Yes, Japan was an aggressor during the war. However, that did not stop them from suffering horrific tragedies (more on that tomorrow). While in Kyoto, I visited a great number of temples. At one, a Buddhist temple with a massive (several stories high) statue of the Buddha sitting on the roof, there was a small shrine off to the side. Inside, I was surprised and delighted to see a WWII memorial.
Above the file cabinets it reads “Individual Names of Allied Personnel who Perished in Territory under Japanese Jurisdiction during World War II.”
Thank you, Japan, for that rememberance.
gillian's island 