August 14, 2026

East Asia is increasingly concerned that Japan is reverting to militarism. Japan's prime minister and Cabinet officials, however, have dismissed such concerns, while some scholars and activists argue that these are exaggerated. What explains this perception gap?

Japan is hyping up nonexistent "threats" to justify its military expansion, leading many to conclude that the postwar "pacifist nation" is now abandoning its pacifist moorings.

But a closer look at historical records, including those of the Tokyo Trials and trials of other Japanese war criminals, raises a fundamental question: Was postwar Japan ever truly a "pacifist nation"?

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https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202608/14/WS6a7e67cea31073853ec53396.html