a day ago
When did WWII end? 1 in 4 Japanese can't say, survey shows
After more than 80 years, World War II feels distant — so much so that around 1 in 4 Japanese don't know the day Japan capitulated, a recent survey has found.
The survey by the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) found that 25.8% of respondents did not know the war ended on Aug. 15, 1945, while 21.7% and 27%, respectively, did not know the date the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (Aug. 9, 1945).
The online study, conducted in June, had 1,200 participants ranging from ages 10 and over. Marking the 80th anniversary since the end of WWII, this was the first time the JRCS conducted a study on the public's awareness and behavior regarding peace.
With the wartime generation aging, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to pass on their stories to the younger generation.
Nearly 90% of respondents answered that they thought continuing to tell stories about the war to future generations was important, but only half said that they have heard firsthand accounts of the war.
Among those who have heard such stories, around 47% said they heard it from their grandparents, while 38% said they heard it from oral storytellers who work to preserve memories of the conflict.
'In Japan, which fortunately has not become a battlefield for the past 80 years, it may be to some extent inevitable that memories of war are fading,' said Hiroto Oyama of JRCS. 'However, even in the current situation, where many feel an impending crisis about achieving peace, I would like to highlight the fact that the vast majority of people still value learning from past experiences.'
When asked about current affairs, over half of the respondents said they thought Japan was peaceful, while only around 20% thought there was peace in the world.
Many were pessimistic about achieving world peace in the future, with only 18.4% believing a war-free world was possible. Meanwhile, 68.6% said they did not think world peace was attainable.
Asked about Japan's possible involvement in war in the future, 12.9% strongly believed it was possible while 40.3% thought such a scenario was moderately possible.
On nuclear weapons, 51.8% of respondents said such weapons should not be used or possessed, while 28.3% felt they should not be used but that having them may be necessary for self defense.
