Abstract
This chapter examines how current generations of Japanese identify with their nation and ‘remember’ the Asia-Pacific War in their historical consciousness. It is argued that n an attempt to protect their moral image, states may highlight certain historical events in the national consciousness while forgetting others. Collective memory of the past is an essential construct in the formation of national identity and can escalate conflicts between nations that have experienced shared histories of violent conflict. The chapter explores how lack of knowledge about Japanese colonial history and exposure to narratives focusing heavily on Japanese civilians’ wartime victimisation may affect their willingness to accept the nation’s responsibility to redress its past and thus become an obstacle to Japan’s reconciliation with its neighbours in East Asia—particularly South Korea.