Research Guides: World War II in Asia: War and Memory

Japan

(NPR)

National Archives of Japan Digital Archive
A collection of a variety of primary sources from throughout Japanese History.
Most primary sources are in Japanese, though some may be in other languages, such as Dutch or English, when relevant.
Okinawa Memories Initiative | UC Santa Cruz
The Okinawa Memories Initiative is part of the Gail Project at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is housed in the Center for the Study of Pacific War Memories. Site is in English.
Australia-Japan Research Project - Australian War Memorial
Database of historic materials, essays, and other sources on the relationship between Australia and Japan from 1901 to 1957.
Site in English.
Obama's Speech at Hiroshima - Atomic Heritage Foundation
A transcription of the speeches by both then-President Obama and then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on the dropping of the Atomic Bombs on the city.
Site in English.

China

Commemoration for the 75th anniversary of China's victory against Japan held at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, 2020. The war, and the hardships China went through at the hands of Japanese expansionist ambitions, still influences politics between the two countries today.

Taken from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense website.

Anti-Japanese War and Sino-Japanese Relations Historical Resources Database (抗日战争与近代中日关系文献数据平台)
Database of various sources, such as books, newspapers, maps, etc. on the Second World War from the Chinese perspective, as well as the relations between China and Japan since then.
Site in Chinese.
Account required to download materials.

General

(National Parks Service)

World War II and Memory | C-SPAN
An interview with author Ran Zwigenberg, discussing how people remember the Second World War differently around the world.
Interview in English.
War Experience Library | Nara Prefectural Library and Information Center
A collection of records of the experiences of the Japanese, both during and immediately after the Second World War, as compiled by NHK.
Site in Japanese.
Veterans History Project | Library of Congress
A collection of transcripts of interviews of those who participated in the hellish experience that was the Second World War.
Site in English.
Institute on World War II and the Human Experience | Florida State University
A collection intent on conveying the experiences of various groups, such as women, in the war.
Site in English.
Eternal Flames: Living Memories of the Pacific War | UC Santa Cruz
Drawing from the symbol of the "eternal flame" at memorial sites, this memories project is an amalgamation of a digital archive, information source, and network hub. Site is in English.
Memory and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific - The George Washington University
Various resources on the "memory wars" going on between China, Japan, and Korea regarding the Second World War and the events which surrounded it.
Site in English.
A Map from Iwo Jima - PBS
An episode of the PBS show "History Detectives," featuring the battle of Iwo Jima. Some parts filmed at Gelman.
Site (and episode) in English.
Britain's War in the Far East During the Second World War - Imperial War Museum
Artifacts, photos, and other primary sources telling the story of the British experience during the war in the Pacific.
Site in English.
Pacific Wrecks
Index of various museums, memorials, displays, and other such artifacts of the Second World War around the world.
Site in English.
The War Memoryscapes in Asia Partnership | University of Essex
The War Memoryscapes in Asia Partnership, led by the University of Essex and funded by the UK’s Leverhulme Trust, brings together scholars from Europe, Asia and Australia to help trace the trends and developments of World War Two remembrance that is emerging across Asia.
Site is in English.
Memory and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific | GW Sigur Center for Asian Studies
Created in the fall of 2003 with a grant from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and supported with other resources. Hosted by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, D.C. Aimed at promoting the study of the ongoing “memory wars” as well as reconciliation efforts in the region.
Site is in English.

Historical Grievances: Comfort Women Issue

(Kyodo News)

New Yorker: "Seeking the True Story of the Comfort Women"
Essay by Jeannie Suk Gersen on the Comfort Women Issue.
Site in English.
Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues (WCCW)
Organization promoting the education on women's rights issues by researching the Comfort Women Issue.
Site in English.
House of Sharing
Museum with records on the Korean side of the Comfort Woman Issue, originally a shelter for those who survived the experience following the Second World War.
Site in English and Korean.
ROK Govt
A transcript of a meeting between the Korean and Japanese Governments; topics at hand included the comfort women issue.
Site in Korean.
H.Res.121
Resolution by the US House of Representatives, advocating for Japan to apologize regarding the Comfort Women Issue.
Site in English.
Kono Statement
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on the Comfort Women Issue from 1993.
Site in English.
UN Economic and Social Council Commission on Human Rights 1996.
UN Economic and Social Council report on the Comfort Women Issue from 1996.
Site in English.
Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea / 일본군 ‘위안부’ 문제 아카이브
Database containing various sources on the Comfort Women Issue.
Site in Korean.
Women's Active Museum on War and Peace
A Japanese collection of accounts on the Comfort Women Issue from those who went through the ordeal.
Site in English.

Historical Grievances: Force Labor

A 1958 poster promoting the post-war film "The Bridge on the River Kwai," based on real events and depicting the horrid conditions for Prisoners of War in Japanese captivity, including forced labor, this being the central feature of the film.

Taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Never Forgotten
Records and other such sources on the Japanese POW camps on Taiwan, where the POWS found themselves forced to conduct forced labor for the Japanese war effort.
Site in English.

Territorial Disputes

(Associated Press)

Okinawa Studies Research Guide: Senkaku Islands
Variety of sources available on the territorial dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands.
English and Japanese sources available.