Japanese Apologies for World War II

A Rhetorical Study
1. Auflage 2005
ISBN: 978-0-415-35565-0
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 208 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 485 g

Reihe: Routledge Contemporary Japan Series

Post-war Japan offers a compelling case study of national apologies for past wrongdoings. Actions of the Japanese Army and government during the Second World War caused enormous suffering and distress throughout Asia, leaving a legacy of resentment and distrust. Beginning in the mid-1980s, apology for wartime actions became a recurring issue for Japan. Repeated calls for apology from various quarters as well as repeated apologies by Japanese officials provide a rich source for the study of national apology and how public apology discourse develops over time.

Unlike most rhetorical studies that focus on apologia in the broad sense, this study concentrates on the strategy of the ‘true apology.’ The study combines rhetorical, sociological and historical approaches to address multiple examples of Japanese apology during the period 1984 to 1995. The author suggests that motive is more complex than the ‘image restoration’ theory that is prevalent in rhetorical theory. More specifically, this study emphasizes repair of relationships, self-reflection leading to a ‘new’ improved identity and affirmation of moral principle as reasons for apology.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Yamazaki, Jane

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Kultur- und Ideengeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Asiatische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Militärgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction 2. Accusation, Accusers and Audience 3. The Early Apologies: Repairing Relationships 4. The 'Comfort Women' Apologies 5. Hosokawa apologies: Politics and History 6. The Anti-Apologies: Conservative Apologia 7. Murayama's Apology: On the International Stage 8. Apology as International Discource 9. Conclusions

Über Autor(innen)

Jane W. Yamazaki teaches Japan-related courses in the department of International Studies at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan in addition to courses on culture and communication at Wayne State University in Detroit.