Hiroshima Asks: Toward the 70th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing: Gap in perceptions of World War II between Japan and the United States
Mar. 16, 2015
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
Anticipating the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Chugoku Shimbun interviewed John Dower, 76, professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a leading scholar of modern Japanese history, at the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Professor Dower explained that the large gap in perceptions of World War II between Japan and the United States is the reason behind strong public opinion among Americans which justifies the use of the atomic bombs during World War II. He stressed that this gulf cannot be bridged if people on both sides of the divide continue to look away from the damages suffered by others and from the aggression they inflicted. He said that facing one another and acknowledging the inhumane damages wrought by both countries, as well as by other nations of the world, can lead to mutual understanding and dialogue.
Professor Dower has written a number of books and is well known for the book Embracing Defeat, which discusses Japan’s defeat in World War II and the changes in Japanese society during the occupation period. He is also involved in various other activities, such as sharing pictures drawn by A-bomb survivors on MIT’s website. The original drawings are held at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
(Originally published on January 18, 2015)
Anticipating the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Chugoku Shimbun interviewed John Dower, 76, professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a leading scholar of modern Japanese history, at the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Professor Dower explained that the large gap in perceptions of World War II between Japan and the United States is the reason behind strong public opinion among Americans which justifies the use of the atomic bombs during World War II. He stressed that this gulf cannot be bridged if people on both sides of the divide continue to look away from the damages suffered by others and from the aggression they inflicted. He said that facing one another and acknowledging the inhumane damages wrought by both countries, as well as by other nations of the world, can lead to mutual understanding and dialogue.
Professor Dower has written a number of books and is well known for the book Embracing Defeat, which discusses Japan’s defeat in World War II and the changes in Japanese society during the occupation period. He is also involved in various other activities, such as sharing pictures drawn by A-bomb survivors on MIT’s website. The original drawings are held at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
(Originally published on January 18, 2015)
