RELEASE EMBARGO DATE: MAY 1, 2013 AT 9 AM

Panel: Confronting History in East Asia (Regency Room)
Date/Time: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 / 09:00-10:15
Talking Points for: Tatsumi Yuki, Senior Associate, East Asia Program, Stimson Center

Japan has a long, complex relationship with its neighbors in East Asia. This complexity is aggravated by Japan`s history of offensive behavior toward them colonization of Korea and aggression in to China, in particular. Throughout its post-World War II years, japan has been often criticized by its neighbors in East Asia for ˝not apologizing˝ for its wartime atrocities. However, Japanese government, led by different leaders at different times, has ˝apologized˝ for its wartime past in more than several occasions, but these ˝apologies˝ never seems to stick. Why? Tatsumi will examine this ˝why˝, and the challege that this presents for Japan`s relations with Korea and China in the future.