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National identity, collective memory and history wars in East Asia
 
PIIS086919080015325-4-1
DOI10.31857/S086919080015325-4
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Dmitry Streltsov 
Occupation: Leading Research Fellow
Affiliation: Institute of Oriental Studies RAS
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Sergey Grishachev
Occupation: Research Fellow
Affiliation: Institute of Oriental Studies RAS
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Journal nameVostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost
EditionIssue 1
Pages196-205
Abstract

The article addresses the phenomenon of “history wars” between China and the Republic of Korea, on the one side, and Japan, on the other, which broke out after the cold war around the historical interpretation of Japan’s expansionist policy on the mainland, especially in the period of WWII. The aim of the article is to examine the origin, the ethical and the political underpinnings of “history wars”, specifically in the context of collective memories of WWII and the national identities in the three countries. The authors tried to trace the prehistory of the formation of national identities in East Asia in the twentieth century.

While South Korea and China perceive the period of Japan’s imperialist expansion in the XX century through the dualistic prism of the relationship between the victim and the criminal, in Japan the policy on the mainland, although considered to be "erroneous", is not subject to unconditional condemnation on the grounds that at that time all the imperialist states acted the same way. Besides, the discourse of victimhood based on war sufferings of the Japanese people is in conflict with the wounded feelings of the East Asian nations.

The article articulates the role of patriotic education and, specifically, the policy of creating museums and historical memorials in the three countries in conducting “history wars”. The authors insist that the interplay of domestic discourse and international memory politics has become a durable source of paramount tension in the international relations of the region.

KeywordsEast Asia, national identity, history wars, historical memory, cultural trauma, victimhood, Yasukuni Shrine, Nanjing massacre, comfort women
AcknowledgmentThe research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, grant No. 19-18-00017 “Problems of the Historical Past in Japan’s Relations with the Countries of East Asia and Russia. Lessons for Russia”.
Received03.06.2021
Publication date07.03.2022
Number of characters42800
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Table of contents

Cultural trauma and request for apology
Patriotic education and historical memorials
1 After the end of cold war the rise of nationalism in East Asia was accompanied by growing conflict among East Asian nations over the issues of historical past. Differences in views about shared historical past, along with other contradictions, have led to "history wars", which manifested itself in disagreements on interpretations of the past events, mutual accusations and demands for apologies1. 1. Duus P. Introduction: History Wars in Postwar East Asia, 1945–2014. ‘History Wars’ and Reconciliation in Japan and Korea. The Roles of Historians, Artists and Activists. Ed. by M. Lewis. NY: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2017, pp. 10-12.
2 Tension in relations between the PRC and the Republic of Korea with Japan started to grow especially in the 2010s, when the generational change entailed a renewal of the socio-political discourse around the war history issues. The new generation of leaders who came to power in these countries after the end of cold war began to advocate a revision of the predominant historical narratives and the establishment of more "nationalistic" visions of history, that would allow to strengthen their legitimacy and increase support ratings among the electorate.
3 Generally speaking, “history wars" are disputes not so much about the facts of the past, but about what should become part of historical narratives, how should specific events be called and evaluated, and what messages should these narratives bring to current generations. The problem is thus not in the past historical events per se, no matter how hard and complex they are, but in their interpretation. The arsenal of painful or tragic events that can be interpreted as offence of national pride is quite wide, and a plenty of them can be used to justify certain political statement or accusation.
4 One of the reasons why the phenomenon of “history wars" has become a sound factor in regional politics of East Asia is that collective "historical memory", namely, the preservation of deep and painful memories of the past on the level of mass consciousness, generates paramount tension in the relations between Japan, China and Korea. A strongest point of contention lies in fundamental differences in the historical narratives of all the three countries, where a wary and sometimes hostile attitude towards each other prevails.
5 The persistency of conflict around history issues between China, Japan, and Korea is often explained by the realistic logic, which addresses current changes in the regional balance of power that give birth to growing military-political rivalry. However, within the framework of the constructivist logic, struggle evolves not between states, but between their identities2. Countries perceive the partner's efforts to create its national identity as a challenge to their own identity and mobilize historical knowledge to justify their "sovereignty" over the conflict-prone past. Thus, conflict arises from the struggle of identities on the level of national consciousness. 2. Li R. Identity Tensions and China-Japan-Korea Relations: Can Peace be Maintained in North East Asia? Identity, Trust, and Reconciliation in East Asia. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Ed. by K.Clements. N-Y., Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, p. 48.
6 In historical narratives, a key role is played by the policy of "saving face", which makes compromise and "non-standard" thinking much more difficult. In the traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures, the emphasis on “saving face” prioritizes formal ritual in typical social interactions. Problems in relations between Japan and its neighbors, including those related to different historical narratives, can partially be explained by the unrealized "face expectations" which is apparently one of the reasons for the lack of trust between the countries of the region3. 3. Moore G. History, Nationalism and Face in Sino-Japanese Relations. Journal of Chinese Political Science, 2010, vol.15, pp. 297-298.
7 This paper addresses a specific aspect of “history wars”, related to confrontational relations between China and the Republic of Korea, on the one side, and Japan, on the other side, over the controversial history of the first half of the XX century, namely, Japan’s expansionist policy on the mainland, especially in the period of WWII . The aim of this article is to examine the origin, the moral and the political underpinnings of “history wars”, specifically in the context of collective memories of WWII and the national identities in the three countries. Origins and Evolution of National Identities in East Asian Countries
8 Sociologists regard nation as a kind of imagined community, whose members for the most part are not familiar with each other in person, but feel a sense of mutual proximity, nurturing common ideas about their own history, geography, culture4. Such communities became possible only in the last two centuries as a result of enlightenment and universal primary education, which led to the formation of national identities. 4. Anderson B. Imagined Communities. Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. N-Y., Verso, 1991, 240 p.
9 In East Asia Japan was the first nation to create a renewed estate-free unitary national state (minzoku kokka 民族国家). It was during the Meiji period that the country's political elite managed to carry out successful modernization. A significant role was played by compulsory primary school education, as well as the system of patriotic education in the newly created regular imperial army. Through secondary school and army textbooks, for the first time in Japan’s history a holistic mass idea of nation’s self, nation’s glorious historical past and nation's noble mission in the world was introduced into the mass consciousness, especially that of young generations.

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