History remains very much alive in East Asia. Millennia of invasions, occupations, and subjugation form the foundation for present-day perceptions.
The predominant calamity for many in this regard is the 20th century war precipitated by the Japanese attempt to impose a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere on its neighbors.
The second World War, or “The War,” as it was long called, and Japan’s contribution to it still heavily influences impressions of modern day Japan, particularly in China and South Korea.



President Barack Obama announced he will travel to Hiroshima this month. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes commented that Obama “will not revisit the decision to use the atomic bomb … instead, he will offer a forward-looking vision focused on our shared future.” Rhodes added that Obama’s Hiroshima trip will focus on pursuing “the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”