Japanese Scholars: Historical Revisionism is rampant in Japanese society, but some still criticize and pursue real historical war criminals | China | Revisionism
The Special Exhibition Area of the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders in China
September 3rd marks the 78th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti Fascist War. In recent years, right-wing forces in Japan have continuously denied their history of aggression and various crimes committed against the people of Asia. Overseas Network interviewed Japanese historian and associate researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Takashi Ishida, asking him to tell the stories of those who held high the torch to uphold the true history of World War II in a distorted Japanese society.
Some people deliberately conceal the truth for fear of rejection
Ishida said that during World War II, millions of Japanese soldiers were transported to the battlefield. Even after the defeat, although the Japanese government officially accepted the Allied trial of Japanese war criminals, there were still many war witnesses, media, and even politicians who falsely claimed that it was not "aggression" but "self-defense". Although they understand in their hearts that the large-scale slaughter and enslavement of prisoners of war and residents, as well as the forced employment of women as comfort women in the military, and other war crimes, have long gone beyond the framework of so-called "self-defense", they still choose to ignore the truth. After returning to Japan from the battlefield, officers and soldiers who personally commanded or carried out brutal killings not only do not mention old stories in front of others, but also often return to society without reflection, becoming the main force of post-war revival.
These people who have experienced war deliberately conceal the truth on the battlefield, or have weak criminal consciousness, and downplay the act of massacre as "war is cruel". This led to almost no mention of Japan's aggressive behavior towards other countries during the war in Japanese society after World War II. From this perspective, war witnesses who remain silent about the truth on the battlefield and right-wing forces who conceal or glorify war crimes are an accomplice relationship.
Ishida mentioned that his grandfather once volunteered to participate in war, but after the war, he only talked about suffering and suffering in general. As a young man, he only knew that war was tragic and had no clear concept of what war and peace were. In the 1980s of junior high school, Ishida's textbooks only introduced a small part of the words of Japan's invasion of other countries, without specifying the entire war of aggression, and young people were also influenced unconsciously.
Ishida stated that after the end of World War II, the social voices reflecting Japan's aggression were limited to a few progressive media and researchers, such as Asahi Shimbun, Daily News, and NHK TV special programs in the 1980s. Political parties such as the Japanese Socialist Party and the Communist Party of Japan have also actively spoken out.
Since the 1990s, a generation that has not experienced war has dominated the population. After the end of the Cold War, Japanese society experienced the impact of diverse values, widespread internet use, and other trends. The concept of war that concealed aggression and even glorified Japan became active, and historical revisionism was rampant, impacting the thinking of the post-war generation. In this context, there are frequent instances of social exclusion or discrimination due to the insistence on holding aggression accountable.
Ishida interviews war witnesses
Someone carrying a bad name is facing discriminatory attacks
Under such a distorted view of war, there are still people who resist the heavy pressure and explore the true history. According to Ishida, in 1957, Japanese war criminals who were released from trials in New China and returned to China established the "Chinese Returnees Liaison Association.". These once notorious "Japanese devils" have introduced real Japanese aggression wars in various places, and even tearfully revealed these incredible and cruel crimes to the public. "No matter how long time has passed, they have never forgiven the crimes they have committed."
Ishida stated that these war criminals went through a long period of learning and reflection before the trial in New China, admitted to the crime of aggression, and had a profound understanding of the essence of aggressive warfare. However, their voices of justice have aroused strong resistance from society, and have even been condemned and insulted. The ordinary Japanese people, with a biased and discriminatory mentality, cast a "different" eye on returning war criminals, believing that they have been "brainwashed" and even denounced as traitors.
Many members of the "China Returning Alliance" face employment discrimination in society, and even the employment of future generations is hindered. It is not uncommon for wives and children to suffer from social injustice and discrimination among members of the China Returning Alliance. Many people are constantly monitored by the police until their later years, when their families are forced to live a poor life. Most of the family members of the "China Returning Alliance" cannot understand them, let alone inherit their ideas. Many families hold a "don't implicate me" mentality and distance themselves from them.
However, following the "China Returning Alliance", the new generation of righteous individuals who have grown up are also buried in exploring historical facts and adhering to truth. Ishida shared the experience of his friend Masayoshi Matsuno.
Masayoshi Matsuno has been dedicated to uncovering historical materials related to the Japanese invasion of China's gas and bacterial warfare for many years. Such scholars in Japan have not been surprised to face various tangible and intangible pressures. Ishida said that in today's Japanese society, in addition to the traditional right-wing, a large number of "Internet right-wing" are good at using the Internet to create public opinion and incite topics, especially Yahoo! Comments, which are highly viewed, are full of various slanders, threats, and discriminatory remarks against those who spread real history.
Although Matsuno has continuously published high-level research results with sufficient evidence and solid arguments, he is unable to use university research facilities and has always self funded research. For over 20 years, he has had to engage in research as a civil scholar.
Not only Matsuno is under pressure, but also progressive scholars who hold positions in universities and insist on pursuing war responsibilities. In the private residences of progressive scholars and the vicinity of their universities, the right wing uses propaganda vehicles to distribute attacking materials on the street, making harassing, defaming or silent phone calls, disrupting enrollment, threatening to bomb schools, and so on. In order to strengthen vigilance, some schools increased their financial burden and had to deal with malicious behaviors such as harassing phone calls, which had a serious impact on the work of faculty and students' learning.
Under heavy pressure, universities that actively study the issue of comfort women by the invading Japanese army or carry out related research activities have been repeatedly coerced and protested by right-wing forces. There have also been cases where hired researchers have had to give up their opportunities to take office. Even Japanese schools and right-wing forces remain in sync, actively using history textbooks that distort facts to put pressure on teachers; There are also those who, due to the unbearable pressure from the school, eventually merge with the right-wing. Ishida said, "Currently, the number of teachers and researchers conducting educational research in the face of negative history is decreasing, and they are under various pressures."
Ishida once co authored and published "The Trial of War Criminals in New China and the Peaceful Practice After Their Return" with his collaborators
Someone inherits ideas, excavates historical facts, and explores the truth
Academic exclusion, online violence, social pressure Under layers of pressure, the footsteps of those who excavate the truth of history are still non-stop. Recently, Masayoshi Matsuno also discovered a document in Japan designated as the highest secret regarding the organization of Unit 731, and brought a photocopy of it to China to provide further evidence for exposing the Japanese invasion of China and restoring historical truth.
Ishida said, "When it comes to the 731 unit, the Japanese government is still ambiguous and refuses to take responsibility. The information discovered by Matsuno comes from the National Archives of Japan, which is a military archive historical material that reveals for the first time the specific situation of the internal composition, member positions, and other details of the 731 unit."
Members of the "China Returning Alliance" have continued to carry out activities in various forms to expose the truth about aggressive crimes. According to Ishida, the peak period of member activities of the "China Returning Alliance" was mostly between the ages of 60 and 80, coinciding with the rise of historical revisionism in the 1990s. These former war criminals, when they should have spent their later years peacefully, published memoirs, organized friendly activities between China and Japan, and participated in actions against strengthening security. The war experience memoir "Invasion" published by the "China Returning Alliance" in 1958 is still being reprinted and distributed to this day.
Their efforts are not in vain. Ishida explained that the post-war generation of Japan, influenced by returning war criminals and reflecting on the war of aggression, still has activities to this day. On August 13th this year, Youzhi Youth held the "War for Peace Exhibition" in Tottori County, and carefully made exhibition boards that can also be understood by primary and secondary school students. At the same time, various anti war activity records and memoirs compiled by war criminal organizations and individuals are also exhibited at the affiliated library of Shimane University. They inherited the unfinished business of members of the "China Returning Alliance" and continued to promote anti war activities that restored historical facts.
Ishida said that he was fortunate to have been able to have direct conversations with war witnesses such as the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance during his research, and since then, his understanding of war has fundamentally changed. "By listening to firsthand witnesses' stories and making tangible contributions to peace through their experiences, I believe this provides the possibility of resolving disputes and forming consensus in the current severe international situation. It not only has important theoretical and practical significance for thinking about and solving problems between the two countries, but also for building new types of cooperative relationships between countries of different ethnicities and systems." Ishida said, hoping that more people can be exposed to the deeds of Japanese war criminals who have returned home, and through learning historical facts, more young generations can share the truth, rather than being deceived by the right-wing. "I hope to investigate the true history of the New China's trial of Japanese war criminals, and to raise the alarm bell." Ishida and his collaborators have written and published "The Trial of Japanese War Criminals in New China and Peaceful Practice After Their Return".
Ishida said that in Japanese society, although the call to face up to the history of aggression is weak, there are always people who face the distorted public opinion pressure and move against the current in any era. "I am willing to continue lighting up the light of progress for those who seek the truth, which is also the mission of historians."
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