Such statements did not go over well with important Japanese political figures, many of whom had harsh words for Lee. Japan's wartime excesses, however, have always been a source of contention between Japan and its East Asian neighbors.
對許多日本政要來說，這一部分的見解聽來相當刺耳，對李光耀也頗有微詞，然而有關日軍侵略暴行向來都是日本與亞洲各國之間的爭議，新加坡僅為其中一個勢力。