Should Japan apologize for its actions in world War II?

Essay by kaitlynnrJunior High, 9th gradeA-, June 2013

download word file, 5 pages 0.0

Japan at Odds with the World

World War II is one of the most well known wars in all of history. Throughout most of the world, unimaginable horrors and atrocities occurred during this time. Japan was one of the main culprits for millions of people being brutally murdered and others being physically and mentally affected. They committed many unnecessary war crimes; so much so that it is hard to put into words how much damage they have done to innocent people. Without a doubt, Japan should apologize and pay compensation to the citizens of its former colonies in World War II because of their actions such as their invasion of Hong Kong, the Bataan Death March in the Philippines, and the several mass executions of civilians in other parts of the world.

"The Sino-Japanese War was largely an unbroken string of Chinese defeats", and World War II in China was no different (Phillips).

When "Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong", they took part in a horrendous attack against innocent civilians (Roosevelt). Ten thousand women were raped in the first few days. Tens of thousands of Chinese, British, Canadians, and others living in Hong Kong at the time, including women and children, were killed. There were many more that starved to death. In addition, many parts of the city were ransacked and burned to the ground. Several residents left, were deported, or escaped to even more famine- and disease-ridden areas of mainland China. Not only did this affect the morale of the people, it also affected Hong Kong's stability and economy. The city was no longer itself. The population was drastically cut from 1.9 million citizens to 600,000 at the end of the three years and eight months that this invasion had lasted. People did not have jobs, nobody bought anything, and...