Japan’s Thorny Path to Peace: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

The Asia-Pacific War (1941–1945) was most significant and dramatic in the modern history of Japan. In August 1945, Japan surrendered and soon moved to reforms and reconstruction from the devastation of the war, which eventually turned the country into a peace-loving and prosperous one. While tracing the country’s past, the causes of peace and war can be found in the Meiji era (1868–1812) that still have positive and negative impacts on society, creating various contradictions not only inside but also outside the state. In this chapter, the author discusses the issues of Article 9 of the Constitution, Self-Defense Forces, and US military bases in connection with the role of peace education, which remains an important part of the Japanese peace-loving approach.