The Japanese view of World War II

I once sat in on a High School History class in Japan, 

The teacher asked me to talk about how Americans Understand World War II, It was.. .awkward, but I was prepared for it.

Teacher: "Did any of your family serve in world war two?" 
Me: "Many of them about a Dozen. My grand father served in Normandy." (Everyone is impressed) Teacher: "He helped stop the Nazi's he was a hero." 
Me: "I suppose. But he never talked about it much." 
Teacher: "Did any of your family fight in the Pacific? Did any die?" 
Me: "A few yes, My great Uncle was killed on the Arizona." 
Teacher: "That's very unfortunate. How do Americans think about the war?" 
Me: ~Long Pause~ "Most consider it 'the great war' most don't know much about it. many don't remember that we fought the Italians." Teacher: "Why do you and other Americans think the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor?" 
Me: ~Gives a long a detailed explanation of the events leading up to the attack, making it rather clear that I consider it basically a politically pissing contest over who got to be in charge in the Pacific.~ "But most Americans have no ideal why the attack took place. Most didn't know even at the time..... How do the Japanese view the war?" 
Teacher: "We think that the world collectivist lost its mind. Part of the world believed that you could get what you wanted with force and violence alone. And the other part thought that you could reason with people who believed you could get what you wanted with Violence." 



To this day that is the Single best explanation of world war two I have ever gotten...