I suspect the reason for their behavior is strong Japanese nationalism and emphasis on social order that has no external source of moral authority. When Germany came out of WWII and realized what they had done there was national shame. Germans knew the difference between right and wrong but had looked away from what was going on. In contrast, Japan’s war shame was not due their brutality at all, it was in their loss of the war; it was rooted in their failure to be victorious. Why would a nation with such a mindset apologize to the victors? They wouldn’t; they would apologize to each other, and so they did. That mindset has not changed, nor can we expect it to.
I wonder what price you would have them pay, who would pay it and who would receive it? Unfortunately there are not that many people left who were directly involved. Would you have the old guy in Okinawa send some yen to an old guy in Seattle? At some point it simply devolves to the same issue as slave reparations. Regrettable, but a reasonable solution is not there IMO.
Lastly, I would be more than happy to buy a Ford or Chevy if they were not junk compared to Toyotas and Hondas. I have been loyal over many years and my loyalty has been severely taken advantage of. I have had enough. The last straw was when my Ford Crapstar caught on fire due to the speed control switch – a well known problem that has reportedly burned down homes and killed people. Ford told me that no recall had been issued on my minivan, so it was my problem. I could go on for quite a while on that vehicle. Or perhaps everyone would like to hear about my Ford Escort – so named, apparently because one dare not take it anywhere by itself. Designed with an interference engine and a timing belt rather than a chain, it was only a matter of time (and not much time, at that) before it destroyed itself. Again, Ford told me it was my problem not theirs. I can provide similar Chevy experiences – the Caprice with “crow checking” paint that began to flake off after only five years (not GMs problem). The hot #1 cylinder characteristic of the early 4.3L V6s (not GMs problem).
Are there people who have had great experiences with American cars of all makes and models? Of course. Are there people who have had bad experiences, similar to mine, with Japanese cars? Of course. But on the whole, people are buying Japanese vehicles because they are reliably made, and they are avoiding American cars because they are not. It hasn’t got a damn thing to do with providing an incentive for an apology from the progeny of those who perpetrated the war by the progeny of those who responded.
Maybe for reparations we should have the Japanese take over GM and Ford, run them for five years, and then give them back.