Publication

As this commentary reminds us, colliding versions of history remain a thorny problem among Northeast Asian states. Indeed, the intertwining of wartime histories with current territorial disputes has inflamed nationalist sentiments, spilled over into multinational forums, damaged Japan’s image and its ability to exercise soft power, and thwarted diplomatic cooperation. Given all these problems, the text’s author concludes by recommending that the region’s stakeholders subscribe to a form of “enlightened realism,” which stresses both security and historical reconciliation as important regional goals.