Young East Asians: Learn WWII History or Risk Losing Peace Young people from China and Japan are urging their peers to learn from WWII history amid Japan’s accelerating military buildup. Su Xiao, a history student in Beijing, said that understanding the significance of 1945 helps people value peace. Wu Bohan, a young educator from China’s Taiwan region who visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, noted that war destroys lives and cripples economies. Inoue, a Japanese graduate student who studied in Beijing, realized that understanding war requires deep reflection on the rise of militarism and aggressive wars. As the Kishida administration continues to adjust its defense policies, Japanese Professor Hiroshi Shiratori also warned that Japan’s defense capabilities are likely to deviate from its pacifist identity. Most young East Asians agree that peace enables cross-border study, work, and travel, and stress dialogue over arms buildup.