Memory and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific

This program aims at promoting the study of the mnemonic practices, memory conflicts, as well as reconciliation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region. Created in the fall of 2003 with a grant from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and supported with other resources, our program is hosted by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Featured Resource

The above interactive map shows different monuments, memorials, and museums dedicated to the Asia Pacific Theater of World War II. Clicking each icon will display basic information about the location and what it resembles. Please contact us if a site should be added or amended.

Featured Publication

In the new book, Dr. Emily Matson, an advisor to our program, investigates the disputed historical narratives about the chronology of the Second Sino-Japanese War and War War II in East Asia. The book examines the historiographical shift from conventional Eight Year War (1937-1945) to officially recognized 14 Year War (1931-1945), tracing the conflict’s origin back to the 1931 Mukden Incident in Manchuria. Dr. Matson explores how Northeast Chinese historians and scholars challenged national timelines, illustrating powerful interplay between regional scholars, official state memory, and evolving national identity in contemporary China. You may purchase the book here.

Featured Event

In this event, Professor Jie-Hyun Lim explores the concept of “victimhood nationalism,” examining how post-conflict societies construct competing memories of past trauma that reinforce national boundaries and complicate reconciliation. Drawing comparative perspectives across Eastern Europe and East Asia, Professor Lim analyzes how claims of historical innocence and victimhood transcend borders, probing critical pathways to move past entrenched national grievances toward transnational solidarity and shared collective memory.

Please note that the external links shared on this website are being provided for informational purposes only, and their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement or approval by the Program. For any questions, suggestions or updates regarding the contents of our website, please contact us at memoryreconciliation@gmail.com. Your support is much appreciated.

The FCCJ held several events to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II

October 28, 2025
Uncategorized

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan marked the upcoming 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with speakers, films, and events to help document what has – and hasn’t – changed since 1945, even including a walk down…

Continue Reading→

Marking eighty years since World War II ended in the Asia-Pacific, the Sigur Center for Asian Studies hosted the conference “World War II at 80: War Generations, Society, and Memory in the Asia Pacific”. The gathering featured prominent scholars examining how the passing of war generations reshapes collective memory and domestic politics. Columbia University’s Dr. Carol Gluck delivered the keynote address.

Recent Publications

Authenticity and Victimhood after the Second World War examines how victimhood and historical authenticity were constructed across Europe and East Asia. Analyzing case studies from the Holocaust to air raids on Japan, the volume explores how divergent interpretations of suffering shape group identity, memory politics, and public commemoration in postwar societies. You can purchase the book here.

This book by Sharon Chamberlain examines how the newly independent Philippines navigated postwar justice amid domestic and international pressures. Exploring clashing Filipino and Japanese views on war crimes trials, she analyzes how these divergent narratives were ultimately reimagined to paradoxically foster a path toward postwar bilateral reconciliation. You can purchase the book here.

Based on a 2015 conference hosted by our Program, this book offers a comparative analysis of how Asia-Pacific nations and global powers commemorated the seventieth anniversary of World War II’s end. Through nine country case studies, it demonstrates how public remembrance, domestic motives, and contemporary international politics profoundly shape one another. The book can be purchased here.