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.
Right after the war, the phrase 'national confession of Japanese war guilt' spread.
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.