> I'm sorry but this is simply incorrect, I mean it's not even close.
It isn't incorrect. It's history. Europeans have been colonizing east asia for a long time. China and most of asia consider what the europeans did to them the "age of humiliation".
> It was, for example, banned at the Beijing Olympics. Please don't try this but if you went outside in many East Asian countries with a big Rising Sun Flag you might not even make it down the street.
I agree. But that's politics rather than history.
> Second, the Japanese Empire was not at all like the British, French or Spanish in East Asia.
You are right. Lots of nationalists in asia credit the japanese for ending european colonization in asia. So it is different.
> Japanese conquest and war is remembered as catastrophic and evil
For political reason, not historical reason.
> Please, ask a Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese what they think.
What makes you think I haven't?
As I said, for political expediency, it is easier for asians to scapegoat the japanese, but many educated asians respect what the japanese did to rid asia of european colonization.
That doesn't mean they don't abhor what the japanese empire did to them. It just means they appreciate that the japanese helped end european/white domination of asia.
After all, the japanese were the first asian nation to defeat a european power. And it's why most of asia ( including china ) model themselves after japan to a degree.
You are mistaking optics political expediency for history and reality.
It isn't incorrect. It's history. Europeans have been colonizing east asia for a long time. China and most of asia consider what the europeans did to them the "age of humiliation".
> It was, for example, banned at the Beijing Olympics. Please don't try this but if you went outside in many East Asian countries with a big Rising Sun Flag you might not even make it down the street.
I agree. But that's politics rather than history.
> Second, the Japanese Empire was not at all like the British, French or Spanish in East Asia.
You are right. Lots of nationalists in asia credit the japanese for ending european colonization in asia. So it is different.
> Japanese conquest and war is remembered as catastrophic and evil
For political reason, not historical reason.
> Please, ask a Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese what they think.
What makes you think I haven't?
As I said, for political expediency, it is easier for asians to scapegoat the japanese, but many educated asians respect what the japanese did to rid asia of european colonization.
That doesn't mean they don't abhor what the japanese empire did to them. It just means they appreciate that the japanese helped end european/white domination of asia.
After all, the japanese were the first asian nation to defeat a european power. And it's why most of asia ( including china ) model themselves after japan to a degree.
You are mistaking optics political expediency for history and reality.