By no means am I offending all of you japan & anime fanatics here, because I am one of them as well. As much as I loved Japanese anime and cultures, I cannot deny the fact that my bachground is chinese. Not that I am cynical or anything, no, but I've been brought up in a family who prided in the fact that my descendents enlisted and fought in World War Two. All of them, as my grandmother recalled were brutally assassined by the japanese soldiers.

If you have paid attention in history classes, you would know what the "Nanking Massacre" is. Nonetheless, it is often referred to as "The Rape of Nanking" because of the atrocity that was carried out during the Nanking invasion by the japanese military. They did raping, killing, arson, looting, and so on, turning Nanking into a bloody mess. The must disturbing thing is, not only did they raped thounsands of innocent women, but they made fathers raped their daughters, sons raped their mothers. They used knives and other strange metallic weapons to kill Nanking civillians in the most utterly barbaric ways; stabbing the stomach of pregnant women to pull out their fetus/babies and cutting them into pieces of bloody corpses to name a few. Worst of all, they made them dig their own graves and killed them there to be buries. The estimated death toll was at lease 300,000 during those years. This also contributed to my family's resentment due to the fact that after all, my aunt is from Nanking.

Somehow I do not want to hold such a grudge because it happened so long ago and because of the fact that Japan is such a neat country. But Japan indeed is, erasing this event in the japanese history, leading to the oblivions of many japanese people. When I went to this Japanese museum the other day, the jap lady there only mentioned that China raged a war with Japan hundreds of years ago and that Chinese soldiers killed many of the japanese soldiers. This sort of pissed me off for some reasons.

The point is, I'm not sure if I'm being biased, I hope not. Because I do love Japan. But the point is, do you really think my family should hold such a grudge?

Umm i wouldn't know whether you should hold a grudge or not, well it happen so long ago... i live in Canada the conflict didn't really come there and i don't know or am very attach to my family that live below China. Of course if you post this before my visit to Asia, i would probably sympathize with you but i mean what do i know i mean i wasn't there myself i can picture but the feeling would not be real therefore i truly don't know their condition and what they been through... it also happen to the Jewish too ... for just being Jewish.

Truthful i think the only one that should really be blame is the leader of Japan at that time, because of his greed that the cruelty and greed really began at all. Of course Japanese soldier aren't blameless either. Heck i mean the citizen in those time... really support their leader zealously so i don't really know how deeply they are to blame.

Not only China but that also happened in all the countries they annexed during the last World War. it was a good thing they got nuked..

I have actually never heard of the event in nanking, (i know i know im ignorant) but i know my dad doesnt like anything japanese, not because he is racist or even chinese or any other race that has a history with japan, hes irish and has a degree in history particularily WWll, so he is disgusted by japanese, even though all of this happened awhile ago. i think he is more upset that the japanese are lying to their youth about their history. so i guess it depends, i mean the event in nanking sounds brutal, and i could understand why your family would hold sucha grudge, but it did happen quite awhile ago, and japan has changed alot since that time. but still that would be a hard thing to forgive.

Nice topic. I've been wondering about the same thing too, since I'm also a Chinese (But I'm not from China). I mean, never a moment had I thought of holding a grudge against Japan for what happened in the WWII. But what they did back then remains as a fact.

It's hard for people who did not experience the sufferings of WWII to hold a grudge against them. So I say, there is nothing wrong with your family holding a grudge, as long as they do not force their grudge on you and make you hold a grudge against them too.

:D

Well, it´s war, and they´re people...
i don´t doubt that it can happen again with anyone
think about somalia... they kill white men and they´re are years in a civil war.

I think you should actually get to know the japanese people, before you decide to hate them, well I mean don't just assume they are f***ing bastards, you should decide what you think on your own, before you get influenced, maybe the info is somewhat altered, but I'm sure that event occured, I've heard of it too, but, I didn't know what it was called. I just hate people who do those kinds of stuff, and should be punished, but hey maybe the japanese are not as bad anymore? Don't really know for sure, but most of the people I know are nice people. I myself am japanese, but I wasn't born there and haven't lived there before, so I haven't been taught history there, so I don't know what they teach, and don't know how much info is bullshit. I think most information taught to students are usually altered in some way to make you think that the state your living in is right, and the other events are exaggerated to make you think their the enemy and the are evil. On the other hand I think America is the most hated place, like today my english teacher said, when you go to another country, don't say your american, because they will usually start to hate you, and he also said he tested it out himself^_^ Well, just see for yourself, you decide, don't just start hating people because your parents or your friend hates them. Experience, then judge, don't just assume.

Look mate, you are not the first, you have come in a long line of haters and people who are born chinese, those who are outside of china, and those who are in china who have this hate instilled in the moment they are born. So no bias, you can't be bias if there is a community out there who shares the same hate as you.

But I do say it is not wrong to hate, for one reason, the atrocity was outrageous, at the time, they burned every man child and woman, they raped the women, shot them, took their lives and even experimented on them like rats testing drugs, mocking them, disemboweling them, only God knows that what His absolute idiocy and stupidity may permit such a thing to be done.

Is that not wrong? I think it is very wrong, it is so wrong that yes, every generation of Japanese that follows afterwards would be hated, and should be so, why because they never admitted the mistake, or the atrocities, claiming the false histories as freedom fighters for the east, and the such.

The former president and the now president are very embracers of such Militarism, they are the ones who worships every year at the pilgrimage to the Yashikuni shrine of the War Dead. The War dead are those very beasts who massacred our ancestors.

It is wrong to hate them? Because we loved their culture? Because we loved them so much that we are blinded from the truth that so many of them, even today, are like the Nazis? Their tainted form of self belief superiority of a superior race and skin color that makes them greater than others?

Let me remind you that you are not alone to hate them, it is what we can do knowing full well of what happened. Do you know that the very Japanese culture comes from China? That we were originally one united race of mainland chinese? Well, it seems to me at that very moment when they commited such war crimes, they never even thought of it once, I guess it is safe to say they are ungrateful, and even more so, bastards of their own kind.

But again, it has been years now, I can assure you I will continue to stand on the haters side for their atrocities as my grandfather was a war victim too, who died during those times. Perhaps in time, when the new generation grows up and daringly changes their views and admitted the truths one and for all, and then change their attitudes a bit, perhaps then, all can be redeemed.

That is why, I can only like Japanese food and their religious culture as well as Anime, I do as a matter of fact have a hate for the Japanese goverment and those people who until today keeps militarism views

Castel

not only China but that also happened in all the countries they annexed during the last World War. it was a good thing they got nuked..

No, it's not good that they got nuked. How can you say that? It's not only the japanese that caused a lot of pain for people. Wars during the ancient times in started by the chinese empire killed MANY MANY people as well. What grudges bring is blind prejudice and hate. And with that brings more death and misery.

The country of japan, like many other countries (germany, Britain, and dare i say.. the US?), did give in to the temptations of an empire and conquering other countries. But that does not give reasons to hate a country of people just because a few politicians made some stupid decisions.

I think that's the problem with the world today, is that we are so focused on the politics, that we forget the individual people of this world. You have to realize that deep down, we are all the same. We all have those we love, those we care about. We all just want to live out our lives without conflict.

My grandparents were also part of this conflict due to the japanese. But I personally have kept an open mind about Japan. To hate and hold grudges is to repeat history, and the point of learning and remembering history is to prevent its repetition. It's not to learn how bad a certain people are, or to point fingers at who is at fault, but to see why it happened, and how it came about so we can see it comming early on. The reason why we learn about these atrocities is to know the consequences of war and conflicts.

monwren5

My grandparents were also part of this conflict due to the japanese. But I personally have kept an open mind about Japan. To hate and hold grudges is to repeat history, and the point of learning and remembering history is to prevent its repetition. It's not to learn how bad a certain people are, or to point fingers at who is at fault, but to see why it happened, and how it came about so we can see it comming early on. The reason why we learn about these atrocities is to know the consequences of war and conflicts.

i agree with monwren. the point is that all this is in the past. im not saying that we should forget everything & pretend that nothing happened. my opinion the grudges that we hold would only make us full of anger & blind to our faults. besides, everyone hopes to be forgiven & even more so those who are innocent but have to carry the burden of their ancestors' mistaken. i feel that we should give them another chance. just like criminals who have served their sentence. they need another chance to prove that they have changed their ways.

My country was for years was under captive of japan, and my country's history tells us of how japan ruled, how those rulers used and abused our people. until now, it still hurt to remember those days. but, i dont hate japan and the japanese people of today, or even their culture. its not good to generalize and then acuse. i hated those who abused our people, and those poeple were dead. my sympathy is always for my people. because they are my brothers and sisters, but that doesnt mean i'll hate the people who are already dead by now. eventhough japanese are japanese, they are still different and has his/her own individuality. i would rather know them well before i judge them. holding grudges to those people that are dead, is useless, for me.

i dont want to really say this but i just hope no one would be insulted or offended to what ill be saying.

SPOILER (click to view)

i heard that the japanese government didnt include the works of their government during world war 2 or before world war, those works that includes the abuses etc. so that means the japanese people today dont know what their government was really doing with the past years like during that war?
i dont really know if its genuine, but if i am wrong please correct me. i dont mean to offend anyone.

XD

I think some of you are getting it wrong. I'm sure the thread starter doesn't hate the Japanese, nor Japan. Infact, he loves it (am I right? ;)) That's why he's confused as to should he or should he not.

First i would like to say i'm Japanese ( But I was born in Japan but moved to the US at a young age)i know that it doesn't mean much coming from me because i'm just one person but for the people that Japan hurt on behalf of my country and my people i would like to apologize, but please don't hold a grudge against the current people of Japan, but if you still do i understand i know that my country and my people have commited horrendous acts during World War 2, but still we and i mean the middle aged and the youth of Japan were not the ones that did that so please accept my apology

I wasn't going to post in this thread but...

@Crusix: I feel you needn't apologize for something that your specific ancestors, may or may not have done- That is, your specific family may not have even been a part of the fighting in WW2. o.0 And even if they were, they may not have done the war crimes described above, nor should the burden fall on your shoulder.

I grew up hearing lots of stories from my Dad about war since he had been born and grew up in an occupied territory- Hong Kong- recently returned to China in 1997. He'd tell us the things that happened to his mother, father, yada yada, but to me, while being a very resourceful first person, I do not allow them to govern the way I judge a person. My father especially, does not want us to think that way. Knowing well of the past events, he had traveled to many countries, including Japan and would also tell us the stories of his time spent there and how much he enjoyed it there as a guest/businessman. I don't see why the past should really cause us to hate someone who is either innocent or even ignorant of the events that happened in the past. So yes, maybe much of the Japanese population do not know the truth because their government does not include it in the history books they read, while German students do read about the war crimes their country had committed in the past- That's not really the student's problem... It's the government. And like all governments with something to hide to shield their pride, these events occurred- which incidentally, DID cause some Japanese college students to protest as they wanted to know the truth, etc- meaning while the government may want to hide it, the civilians themselves may not want to... And I lost my train of thought. Anyway, I don't hold any grudges against them, but I do dislike the fact that their government hides it. Then again, I hate just about everything with the American government and everything they attempt to hide from us so whatever... I hate politics.

I used to have foreign exchange students from Japan, China, and Brazil live at my house when I was younger and it was always very interesting to see us gathered around the TV for the sole reason of watching Saturday Night Live or MAD TV... And since my father really likes to tell stories, he'd share the info he knew to the Japanese students, which usually was a surprise to them. Even so, they were really interested in all the facts missing in their history, such as soy sauce and oyster sauce not originating from Japan, etc... So in the end, you really can't blame them. I'd love to visit Japan as my father did, but with all this going on, it'd be hard to. *shrugs* Can't we all just get along and set our egos aside?

Well, even though they may modify their history classes at least you can say they are being forced to remember their mistakes.

Article 9 of the Japanse constitution
" Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."