noun
national confession of Japanese war guilt (1945)
Historical term referring to the idea promoted in post-WWII Japan that the entire nation should repent for the war. Often associated with the early postwar period and debates about collective responsibility.
戦後すぐ、「一億総懺悔」という言葉が広まった。
Right after the war, the phrase 'national confession of Japanese war guilt' spread.
一億総懺悔の考え方は、国民全体が戦争責任を負うべきだという主張だった。
The idea of 'national confession of Japanese war guilt' was the assertion that the entire nation should bear responsibility for the war.
Compound of 一億 (one hundred million, referring to the Japanese population at the time), 総 (all, total), and 懺悔 (confession, repentance). The term emerged in the immediate post-WWII period as a political and moral slogan.