Not necessarily to show specifically what happened to the Jews, but also to remind people how even in a supposedly 'civilised' society, like Germany in the 1930's, many ordinary people can be made to commit horrendous acts against their neighbours in the name of hatred.

BBC: Do we need a Holocaust Memorial Day?

The Japanese use the term kakusa shakai (society of disparities) to describe what has happened.

ECONOMIST: Social change in Japan

He said that "a thorough investigation to discover exactly what happened to Max was still under way" and that investigators are abiding by an important principle in American society: "the idea that one is innocent until proven guilty".

BBC: Max Shatto adoption death: US ambassador warns Russia