"We have listened here to the delegates who have recalled the terrible human suffering, and the great material destruction of the late war in the Pacific. It is with feelings of sorrow that we recall the part played in that catastrophic human experience by the old Japan"
About this Quote
The key phrase is "the old Japan". It's a political instrument disguised as a moral one. By cordoning guilt off to a previous incarnation of the nation, Yoshida offers listeners a usable apology that doesn't indict the present state he is trying to rebuild. "Old Japan" implies a break with militarism, a conversion narrative that aligns neatly with the postwar order: constitutional pacifism at home, reintegration abroad, and a Japan that can be trusted as a partner rather than watched as a threat.
There's subtext aimed outward and inward at once. Outward: a bid for legitimacy in international institutions, and for relief from the pariah status that lingers after defeat. Inward: a way to cultivate national dignity without denying catastrophe, shifting shame into a past tense that can be mourned and then archived. Even the choice of "sorrow" over "guilt" matters; sorrow is communal, guilt is prosecutorial. Yoshida is negotiating memory as policy: offering just enough moral recognition to move forward, while preserving a narrative of national renewal essential to economic recovery and Cold War alignment.
Quote Details
| Topic | War |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Yoshida, Shigeru. (2026, January 15). We have listened here to the delegates who have recalled the terrible human suffering, and the great material destruction of the late war in the Pacific. It is with feelings of sorrow that we recall the part played in that catastrophic human experience by the old Japan. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-have-listened-here-to-the-delegates-who-have-102224/
Chicago Style
Yoshida, Shigeru. "We have listened here to the delegates who have recalled the terrible human suffering, and the great material destruction of the late war in the Pacific. It is with feelings of sorrow that we recall the part played in that catastrophic human experience by the old Japan." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-have-listened-here-to-the-delegates-who-have-102224/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We have listened here to the delegates who have recalled the terrible human suffering, and the great material destruction of the late war in the Pacific. It is with feelings of sorrow that we recall the part played in that catastrophic human experience by the old Japan." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-have-listened-here-to-the-delegates-who-have-102224/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
