Eighty years after World War II’s end, Japan and China are commemorating the milestone on different dates, reflecting deep historical wounds and ongoing tensions. Japan observes August 15 with a solemn ceremony, marking Emperor Hirohito’s 1945 radio broadcast announcing surrender, while China celebrates September 3 as Victory Day with a grand military parade, highlighting its triumph over Japan’s brutal occupation.

Japan’s invasion of China, beginning with the 1931 Manchurian Incident, left an estimated 20 million dead, a legacy that continues to strain bilateral relations. In Benxi, a museum showcases the resilience of anti-Japanese fighters who endured harsh Manchurian winters before retreating to Russia, returning only after the Soviet offensive on August 9, 1945—coinciding with the Nagasaki atomic bombing. These events, alongside Hirohito’s surrender announcement, pressured Japan to capitulate on September 2, 1945, formalized aboard the USS Missouri with signatures from U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and representatives of China and other Allied nations.

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Japan’s August 15 ceremony, led by Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, will feature remarks expressing remorse for Japan’s wartime actions, broadcast live by NHK. Last year, Naruhito’s deep regret was overshadowed by three cabinet ministers’ visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen by China and South Korea as glorifying militarism, sparking criticism. Ishiba’s approach this year, shaped by a proposed expert panel to study the war’s origins, aims to focus on procedural failures rather than moral guilt, diverging from the 1995 Murayama Statement’s explicit apology for Japan’s aggression.

China, marking September 3 with a Tiananmen Square parade featuring hypersonic missiles, J-15T jets, and 22,000 troops, underscores its military might and historical narrative of resistance. President Xi Jinping, joined by guests like Russian President Vladimir Putin, will speak at the event, which follows rehearsals on August 9–10. The Communist Party intensified these commemorations in 2014 amid disputes with Japan over wartime history and East China Sea territories, using the anniversary to reinforce nationalistic fervor. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun last month urged Japan to “deeply reflect on its historical culpability” and avoid using regional tensions to justify military expansion.

The contrasting commemorations highlight divergent priorities: Japan’s introspective mourning versus China’s assertive display of power. A Benxi museum visitor told Global Times that China’s focus honors the 35 million casualties of Japan’s 14-year aggression, while X posts warn of Japan’s “resurgent militarism.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ishiba’s nuanced stance, avoiding the Abe Statement’s forward-looking tone, aligns closer to the Murayama apology, though China demands stronger accountability. As both nations navigate this milestone, the anniversary underscores unresolved historical grievances and geopolitical rivalries shaping East Asia’s future.

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