Japanese right-wing groups push for WWII narrative revisions, highlighting societal contradictions and political shift

Editor's Note:

The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, located near Peace Park in Nagasaki, Japan, displays historical materials related to the atomic bombing the city suffered in 1945, reminding the world to remember history and prevent the recurrence of war.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the global war against fascism, as well as the 80th anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing. As part of the commemorative activities, the city plans to update the exhibition content of the museum, which has brought to light the contradictions that have arisen in recent years regarding related content: some right-wing groups in Japan are demanding that the museum revise or even erase references to the Nanjing Massacre, provoking opposition from many peace advocates and organizations.

Global Times reporter Xing Xiaojing recently conducted an investigation into this matter, talking to representatives from the Atomic Bomb Museum, the Nagasaki city government, Japanese civic groups, and Chinese experts. The findings reveal that the demands for revisions to the museum's World War II narrative reflect deep-seated contradictions in Japanese society regarding historical awareness and the issue of political rightward shift. A representative from a Japanese civic group stated that this issue cannot be ignored, saying, "Without proper reflection on history, we cannot have a peaceful future!"

Shelved plan, stirred history

Some Japanese media reported in March that to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, Nagasaki has planned to update the exhibition content of the Atomic Bomb Museum. The proposed updates include using digital technology and other methods to present the severe impacts of nuclear radiation on the human body in an intuitive and understandable visual format, as well as the lifelong health and psychological damage suffered by the victims of the atomic bombing. The museum also plans to adjust the exhibition area that introduces the historical events leading up to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

In the proposed updates, the timeline of major events regarding Japan's wars prior to the atomic bombing retains references to "the occupation of Nanjing" and "the Nanjing Massacre." Some conservative groups in Japan have long expressed dissatisfaction with this and have pressured the museum and the local government to modify or even delete these references, resulting in the postponement of this year's exhibition update plan. 

Nagasaki initially wanted to complete the update by the end of this year but later announced a delay. The latest news indicates that the city will release the relevant plan in the spring of 2027.

The Global Times recently called the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum for an interview regarding this matter. After explaining the purpose of the call, the reporter was put on hold, and unexpectedly, the call was transferred to the Nagasaki city's atomic bomb disaster prevention department's peace promotion division. The Global Times reporter was informed that this division is responsible for responding to matters related to the museum's exhibition plans.

An official from the division told the Global Times that the current statements in the museum remain unchanged, but adjusting the wording of existing references such as "Japan's occupation of Nanjing" and "the Nanjing Massacre" is "not something that Nagasaki city can decide unilaterally." The Nagasaki government will discuss this with the Atomic Bomb Museum, and an external advisory committee (or review committee) composed of outside members will also participate in the discussions. A final decision can only be made after consultations among all parties, and "the earliest confirmation of the final adjustment plan will not be until after April 2026."

Growing right-wing shift

According to a report by Asahi Shimbun, since 2019, the review committee has been discussing matters related to the exhibition content of the museum, with committee members serving two-year terms. 

The Nagasaki city government's official website has made public some of the committee's meeting minutes. 

The meeting minutes from December 2020 show that the committee's secretariat noted that in the museum's exhibition room C, under the section "Toward a World Without Nuclear Weapons," a timeline outlines the history from Japan's invasion of China to the end of the Pacific War. This timeline includes entries such as "Occupation of Nanjing" and "Occurrence of the Nanjing Massacre." 

At the time, a committee member claimed there are views asserting "the Nanjing Massacre did not happen," and thus "changing the description to 'Battle of Nanjing' would not be incorrect."

The minutes reveal that other committee members immediately countered this, stating: "Japan waged a war of aggression against China at that time, and a large number of Chinese civilians were killed. This is an indisputable fact, so it is necessary to clearly display the acts of harm Japan once committed." The committee chairperson at the time remarked that "the meeting was not intended to reach a conclusion on this matter" but rather to exchange views and opinions, concluding the discussion with this statement.

A set of meeting minutes from 2023 shows that a committee member stated in their remarks that, despite the so-called view that "the Nanjing Massacre did not occur," there are photographs provided by Moriyasu Murase - a Japanese soldier during Japan's invasion of China who took over 3,000 photos between 1937 and 1940, documenting the crimes of the invading Japanese army. After Murase's death, his family donated these historical materials to the Japan-China Friendship Association - as well as evidence he compiled from photo albums and other sources. 

"The so-called review committee, composed of external members, has had its members selectively chosen, and in recent years, they have gradually been replaced by individuals from right-wing groups," Tadashi Hirano, the secretary-general of the Nagasaki Prefecture Peace Movement Center, told the Global Times. 

For example, during the 2023 committee member rotation, Nobuto Hirano, a long-time advocate for peace activities, was not selected. Nobuto Hirano had consistently argued for the necessity of exhibitions on Japan's war crimes, believing that the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum's displays should include the history of Japan's wartime atrocities. 

Thirteen local civic groups argued that the selection process for committee members was subjective and demanded that Nobuto Hirano be added as a supplementary member. However, Takuji Inoue, director of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, said the selection of committee members was "based on review standards" and conducted effectively by six reviewers, stating it was "not an intentional exclusion of Nobuto Hirano," and thus no re-evaluation would be considered. 

"This has a significant impact on us. Nobuto Hirano was a very important figure for us, and his exclusion has made many civic groups acutely aware of the crisis," Tadashi Hirano said. He noted that this reflects a severe constriction of the space for Japanese peace advocates to speak out, especially in decision-making bodies like the review committee, where they have essentially lost their right to voice opinions. 

Tadashi Hirano stressed that it is a fact that Nagasaki suffered as a victim of the atomic bombing, and it is equally a fact that Japan invaded other countries. All these facts should be passed down truthfully. He added that they would continue to collaborate with other groups and take all possible measures to urge the government not to alter the current descriptions, saying, "The growing right-wing shift in Japan today is becoming severe, and it cannot continue like this."

'Cannot turn blind eyes'

"The rightward shift in Japan is becoming increasingly severe, and we cannot turn a blind eye to it," said Liu Jiangyong, a professor at Tsinghua University's Department of International Relations. 

The controversy surrounding the modification of the Nanjing Massacre description at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum reflects deep-seated contradictions in Japanese society regarding historical cognition. This incident is not an isolated phenomenon; rather, it is a concentrated manifestation of Japan's political rightward shift since the end of the Cold War, particularly in the 21st century. It involves structural issues such as the incomplete reckoning with history, the long-term infiltration of right-wing forces, and the systematic distortion of textbooks, Liu told the Global Times. 

According to Liu, Nagasaki, a symbol of friendship with China, reflects the erosion of Japan's pacifist stance due to right-wing forces, particularly evident in the controversy over its atomic bomb museum. This issue emerged around 2020 amid Japan's political shift to the right, with groups seeking to erase references to the Nanjing Massacre, undermining the Tokyo Trials' outcomes and challenging the post-normalization consensus in China-Japan relations. The delay in updating the museum's exhibition lays bare Japan's societal divisions, balancing right-wing pressures against international public opinion and domestic pacifist sentiments. 

Tadashi Hirano emphasized that the current discussions extend beyond Nagasaki and the Nanjing Massacre, representing a broader trend of historical revisionism in Japan that cannot be overlooked.

Distortion, beautification, and dilution of history cannot conceal the truth, yet they only create more problems. "Without a proper reflection on history, we cannot have a peaceful future," he said.  

The complete truth

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Several sources in Japan have revealed that the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans not to issue an "80 Years After the War" official statement regarding the World War II. Some right-wing forces in Japan are attempting to reconstruct historical narratives through the statement.

"We strongly oppose such moves [to revise the Nanjing Massacre and other expressions]!" Tadashi Hirano stated. He said the timeline at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum should accurately document how Japan gradually moved toward the war, and erasing or altering the existing narratives actually dilutes the history. "Several Japanese civic groups, including ours, have repeatedly expressed our concerns to the Nagasaki city council, urging it to take this matter seriously," Hirano said. 

According to Nagasaki Broadcasting Company, 21 civic groups, including atomic bomb survivors and citizens, have submitted a petition to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, urging the inclusion of Japan's wartime atrocities in its exhibits. Yutaka Yonemura, head of the Nagasaki Prefectural Peace Movement Center, emphasized that merely depicting the suffering caused by the atomic bombing cannot convey Nagasaki's message to the world. Japan's history of aggression in Asia must not be ignored, and historical facts such as the Nanjing Massacre must not be altered.

Nagasaki Culture Telecasting reported that a recent survey by local civic groups targeting foreign visitors to the museum found that about 93 percent of respondents supported retaining pre-atomic bomb historical exhibits.

"We must prevent any revision of historical narratives, such as the Nanjing Massacre, at all costs ... Only by conveying the full truth can we powerfully demonstrate the preciousness of peace to the world," an anonymous member of a Nagasaki peace group told the Global Times.

The opposition from some Japanese citizens to the museum's revision of World War II-related narratives indicates the presence of pacifist forces in this country, he said.

In the future, the struggle over historical perspectives will intertwine with several matters, including the Taiwan question and Japan's constitutional revision process, becoming a core variable affecting China-Japan relations, said Liu, noting that China should remain vigilant against Japan's attempts to reshape national identity through historical revisionism, and counter its one-sided narrative.