Pearl Harbor Day Bashed Japan

Well, its Pearl Harbor Day again. Seventy four years if you can believe. I know people who were there can't believe its been that long, but those of us who came of age thinking of the attack as a recent event have trouble with the idea as well. The distance from Pearl Harbor to today is basically the distance between the Civil War and Pearl Harbor.

The 50th anniversary was vivid. 50th anniversaries always are of course, but this one especially so. Come back with me now to America in 1991....

The country is in recession. President Bush has trouble 'feeling the pain' of Americans. Because of the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor the nation's latent Japan Bashing has reached its peak. Remember that? Japan had lost the war and won the peace. The Japs were running the American car industry out of business and were doing the same to electronics. Zenith, RCA, history folks. All the gadgets were Japanese back then, the Sony Walkman, the Nintendo...Ominously the Japanese were buying up American real-estate.

The worst part was the Japanese were such jerks about it. Behold: The Japan that can say No, Why Japan will be First Among Equals.  Americans complained that Japan closed its markets to our products. Lee Iaccoca accused Japan of exporting unemployment. 'How do they package it? Does it spoil?' P.J. O'Rourke asked. In 1991 Japan Bashing was all the rage.

Just look at this movie, Michael Keaton's Gung Ho:

When the Japanese execs are explaining why their system is better George Wendt demands, 'If your so great, how come you lost the big one?!' A fun movie about cultural clashes. Everyone wins in the end.  I miss that Michael Keaton...

Anyway sometime in late 1991 someone asked President Bush about mutual apologies between Japan and America. Bush seemed perplexed as to what America should be apologizing for. Someone said Hiroshima. Bush told them where to stick it.

Without a doubt this was the lowest point in the Japanese-American post-war relationship:

Bad Sushi indeed.

Of course we hated the Japanese during the war and bore a fair amount of resentment afterwards. My maternal grandfather, who fought in Europe, never forgave them. My paternal grandmother wouldn't buy Japanese cars. Even I wouldn't for a while. You kind of had to be there in the early 90's.

Well in the 25, well 24 years since, things are different.

Militarily the United States and Japan are coordinating action in the Pacific against the Chinese. Culturally our links have never been stronger. The post-war resentment is a thing of the past.

Personally one of things I'm proudest of as an American is that the United States and Japan are not just allies, but friends, good friends at that.