Japan's Millennials on World War II

World War II began on September 1,1939 when Germany attacked Poland without a formal declaration of war. In support of their mutual defence treaty obligations with Poland, France and Great Britain issued ultimatums to Hitler for the immediate withdrawal of German forces from Poland. When the deadlines expired, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 2, 1939. Germany had Italy and Japan on its side, and were known as the Axis powers.

In Asia, it ended on August 15, 1945 marked as Victory over Japan or V J Day, since Japan was the last Axis power to surrender, V J Day marked the end of World War II. The formal Japanese signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

How much do Japanese know about it? Let’s find out.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

■Subscribe this channel

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Related Videos

■World War II: Crash Course World History #38

■25 Interesting Things You Didn't Know About World War II

■Some Americans are ignorant and proud (78) What do they know about WWII and other funny moments

■Top 10 Facts - World War II

■Why Japan Keeps Apologizing for World War II

■101 Facts About World War 2

■World War II - A Short Documentary

■Best World War 2 Documentary Ever!!

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Official Website (written in English);

Facebook;

[TheJapanReporter]

While doing the interviews, I was feeling guilty that I also didn't know anything about WWII and the atrocities by the Imperial Japanese Army:

[alvin]

I don't want to be disrespectful but Japanese Millennials should know that their country was involved in WW II and the reason why they were involved

[tubbsthebigcat]

This is one aspect I hate about Japan. It's true that the youth did nothing wrong and shouldn't be held accountable for their ancestors past, but hiding something as big as this is really bold. But you're different Nobita, that's why I love and respect you. You should be an example to the Japanese. Young, intelligent, respectable, educated, honest / doesn't fear to voice a strong opinion and funny! You're my hero!

[kingericson]

Germans: "omg we are so sorry, we built milllions of tributes and many other things"
Japan: "what war?"

[dominiccenteno]

The sheer brutality of what my grandparents told me were enough to make you cry. We learned this in the Philippines at around 2nd or 3rd grade, the horrors of what the Japanese did are insane maybe even on the same level as the Nazis. It's sad how entirely different Germany and Japan is at handling their acceptance on this matter.

[frankdodd]

Germany: We remember. We are sorry.
Japan: We are sorry we don't remember.

[I_Fire_The_Lazer]

And I thought the history classes in American schools were broken...

[LTdan]

Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.

[dr.woozie]

Japanese version of WWII: *we were just minding our business bringing prosperity to Asia and got nuked by the US!*

[kenshishishi]

I'm Japanese.

I learned about WW2 when i was in elementary school and middle school. But all the time that was like "bad ass military and poor civilians" story.
I think that's why we don't have subjective view of horrible things we did at WW2.

I didn't really learn about WW2 even when i was in high school world history class.Just because it's not in exams for college.

Now i can understand why People in Asia still get mad when our prime ministers visit Yasukuni shrine.
I couldn't understand that until i learned WW2 history personally.
maybe lots of Japanese people still can not understand because we don't know what we did as an aggressor.

[svenno]

I think the young Japanese would be utterly shocked and probably in denial about the extent of the atrocities committed by Japan during the war.

[ErkanMehmedali]

That young man with piercings and green shirt: he deserves a medal. Such thoughtful and meaningful comments.

[YayoLife]

Always remember what I always read about Japan vs Germany...

Germany regrets causing the war. Japan regrets losing the war.

[liltoaster]

*Always forgive your enemy, but never forget their actions*

[CrimsonUltrafox]

I saw this kind of thing when I was stationed in Okinawa. I'm a US Marine btw. I was friends with this local guy there who always wanted to practice his English and talk to us. Most of the time, he wanted to talk to me since I guess I was the most culturally respectful marine there and I knew enough Japanese to ask locals for directions and stuff like that. Anyways, he asked me a lot about the US military and specifically why we had so many bases in their country. I told him a lot of them were holdovers from the occupation of Japan after the US defeated them in WW2. He looked at me like I was crazy and literally didn't know there was an occupation. He knew about the atomic bombings and that was about it. I later found out he didn't even know Pearl Harbor was a thing. I think it really blew his mind that Japan did a lot of bad things in WW2. To make him feel better, I told him that my country was hardly innocent and probably had a darker past than his given slavery, butchering native americans, dropping atomic bombs, etc. I remember the look of disbelief in his eyes...like finding out he had been lied to his entire life. Japan is a great and beautiful country, but they are some stubbornly proud people who care a great deal about saving face. It's not my place to say they're wrong for it, but I was genuinely confused when I found out younger Japanese people barely knew anything about World War 2.

[similingun]

my grandma had to be married off at 17 so the Japanese wouldnt take her away as comfort ladies. She told me of stories of the Japanese just walking around houses to hand pick virgin girls. It was horrible. I am from Singapore btw.

[cinnamonnrolls]

I remember when we learned about WWII in school(I live in SEA so naturally it's a pretty big thing for us we even have a holiday that commerates the day the Japanese attacked and stuff in my country) and my Japanese friend was literally crying throughout the entire lesson. I think she probably couldn't believe all this, and that day I realised how important it is for people to be speaking up more about the atrocities committed because it really horrified me, despite the fact that I love Japanese culture the country. It's sad that many Japanese don't actually know about these things:p

[michaelbrynesr]

I am a 69 year old American considered quite knowledgeable about WW 2. My dad served, was on an oil tanker making deliveries in the South Pacific to fuel the planes. He told me a few stories but learned much from documentaries. I was surprised Japanese knew so little. If I got an atomic bomb dropped on my country, I would want to learn the reasons why.

[fahqkitty]

Go google any of the following; The Bataan Death March, the Massacre of Nanjing (Rape of Nanjing), the Sook Ching Massacre, the Changjiao Massacre, the Manilla Massacre, the Burma Railway construction, the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, the genocide of the indigenous Suluk, Unit 731, Unit 1855, "comfort women". I mean, senior Japanese Army and Navy officers would literally eat POW's, and not because they had no food. I could keep going on, but I think that makes my point. It's important for the Japanese youth to understand what their people did less than 100 years ago. Obviously the young people are not to blame but, they need to be aware of the scale and brutality of their place in that war.

[CelestialCaesar]

"On this continent in the 1940s, nothing happened."
- Japanese Schools