martin14 martin14:
And even more interesting that Germany doesnt suffer this stigma ?
The big difference is how the countries dealt with the shame of their actions in WW2. The Germans apologized like crazy, gave Israel shitloads of cash and even today still give them military aid (for example, they built Israel's current batch of Dolphin class subs), and enacted laws to prevent something like that from ever happening again (de-Nazification).
The Japanese, on the other hand, largely deny that their actions in WW2 (Rape of Nanking, sexual slavery (AKA comfort women), treatment or POWs, Unit 731, and dozens of other monstrous acts of brutality were that bad at all. In fact, some maintain that Japan started the war with the US to 'liberate' Asian colonies from imperialist Western nations. Japanese nationalists today still preach about taking over Asia, use their wealth and power to coerce government officials and do their damnedest to make sure that none of the unspeakable acts of evil Japanese soldiers perpetrated during WW2 are in textbooks (conversely while making sure that the acts of horror that Japanese suffered - like the nukes dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki - are crimes against humanity), etc.
Additionally, every year, the Japanese PM makes at least one visit to Yasukuni, a shrine that holds the remains of several Class A war criminals. Could you imagine if German Chancellor's made a visit to a museum holding the partial remains of Hitler, Goering or any of the other monsters that ran the Third Reich?
That's why Japan suffers a 'stigma' and Germany doesn't.