In a recent exchange of opinions that I had with friends that was spurred by the latest developments in Japan-South Korea relations and a recent news report that an attempt by Emperor Showa¡¯s to officially express in 1952 his remorse and regret over World War II was prevented by Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, a Westerner observed that historically Japan has lacked critical self-reflection on its society.
He considered that even the concept of hansei (self-reflection) was about putting all responsibility for an error or incident on one¡¯s self, without even considering and reviewing external factors. He thought that this feature of Japanese culture contributed in no small extent to Japan¡¯s adamant reticence to admit any wrongdoing.
He concluded that this should not stop Westerners from ¡°pushing and prodding¡± the Japanese into further reflection and that if the Japanese managed to integrate critical thinking on a systemic level into their culture, as a result of Western influence, that would be a very good thing in the long run.
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