The statement that Japanese people are of high quality can be largely reflected in their emphasis on order, honesty and hygiene, high education level and strong awareness of various disaster prevention and relief. For the world, the whole land of Japan is their root, their home and their "indoor", so we should make efforts to contribute to this "home" and improve the overall quality of individuals. For example, they rarely litter, and the garbage classification is strict; Don't make noise in public; The child abduction rate is relatively low and so on.
As for World War II, it is inevitable to wage war because of the intensification of contradictions at home and abroad and the extreme shortage of materials. Those atrocities, how to say, can be regarded as a kind of psychopathy. It is common to know that Japan has a small land area and less arable land, and it is not enough to eat. The army is simply raised by a stepmother. During the war, a rice ball will go to war without enough food and clothing. I think it is normal that such a bad environment will lead to psychopathy. Moreover, the degree of Japanese metamorphosis is already recognized. In addition, it may be a strategy at that time, like a threatening massacre or something. For example, some abductees and blackmailers kill tickets without taking money. If they are a little crazy, they may send the organs and parts with blood to the relevant people to play a warning role. Well, it's probably this disobedient and dying psychology. Another point is that there is a sea between China and Japan, and Japan is proud of its navy. At that time, China was a weak country. Even if they did something to China, they couldn't retaliate. After all, human nature is evil, and "bullying the good (weak) and fearing evil" is simply a natural skill.
As I learned before, we should look at the problem from the perspective of development, and we can't say what kind of country Japan has always been. In peacetime, Japan is a high-quality country, which is said to be the second in the world. But there are also many abnormal people. As for wartime, it is really a difficult time to talk about quality, but there must be some Japanese who can be counted as kind-hearted. This kind of thing cannot be said to be absolute.
In any case, Japan did do a very excessive thing at that time and could not tolerate it. The pain of history should be remembered, not forgotten. But in the relatively peaceful development environment of all countries, it is essential to learn from each other and develop together. It's just a matter of principle, and it can't be violated. Things like Japan's revision of textbooks can't be abandoned. There is no absolutely good country, and there is no absolutely bad country.
It seems to have gone far. Japanese people are of high quality, and of course they have their high side. We should learn from it. But Japan's abnormal behavior always comes down to a specific historical period. Do the Japanese dare to come to China to slaughter the city now? So the two things you said are not contradictory.
Personal thoughts, don't spray if you don't like them. Japan's evil can't be forgotten, but it can't be completely denied. Japanese society also has something to learn. Having said so much, I wonder if it has solved your problem. . . I said too much. . .