History Main / NuclearWeaponsTaboo

That said, while Japan's aversion to nuclear weapons is understandable, given the mark they made on their history, their fixation on the topic tends to come across as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aforementioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million.[[note]]The exact figures are lost to time, mainly due to the fact that one of the last major actions of the Imperial Japanese Military was to ''purge'' as many documents regarding their...less than wholesome activities as possible, to avoid having it be used against them in trials for war crimes.[[/note]] Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately has enabled numerous attempts to white-wash Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japan's atrocities falsely see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim, or otherwise view a moral equivalance between the bombings and said war crimes. Needless to say, any apologia for Imperial Japan's atrocities is typically not well-received by countries whom were victims of said atrocities, to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives and descendants.

That said, while Japan's aversion to nuclear weapons is understandable, given the mark they made on their history, their fixation on the topic tends to come across as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aforementioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million.[[note]]The exact figures are lost to time, mainly due to the fact that one of the last major actions of the Imperial Japanese Military was to ''purge'' as many documents regarding their...less than wholesome activities as possible, to avoid having it be used against them in trials for war crimes.[[/note]] Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately has enabled numerous attempts to white-wash Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japan's atrocities falsely see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, any apologia for Imperial Japan's atrocities is typically not well-received by countries whom were victims of said atrocities, to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives and descendants.

* Averted in ''Anime/TurnAGundam''. Eventually the quest for LostTechnology on an AfterTheEnd Earth turns up a bunch of nuclear warheads. The terror of the discovery is milked for all its worth; the bombs' animation and sound effects are ominous and the terror of the Moonrace characters is contrasted with the Earthers who just think it's a desirably powerful bomb. Thanks to their being in an uninhabited area, only two lives are lost when they detonate--however, the mushroom cloud is paired with the "midnight sunrise" of the episode title, which is seen for many miles. The enormous crater and the effects of radioactive fallout are discussed, and the incident represents a major change in attitude for several main characters. It also recasts the plot from a conflict over territory rights to an existential threat to humanity's continued survival, and it becomes clear just ''how'' Earth was reduced to its AfterTheEnd state in the first place.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons is seen as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aforementioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million.[[note]]The exact figures are lost to time, mainly due to the fact that one of the last major actions of the Imperial Japanese Military was to ''purge'' as many documents regarding their...less than wholesome activities as possible, to avoid having it be used against them in trials for war crimes.[[/note]] Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately has enabled numerous attempts to white-wash Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japan's atrocities falsely see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, any apologia for Imperial Japan's atrocities is typically not well-received by countries whom were victims of said atrocities, to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives and descendants.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons often been seen as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aforementioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million.[[note]]The exact figures are lost to time, mainly due to the fact that one of the last major actions of the Imperial Japanese Military was to ''purge'' as many documents regarding their...less than wholesome activities as possible, to avoid having it be used against them in trials for war crimes.[[/note]] Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately has enabled numerous attempts to white-wash Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japan's atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, any apologia for Imperial Japan's atrocities is typically not well-received by countries whom were victims of said atrocities, to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons often been seen as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aforementioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million.[[note]]The exact figures are lost to time, mainly due to the fact that one of the last major actions of the Imperial Japanese Military was to ''purge'' as many documents regarding their...less than wholesome activities as possible, to avoid having it be used against them in trials for war crimes.[[/note]] Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately has enabled numerous attempts to white-wash Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japan's atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, any apologia for Imperial Japan's atrocities is typically [[BerserkButton not well-received]] by countries whom were victims of said atrocities, to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately has enabled numerous attempts to white-wash Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japan's atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, this apologia for Imperial Japan is met with [[BerserkButton complete rage by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]], to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives.

Any series that does decide to use nuclear weapons will usually portray them as [[{{Anvilicious}} A Bad Thing]] that must be destroyed at all costs, and [[ThisIsUnforgivable only used by the evilest of villains]]. This taboo is even stronger in Japanese works, where the Three Non-Nuclear Principles are generally portrayed as being upheld long into the future in all but the most pessimistic of stories.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War, but to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, this apologia for Imperial Japan is met with [[BerserkButton complete rage by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]], to say nothing of the former Allied [=POWs=] and their relatives.

The UsefulNotes/AtomicBombingsOfHiroshimaAndNagasaki killed 200,000 people and [[TropeCodifier established]] that UsefulNotes/NuclearWeapons were in the same category as chemical weapons (used in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) and biological weapons (tested by the Japanese on [=POWs=] and Chinese civilians in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII). Although the lethal potential of biological weapons was only known to the USA, which pardoned and employed Japan's bioweapon specialists, the horrific nature of chemical and nuclear warfare was plainly evident to everyone. Within just a few years of the bombings, media coverage of them resulted in what Nina Tannenwald has dubbed ''The Nuclear Taboo'' (2007): a reluctance to use nuclear weapons, regardless of the practical benefits, [[BadPowersBadPeople because it makes the user look evil]]. After all, there is no denying that biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons kill people in a number of horrible ways - and that they are usually ranked in that order of horribleness.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, this apologia for Imperial Japan is met with [[BerserkButton complete rage by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]], to say nothing of the former Allied POWs and their relatives.

Contrast our modern attitude about nuclear weapons to fiction of the pre-war eras in which devastating super-weapons were romanticized to the point of being able to end all war forever. For example, Alfred Nobel believed that if such a tremendously powerful weapon could be devised, [[MutuallyAssuredDestruction the potential war casualties would become so high when compared to any possible gains that nations of the world would abandon warfare altogether]]. First this super-weapon was said to be the machine gun,[[note]]Or the [[GatlingGood Gatling gun]] more specifically; though Gatling's intent for the weapon wasn't to terrorize people away from war, but to replace multitudes of soldiers with a single device; essentially, instead of a platoon of soldiers firing single-shot long guns, you would only have maybe one or two men manning a single rapid-firing weapon. Unfortunately for Gatling, he didn't consider the possibility that future armies may just equip ''every'' soldier on the battlefield with a rapid-firing weapon.[[/note]] then bomber aircraft, and when atomic bombs appeared at the end of the Second World War, military and political leaders considered them to be simply big bombs. Strategically useful yes (one plane could now do the work of hundreds), but not inherently different than any other munition. Then came the hydrogen bomb, aka thermonuclear weapons, a weapon even more powerful. For comparison, atomic bombs tend to be limited to kilotons, while hydrogen bombs are measured in ''megatons;'' hundreds of times more powerful (see also: HiroshimaAsAUnitOfMeasure). This combined with advances in rocket delivery systems finally made it feasible for man to actually destroy civilization. [[note]]Fears of actual species-wide extinction even in a nuclear war have since been revealed to be unlikely; Mother Nature is ''incredibly'' resilient, given that the planet has been dealing with ''natural'' sources of radiation since its formation, and the global ecosystem is much harder to significantly disrupt then it seems. Same goes for humanity itself, though the lasting effects of a nuclear war would likely set society overall back by a ''century'', at the very ''least.''[[/note]] To an extent, those former dreams were at last realized: the threat of nuclear war has helped keep the major powers at peace for 70 years. We finally created a weapon we are ''actually'' too scared to use. Unfortunately this hasn't ended war ''altogether'', but wars of the most devastating type seen in the 20th century haven't been seen since.

->''"Ever since America dropped the atomic bomb on them, Japan has used every single piece of media possible to attempt to guilt them over it. Nearly a century later results have thus far been...mixed."''

Any series that does decide to use nuclear weapons will usually portray them as [[{{Anvilicious}} A Bad Thing]] that must be destroyed at all costs, and [[ThisIsUnforgivable only used by the most evil of villains]]. This taboo is even stronger in Japanese works, where the Three Non-Nuclear Principles are generally portrayed as being upheld long into the future in all but the most pessimistic of stories.

[[folder:Film- Live-Action]]

* Averted in ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}''. A magical ageless little girl brainwashed UsefulNotes/HidekiTojo to wage war and upon losing World War II ''arranged'' the nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the United States so that she could lose in such a spectacular way the Allied Forces would feel inferior. Also, in the prequel ''Caterpillar'', Creator/OsamuTezuka explodes once his nuclear reactor is damaged, wiping out the ''Ageha'' cruise ship and with it several V.I.P.s who were a thorn on the Organization's side.

%%That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, this apologia for Imperial Japan is met with [[BerserkButton complete rage by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]], to say nothing of the former Allied POWs and their relatives.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities see the atomic bombings as something that made Japan a victim. Needless to say, this apologia for Imperial Japan is met with [[BerserkButton complete rage by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]], to say nothing of the former Allied POWs and their relatives.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. To add insult to injury, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities see the atomic bombings as unjustified. Needless to say, this apologia for Imperial Japan is met with [[BerserkButton complete rage by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]], not to mention Allied POWs and their relatives.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. Sadly, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities think that the atomic bombings mean Japan was an actual victim of the Pacific Theater. [[BerserkButton Needless to say, this cruel and callous apologia for Imperial Japan is met with complete anger, revulsion and disgust by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]].

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War. Sadly, even many in the West who ''are'' aware of Imperial Japanese atrocities think that the atomic bombings mean Japan was an actual victim of the Pacific Theater. [[BeserkButton Needless to say, this cruel and callous apologia for Imperial Japan is met with complete anger, revulsion and disgust by the countries that Japan committed crimes and atrocities upon]].

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most to be blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role and conduct in the Pacific War.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most to be blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ultimately enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role (and conduct) in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most to be blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the most directly affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role (and conduct) in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most to be blatant efforts to not only deflect from the fact that Imperial Japan had been the aggressor in the Pacific War. But to also deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in Asia and the Pacific such as the aeformentioned bioweapon testing, with the total amount of victims from these atrocities being estimated at least a dozen million. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role (and conduct) in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most to be blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in the Far East, including the aeformentioned bioweapon testing. Which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. On top of attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been noted by most to be blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in the Far East, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. On top of attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. On top of attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the West's need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. On top of attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the Western Allies' need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. On top of attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the international public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the Western Allies' need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. As well as attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the international public has generally been left in the dark about these atrocities because the Western Allies' need for a Far East ally in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. As well as attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the international public has generally been left in the dark about the atrocities because UsefulNotes/ColdWar political climate enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. As well as attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public has generally been left in the dark about the atrocities because UsefulNotes/ColdWar political climate enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's role in the war.

That said, Japan's fixation upon nuclear weapons has been seen by most as blatant efforts to deflect from Imperial Japan's extensive war crimes and associated atrocities in East Asia and the Pacific, which are estimated to have killed at least a dozen million. As well as attempted deflection from how Japan was the main aggressor in the Pacific War. Not helping matters is that outside of the affected countries such as UsefulNotes/{{China}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea the two]] [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Koreas]], UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, the world public is generally unaware of these events due to how UsefulNotes/ColdWar politics enabled active attempts at white-washing Japan's crimes and role in the war by right-wing factions.