To the foreigners, they are 战犯.

But to the Japanese, they are martyrs that sacrificed their life for the better future of Japan. For most of the solders died in any war, they just carried out their duty.

Chinese have all the rights to protest against Japanese war crimes, but Japanese also have their rights to choose how they remember their own people. Americans are doing exactly the same too. This is how a nation builds its loyalty and pride. It seems to me most Chinese don't understand this, which explains why China produced more than its share of traitors.