In 2001, my unit went on a "staff ride" to Omaha Beach -- exploring our divisional history, since we were part of the Big Red One -- and on the way back through France stopped at several memorials to U.S. troops from the First World War. The historian we'd engaged for the tour explained that even though the area had been held by the Germans through most of World War II, for the most part they'd scrupulously avoided damaging the monuments -- some of which are big; one I particularly recall is an engraved wall/map of the battle that I think must've been at least five meters high, on a hill above the cemetery. That's right; even the Nazis were overruled by those Germans who respected our memorials -- big, vaunting memorials -- in the territory they'd conquered. So the decency described in this Japanese situation, while pleasing, is not entirely shocking.
Edit: overestimated the height; memory playing tricks.
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Big Brother is watching you. And damn, you are so bloody BORING.
Edit: overestimated the height; memory playing tricks.
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Big Brother is watching you. And damn, you are so bloody BORING.