Our country never tries to reverse history. Japan has consistently followed the path of freedom, peace and democracy.

Our country never tries to reverse history. Japan has consistently followed the path of freedom, peace and democracy.

So, the little imperial "excursion," "Nankin massacre," annexation of Korea, Taiwan, large areas of China, Singapore, slaughter of hundreds of thousands, "medical experiments on prisoners of war," comfort women for the troops, these were all steps on the road to the wonderful freedom, peace and democracy that we enjoy today?

And we will be able to continue to enjoy our freedom, peace and democracy thanks to Abe's "Secrecy Act," a revision of the constitution and huge increase in military spending for Japan's new armed forces.

I'm afraid, Mr Suga, this doesn't seem to make sense.

Suga has his head up his a$$. He obviously doesn't read the news.

@Bertie:

Liked your post, but it tended to tread the well-known path of what Japan did during the war. What about the domestic slide from democracy to dictatorship in the 1930s? That also seems to have slipped the Cabinet Secretary's mind. Here is brief (but in no way comprehensive list):

The February 26 Incident (an attempted coup in 1936), PM Inukai Tsuyoshi assassination (1932 part of the May 15 Incident), Viscount Takahashi and Saito assassinations among others (1936 part of the attempted coup), the March Incident and Colours Incident (1931), the abuses of the Public Security Preservation Law (of 1925), the Tokko running riot in the 1930s suppressing dissent (aka democracy).

Indeed, Mr. Suga doesn't need to just learn something about Japan in Asia, he also needs to brush up on some domestic dirty little secrets as well.

What's really sad is a large percentage of college educated Japanese will agree with this.

Suga is a liar. Furthermore, "freedom, peace and democracy" is a red herring and off the point. In fact the LDP has a history of hiding the truth whether about Japan's war crimes or the dangers of nuclear power.

Where did he study history? That could well explain his beliefs.

Thanks for the laugh Suga.

He's right. The government 'never tries to reverse history'. They only try and rewrite it.

But on the other hand, Abe's refusal to accept the legitimacy of the Tokyo trials, would certainly suggest a desire to reverse a historical verdict which played a large part in the post war order of east Asia.

It could also be argued that the government is proactively engaged in reversing perceptions of history, by establishing an alternate reality in which Japanese colonialism was a bid to free Asia of western colonialism. A history in which Japan was inextricably forced into attacking the US as a result of a fuel embargo.

The simple truth here is that whatever the political situation at the time, Japan decided to physically strike the first blow against the US and it ended up losing the war. That is an irreversible fact.

"Reverse history"? What does that even mean?

What just about every country does is "revise" history. Then they repeat it. Not 100 percent perfectly, but when enough points match up, its disgusting enough.

HongoTAFEinmate,

Good post.

Thanks for the data.

Skeletons in the cupboard!

Is this man a "manzaishi" ? (Japanese comedian, typical of the Kansai region)

Kurobune,

I really wish Suga were a "manzaishi." Unfortunately, this idiot is in a high position in our illustrious government and - believe it or not - there are people who not only take him seriously, but voted for him.

Still, he's not even on the same level as those wonderful American "manzaishi," GW Bush and Dan Quayle.

But would the right wingers like to repeat history?