"Emperor Akihito honors Japanese war dead in Philippines." Topic

"With a mournful bow, Emperor Akihito paid his respects Friday at a hilltop war memorial near Manila to the largest number of Japanese invasion troops who died outside their homeland in World War II.

Clad in black and accompanied by Empress Michiko, they each laid a bouquet of white flowers and silently prayed near a marble cenotaph in the Japanese memorial garden along Lake Caliraya in Laguna province southeast of the Philippine capital.

Some of the 170 relatives of Japanese soldiers who witnessed the somber rites wept quietly…"
See here
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Amicalement
Armand

At least he bothered to mention the Filipinos, although he seems to attribute the deaths to "the fierce battles between Japan and the United States" and not to the rampant bayoneting, etc of Filipinos by the Japanese.

In the long history of the Philippines I would say that the US and Spain have just as much if not a lot more to apologize to the Filipinos about.

In the long history of the Philippines I would say that the US and Spain have just as much if not a lot more to apologize to the Filipinos about.

Why did so many Filipinos fight alongside U.S. troops, and none alongside the Japanese, if that is true?

At a WWII Memorial in the Philippines I witnessed several young Filipino girls approach an elderly American and ask if he was a soldier in WWII. He replied he was wounded fighting in Manila and each of the girls took his hand and placed it on their forehead, a traditional sign of respect for elders, and said, "Thank you for our freedom."

Wait, let me get this right, there's a war memorial near Manila for the Japanese invaders?!?!? WTH?

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It makes sense if you finish the article, "Akihito was welcomed with full state honors in the Philippines, which now depends on Japan as a leading trading partner, provider of development aid, and a major ally as Manila confronts an assertive Beijing in contested territories in the South China Sea."

So in the end the Japanese coprosperity sphere Came into being. Even so it does seem a travesty to honor innovators of your country with the memorial. All of those invaders should be dug up and taking home. Where they can be honored by their people. I wonder how many monuments to German invaders there are in France, or to Italian invaders in Ethiopia?

Bobgnar
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Most countries have a war graves and memorials to enemy soldiers who fell during old conflicts. Its part of of the reconciliation process, are we going to make all those Japanese families whose loved ones have no know grave pay for the sins of the past forever?

Fatman

Why did so many Filipinos fight alongside U.S. troops, and none alongside the Japanese, if that is true?

It probably has something to do with as the new invaders the Japanese were far more aggressive than the Americans. The Americans had already had 40 years to "pacify" and "reeducate" the populace and by 1941 I'm sure the vocal anti-american elements of filipino society had been successfully silenced. By that time America had already gotten that out of their system whereas the Japanese were just getting started. If the Japanese had invaded closer to 1900 instead I'm sure the numbers that supported the Americans and the numbers that supported the Japanese would have been more evenly split.

The war's been over for 7 decades. A US President laid a wreath on the memorial for dead WWII Germans 30 years ago. The Filipinos have the good sense to get on with life.

I spent several years off and on in the Philippines around Cebu City, and I never heard anyone mention the war.The Filipino's unlike some posters seem to be able to disassociate modern Japan from what happened in WW2.