Unlike Germany, which repudiated its past aggression and reconciled with its neighbors in the framework of the European Union, Japan has never come to terms with its record in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The residual suspicion that lingers in countries like China and Korea sets limits on Japan’s appeal that are reinforced every time the Japanese prime minister visits the Yasukuni Shrine.
但是，日本仍然存在局限。德国否定了其过去的侵略行径，并且在欧盟的框架内同邻国修好。与德国不同的是，日本从未反省上世纪三十年代和四十年代的所作所为。中国和韩国对于日本的疑虑尤存，日本首相每次参拜靖国神社都限制了日本的吸引力。