To make things even more controversial, the hero of Nanking was a Nazi. He saved thousands of Chinese lives.
I just finished a book on the history of Japan. Very complex and hard for me to understand.
I will say they are among the smartest people in the world. They went from what is almost a medieval culture to a world power in less than 50 years.
Their behavior in WWII can only be described as barbaric if not even worse.
They also pretty much consider their treatment of the Ainu as a taboo subject.