Museums

The three museums we went to each present a different image of Japan. Yushukan presents Japan during the late 19th and early 20th century as a heroic knight in shining armor, led by the glorious emperor to help others in Asia throw off the yolk of colonial powers. Opposition to Japanese policies during this period by western powers is attributed to covetousness, opposition from those colonized by Japan is portrayed as the product of irrational anti-Japanese sentiment. It is also determined to send the message that Japan did not truly "lose" World War II, which it does by pointing to the success of revolutionary movements after the war, making the (dubious) claim that those movements were inspired by the achievements of Japan. The idea that Japan did not really lose is also supported by the claim that the bond between the Japanese people and Emperor continue to be unbreakable and that the forced implementation of a democratic form of government after the war was merely a return to the principles of the Charter Oath, a document promulgated by the Meiji Emperor in 1868 that outlined broad principles of of governance. This is another dubious proposition, as the Charter Oath led only to the creation of an oligarchic government, rather than a full democracy.

The Hiroshima Peace Museum presents an image of Japan as a victim of an unprecedented act, which is not altogether unreasonable given the subject of the museum. The early years of the war are dealt with quickly- Japanese atrocities are not ignored, but they are addressed in a cursory and slightly slanted fashion- and what follows is an detailed focus on the effects of the atomic bombing and its history. The main purpose of the museum is to emphasize the enormity of the destruction wreaked upon Hiroshima and to advocate against the use and possession of nuclear weapons in the present day. This museum is very much in keeping with Japan's postwar image of a nation that was determined to discard its past focus on war, while at the same time not entirely taking responsibility for the damage inflicted upon other countries by Japanese aggression.

The Ritsumeikan Peace Museum is the only one of the three to look at something resembling the entirety of Japan's war experience. When it to comes to the experience of the average citizen, the Hiroshima Peace Museum focuses on suffering caused by the atomic bombing of the city- an important topic, but one that leaves out the vast majority of Japan's population, while the Yushukan shows the ostensibly boundless desire of the Japanese people to fight and die for the Emperor. The Ritsumeikan museum does not shy away from mentioning Japanese atrocities and aggression and it also focuses on the ways in which in the war affected the everyday lives of Japanese citizens (in a more complex manner than the simple valorization of Yushukan). It also takes a broader look at issues of war and peace by providing information on more recent violent struggles like the Vietnam War and Israel-Palestine conflict that have taken place outside of Japan and by looking at the deeper causes of violence.