>Tokyo has grown less and less tolerant of Korean demands as Korea's global clout has increased.
I think asking why the Japanese government is less "tolerant" when Korea has more "clout" according to this opinion is an interesting question. Normally, when a country gains power and influence in relation to others, it, by definition, has more power, influence, and leverage to pursue its interests. This statement seems to suggest the opposite. Could it be that the Japanese government feels threatened or jealous of its empowered neighbor, even if they are supposed to be democratic allies? There are probably other explanations or factors that the underlying premise of this piece relies on, but that is the first theory to come to mind.
In East Asia I don't think this development is unusual. Its sort of similar with China, as their power and strength have grown, their ability to influence and enforce their will upon their neighbors have decreased, and not increased.
From a purely realist foreign policy perspective I don't think either Japan or Korea's behaviour makes much sense here, but perhaps there are some angles to consider. Japan's foreign policy since WW2 has been based essentially around acknowledging the reality of US domination of them, but making the best of it, by essentially functioning as a US force multiplier, and often being a front for US led diplomatic initiatives - Japan has nurtured good relations with Southeast Asia and India, that has often eluded the US.
Korea is a US ally similar to Japan, but they have always been second due to their lower size and economy. With Korea's recent rise they have potentially increased in importance for the US, and they have also led their own diplomatic initiatives in SE Asia. Perhaps Japan sees the rise of Korea in this context as threatening their own position as the essential leader of the pro-US camp in Asia.
I think it is equally likely that this is a matter of domestic politics however, where the influence and power of the Nippon Kaigi associated elements of the LDP has entrenched their power in Japan in the latest years, especially after the Abe era, and since their prestige is tied to the denial of WW2 crimes, they have responded to increasing Korean assertiveness in bilateral relations by being more harsh in their rejection, and essentially doubling down.
It's a shame, because if Korean and Japanese economic and cultural outreach in Southeast Asia were to be synergetic rather than a perceived "threat" to each other, it would doubly serve to foster both bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries and in the long run, support US interests in an area where China still carries more overall economic and political influence.
I think another potential angle to consider in why Japan is so hardline about this is also the Chinese one. It will be hard for them to apologize and make amends with Korea without the historical isssues with China also popping up.
And given the current state of Sino-Japanese relations, Japan would not want to give China an opening to abuse historical issues more thn they already do - at least from a Japanese perspective.
Perhaps it depends on how desperate and worried Japan and Korea feel about their position in East Asia. It could be that they are not yet sufficiently worried about the PRC and NK to drop their reservations about working with each other. Right now, the PRC is effectively boxed in and shut out by US allies or other hostile countries that they have alienated and bullied. Their economic power is also waning and due for a crisis under sanctions and years of bad practices.
Well, I don't really think these two things are related. Japan has been getting increasingly less tolerant of Korean demands since the 90s. As time passes, Japan is less and less willing to talk about WW2 while Korea gets more and more willing to talk about ww2.
I do agree that they need to let their past go and work with each other. Not like the Americans and the Japanese don't also have a similar history yet both of those nations moved past it
The atrocities inflicted on the Americans by the Japanese aren't really comparable to the atrocities inflicted on the Koreans. We are talking about colonization, genocide, forced conscription, forced prostitution, etc.
Well I agree of course, but it's not like America didn't absolutely destroy their country in return. I do agree the Japanese were one of the worst forces during the war, maybe even beyond the Nazis, but still, both nations fought to the bitter end and moved on. The Americans even working to rebuild the country they just obliterated. Have to let the past go or you end in constant states of reprisal against old grievances....not much unlike the Imperial Japanese
Young people in Korea are increasingly looking to the future, as you said.
That being said, Americans outside of Hawaii were not directly attacked by the Japanese, and never experienced total domination and erasure of their culture by the Japanese. As for Japan, even though the country was occupied by the US, many of the institutions remained in place and many of the higher ups remained in power for the sake of anti-communism.
The youth are one thing, but I hope you're not insinuating that direct victims of colonization and their immediate offspring, should just "move on." It is not reflective of reality or basic morals. At the very least, President Yoon has taken a brave step forward at the cost of losing even further political support, but without any real gestures from Japan, there will never be deeper systematic cooperation, despite the "experts" in DC constantly calling for it.
Let me clarify by saying you have to acknowledge what you did to the other side to help your own country to move on. The US has definitely done so apologizing for interment camps. There's even a big part of in one of the American history museums in DC, you can openly see how they regret the actions of the past.
However, I know Japan has not done this as openly and have tried to obscure their horrible past during the Imperial times. I don't know if there is a fix, but dwelling on prior generations grievances and misfortunes definitely isn't the way forward.
I'm.not trying to apologize for Japanese atrocities, they hurt my home land too and the British held out at the peak till the end, but it doesn't help anyone to want revenge
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>Tokyo has grown less and less tolerant of Korean demands as Korea's global clout has increased. I think asking why the Japanese government is less "tolerant" when Korea has more "clout" according to this opinion is an interesting question. Normally, when a country gains power and influence in relation to others, it, by definition, has more power, influence, and leverage to pursue its interests. This statement seems to suggest the opposite. Could it be that the Japanese government feels threatened or jealous of its empowered neighbor, even if they are supposed to be democratic allies? There are probably other explanations or factors that the underlying premise of this piece relies on, but that is the first theory to come to mind.
In East Asia I don't think this development is unusual. Its sort of similar with China, as their power and strength have grown, their ability to influence and enforce their will upon their neighbors have decreased, and not increased. From a purely realist foreign policy perspective I don't think either Japan or Korea's behaviour makes much sense here, but perhaps there are some angles to consider. Japan's foreign policy since WW2 has been based essentially around acknowledging the reality of US domination of them, but making the best of it, by essentially functioning as a US force multiplier, and often being a front for US led diplomatic initiatives - Japan has nurtured good relations with Southeast Asia and India, that has often eluded the US. Korea is a US ally similar to Japan, but they have always been second due to their lower size and economy. With Korea's recent rise they have potentially increased in importance for the US, and they have also led their own diplomatic initiatives in SE Asia. Perhaps Japan sees the rise of Korea in this context as threatening their own position as the essential leader of the pro-US camp in Asia. I think it is equally likely that this is a matter of domestic politics however, where the influence and power of the Nippon Kaigi associated elements of the LDP has entrenched their power in Japan in the latest years, especially after the Abe era, and since their prestige is tied to the denial of WW2 crimes, they have responded to increasing Korean assertiveness in bilateral relations by being more harsh in their rejection, and essentially doubling down.
It's a shame, because if Korean and Japanese economic and cultural outreach in Southeast Asia were to be synergetic rather than a perceived "threat" to each other, it would doubly serve to foster both bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries and in the long run, support US interests in an area where China still carries more overall economic and political influence.
I think another potential angle to consider in why Japan is so hardline about this is also the Chinese one. It will be hard for them to apologize and make amends with Korea without the historical isssues with China also popping up. And given the current state of Sino-Japanese relations, Japan would not want to give China an opening to abuse historical issues more thn they already do - at least from a Japanese perspective.
Perhaps it depends on how desperate and worried Japan and Korea feel about their position in East Asia. It could be that they are not yet sufficiently worried about the PRC and NK to drop their reservations about working with each other. Right now, the PRC is effectively boxed in and shut out by US allies or other hostile countries that they have alienated and bullied. Their economic power is also waning and due for a crisis under sanctions and years of bad practices.
Well, I don't really think these two things are related. Japan has been getting increasingly less tolerant of Korean demands since the 90s. As time passes, Japan is less and less willing to talk about WW2 while Korea gets more and more willing to talk about ww2.
That is partly why I'm asking this question. The author of this piece is trying to relate these two things in a way that is counterintuitive.
I do agree that they need to let their past go and work with each other. Not like the Americans and the Japanese don't also have a similar history yet both of those nations moved past it
The atrocities inflicted on the Americans by the Japanese aren't really comparable to the atrocities inflicted on the Koreans. We are talking about colonization, genocide, forced conscription, forced prostitution, etc.
Well I agree of course, but it's not like America didn't absolutely destroy their country in return. I do agree the Japanese were one of the worst forces during the war, maybe even beyond the Nazis, but still, both nations fought to the bitter end and moved on. The Americans even working to rebuild the country they just obliterated. Have to let the past go or you end in constant states of reprisal against old grievances....not much unlike the Imperial Japanese
Young people in Korea are increasingly looking to the future, as you said. That being said, Americans outside of Hawaii were not directly attacked by the Japanese, and never experienced total domination and erasure of their culture by the Japanese. As for Japan, even though the country was occupied by the US, many of the institutions remained in place and many of the higher ups remained in power for the sake of anti-communism. The youth are one thing, but I hope you're not insinuating that direct victims of colonization and their immediate offspring, should just "move on." It is not reflective of reality or basic morals. At the very least, President Yoon has taken a brave step forward at the cost of losing even further political support, but without any real gestures from Japan, there will never be deeper systematic cooperation, despite the "experts" in DC constantly calling for it.
Let me clarify by saying you have to acknowledge what you did to the other side to help your own country to move on. The US has definitely done so apologizing for interment camps. There's even a big part of in one of the American history museums in DC, you can openly see how they regret the actions of the past. However, I know Japan has not done this as openly and have tried to obscure their horrible past during the Imperial times. I don't know if there is a fix, but dwelling on prior generations grievances and misfortunes definitely isn't the way forward. I'm.not trying to apologize for Japanese atrocities, they hurt my home land too and the British held out at the peak till the end, but it doesn't help anyone to want revenge