Till his end days, my grandfather still held a grudge against anything Japanese. He would refuse to get into a Japanese-made car, refused Japanese food and even refused to use any Japanese electronics.
I do not blame him for such an attitude. According to my grandmother, he was tortured by the Japanese. They had starved and beaten him for more than 2 years. He was only released after the Japanese surrender.
These stories are not unique; many of the survivors of the Japanese Occupation shared horrible atrocities that haunted them into the modern times. Even a simple browse through Wikipedia who reveal the war crimes that were performed. Even today, the memories still raise controversy.
Were there any good Japanese during the war?
While the stories of Japanese brutality was ubiquitous during the Occupation, we must remember that they were only humans. Not all Japanese were evil.
Some of my more savvy friends can name Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese official who risked his career and life to save as many Lithuanian Jews from the Nazis as possible. A little closer to home, some can list Mamoru Shinozaki who saved Singaporeans from the secret police (although some dispute this account).
Let us also not forget the numerous nameless Japanese soldiers who had shown mercy during the war and occupation.
Conclusion
Let us remember that while the Japanese military did commit horrible deeds during the war, let us remember not all Japanese individuals participated or endorsed such acts.
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