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Other victims of the Axis have opted to put the past behind them. The Philippines, which suffered a bloody, one-sided defeat and a brutal occupation by imperial Japan, will send President Corazon Aquino. Indonesia will send President Suharto. Most of Japan's modern-day trading partners seem to share the magnanimity -- and pragmatism -- of incoming U.S. President George Bush. While a Navy bomber pilot, he was shot down over the Pacific by Japanese gunners, but he professes to hold no grudge. Bush was among the first Western leaders to announce he will attend Hirohito's funeral. To those who objected, Bush explained, "What I'm symbolizing is not the past, but the present and future, by going there." The Japanese, who have chronicled the debates abroad, welcomed the American decision.
Most Japanese, convinced that most of the nations that count are behaving with propriety, have paid little attention to the foreign debates. As for Hirohito's war guilt, the matter received a round of fresh attention after the Emperor fell ill in September. When his death halted regular programming for two days, Japanese television devoted extensive coverage, including rarely seen war footage, to Hirohito's career. But Japan seemed disinclined to indulge in an orgy of self-examination. Viewers bored with the special shows flooded video-rental stores across the country. Many Japanese worry less about an old war than about who will foot the $74.4 million bill for Hirohito's funeral.