Between the Atomic Bomb and the War Crimes: Denialism and Japanese Historiography in Perspective

Abstract

This paper proposes a discussion on the denial of war crimes committed by the Japanese state during the Second Sino-Japanese War, considering the complex relationship between Japanese historiography about war crimes committed by Japan and the negationist mobilizations. We conclude that the narratives about the atomic bombs dropped on Japan are used both as a way to legitimize the negationist discourse (the idea of victimization), and to corroborate with an engaged historiography (which in no way amnesty the Japanese State) that intends to understand the past in its complexity, being Japan victim and executioner, depending on the context and the subjects/ institutions involved. Therefore, I seek to analyze how Japanese historiography reacts to denials based on logics and practices that understand the narrative about the past from a non-Manichean view between victim and executioner.