LOS ANGELES -- Perhaps in an ideal world, people all across Asia would simply ignore the sad Japanese leader who slides embarrassingly and inelegantly into seemingly pointless denial over the "comfort women" issue of World War II. Perhaps in another world, the sight would prompt genuine concern about the leader's mental health, rather than abject contempt for his soul.

It would arguably be better for the equanimity of all concerned if they could simply accept that, in the largely aging sector of Japanese society, there remain older Japanese whose stubbornness over wartime atrocities will follow them to the grave -- and accept that the more youthful Japanese simply and understandably refuse to accept finger-pointing from Asian leaders for something they manifestly did not do.

Remember that Japan remains, to its honor and credit, a largely pacifist and nonnuclear nation. This is not true of China, and it may not be true of the northern part of Korea -- two of Japan's traditional enemies. And it is also not true of the United States, the one country that has not only used atomic weapons but dropped them on Japan itself.