This book examines key aspects of the Asia Pacific War (1931-1945), that was initially waged between Japan and China, before Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor drew in the U.S.-led allied forces from 1941 to 1945.

Yasuko Claremont has a PhD in Japanese literature, is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, and was the curator of Art and Activism in the Nuclear Age, an exhibition held at the Tin Sheds Gallery at the University during April and May 2022. She is co-editor of the forthcoming book Art and Activism in the Nuclear Age: Exploring the Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to be published by Routledge. Her research interests lie in the emergence of civil society in postwar Japan.

General Introduction: Japan's Peace Paradox Part I: The Asia Pacific War Introduction: Is There, or Was There, a So-Called Just War? 1. The Origins of the Asia Pacific War: 'Honor, Fear, Self-Interest' 2. The Human Impact of the Asia Pacific War 3. The Legacies of the Asia Pacific War: The Atomic Bombings and Article 9 Part II: Postwar Reconciliation Introduction: Aspects of Reconciliation 4. Reparations, Memorials and Reconciliation at the State Level 5. Citizens' Reconciliation 6. Postwar Reconciliation through the Arts 7. Epilogue: The Rise of Citizen Power in Support of the Spirit of Article 9