For the most part Japan has problems understanding how Americans and the West communicate Information,
It's quite different Japan. From 1953-1989 Japan only had to deal with US/UK perceptions on the war,
as China and South Korea had not formed fully their revision of history and promote it to the world.
The Chinese and Koreans were very smart about marketing their version of history. And that's what
it is Marketing.Japan believes that the truth and pure intent will be enough. And if the truth is heard,
people will naturally believe it if they have pure intent.That's not the case in the West at all.
We have to market and sell ideas as much as products. Civil Rights wa not won only by marches and
speeches, but by movies,TV shows, books, etc. The Japanese don't seem serious in presenting their
side of the story. Compare other nations and how they have to constantly market their views in the US.
Even Israel, whom many Americans genuinely lobe, must constantly "sell" its version of events in
the Middle East to combat various Islamic radical versions.Japan is also working against not only
China and the Koreas continual promotion, but against the vision of how America sees itself. To
challenge the belief that America fought WW2 in the Pacific for anything less than to free it from a
tyrannical grip of oppression creates a big issue in the US mind. The reality of the Pacific War
is the same geopolitics as any other war we have fought,we were just very good at propaganda,and the
story stuck, Its almost an emotional equivalent of telling an American their grandfather is a liar.
Japan needs to show how their version does not reduce the American military individual sacrifices.
Each sides soldiers fought for what they believed was right.Japan is also up against a very powerful
lobby that spends of money enticing American press, academics, and politicians to China and Korea
treats them well. This "charm program" sadly wins over to many. Promises of big profit in a Chinese
market for media companies compound this problem, and the Chinese government has no problem playing
hardball with a media outlet that they don't like by barring entry in the Chinese market. Everyone
in the US from Hollywood to New York knows this and sadly too many play along.
