8日、ドイツのヴァイツゼッカー元大統領の演説『荒れ野の四十年』の一節である。
How people in Japan are facing the past, especially the war? Here is one speech by Waseda student. But in the Victory over Japan Day of Victory in the Pacific Day (in Japan 終戦の日), the most we can see from media is the memorial events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both are the victims of atomic bombs. Victory in Europe Day (ヨーロッパにおける戦勝記念日）is the day for German people to reflect on the past. As a contrast, there are very few voices reflecting on the past in Japan.
Personally, we need to refelct on our own past well, to do better today and tomorrow. (Easy saying than doing though. Sigh.....)
How people in Japan are facing the past, especially the war? Here is one speech by Waseda student. But in the Victory over Japan Day of Victory in the Pacific Day (in Japan 終戦の日), the most we can see from media is the memorial events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both are the victims of atomic bombs. Victory in Europe Day (ヨーロッパにおける戦勝記念日）is the day for German people to reflect on the past. As a contrast, there are very few voices reflecting on the past in Japan.
Personally, we need to refelct on our own past well, to do better today and tomorrow. (Easy saying than doing though. Sigh.....)
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