Nobody is blaming ordinary Japanese, only politicians who insist on altering history and playing political games. But you seem to be blaming Ah Tiongs regardless.
Both Taiwan and PRC claim the territory as China but which China. They are not debating that at the moment as it is affair between only the two of them but both agree it is not Japan to keep.
This concluson, incidentally, was carried out by Japanese researchers. It does not matter what happens before Korea. Anyway it is irrelevant to the discussion here. What is important is that it breaks the myth that theirs is a superior race, not Asian, with the right to conquer its neighbours.
As long as Japanese politicians keep to this mentality, they are dangerous for countries around them and will always be regarded with suspicion. The good time for Japan is coming to an end, as a technology leader in Asia and the sooner that people realize that and vote in the right leaders, the better it is for their society.
Japan never admit their war atrocities in Asia by altering history books to misrepresent the extent of such crimes. By propagating control of lands conquered in relatively recent times, shows that they do not think they were wrong to take other's territories.
As I explained above, Japan did not admit its crimes by their actions in changing the record of history and in holding on to land they conquered during the warring period and such actions speak volumes. How Ah Tiongs viewed Mao is entirely their own internal and personal matter. Why should we worry ourselves with that? Anyway I am doubtful that that is even a prevalent feeling in China.