It seems that the Showa Era (1926-89) -- a turbulent period best remembered for the Pacific War -- is fading fast into the past. Reinforcing that impression is the fact that a bill designating April 29 as "Showa Day," a national holiday dedicated to the memories of the Showa Era, passed the Lower House earlier this year. The bill is expected to become law during the next Diet session.
The most important day of that period, of course, is Aug. 15, 1945, when the war ended with Japan's surrender. That day would define the basic character of postwar Japan -- a nation committed firmly to peace. The end of the Showa Era -- and the start of the Heisei Era -- heralded a post-postwar period.
Today, 58 years after the war's end, some of the postwar institutions at home and abroad are beginning to fall apart. A review of underlying values and systems and, with it, a debate focused on the "post-postwar period" seem inevitable. That is all the more reason why a coolheaded re-examination, or reconfirmation, of the postwar period is needed.