On My Mind - Seventy Years Since World War II
HANABUSA Masamichi / Former Japanese Ambassador to Italy
October 6, 2015
Seventy years ago, when "the war" came to an end, I was a sixth grader living the idyllic life of an evacuee in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. The times being what they were, I too, was a typical "militarist boy" who had gone wild with joy when Japan scored fantastic gains in the attack on Pearl Harbor. That initial victory was followed by a string of reports telling us of tragic defeat on islands in the southern Pacific, and though I could guess that Japan faced an uncertain future each time I heard such news, I was still a child who had no idea of what defeat would bring.
Boys at the time were thrilled by stories of famous generals and admirals who fought in Japan's wars against China and Russia. But in the mind of a child, these two wars were events from a long time ago. When "the war" ended, it had already been fifty years since the end of the Japanese-Sino War and exactly forty years since the end of the Japanese-Russo War.
Today, those born after the war account for over 80 percent of Japan's population. In other words, more than three generations have passed since that defeat. To many Japanese, "the war" is an event that took place during the times of their grandparents or those who are even older. The seventy years that lie between a child who was born this year and the end of "the war" is 2.5 times the twenty-eight years that lay between the year I was born in 1933 and the end of the Japanese-Russo War in 1905. Remembering how I felt as a child about the war with Russia being an event from a long time ago, I can understand how children today feel no sense of reality in the "last great war."
In fact, thinking along these lines gives rise to strange feelings. Considering the ever accelerating pace of social development, what is incredible is that today's Japanese continue to retain a vivid connection with that war at all. Why can't the Japanese let bygones be bygones? I am not saying we should be forgetful, but instead of seeing history for what it is, the Japanese seem to be living in its shadow. I might even say they are being threatened by its history.
Setting aside the Civil War, America is one country that has continuously waged war - in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq - without giving its people time to forget about the previous war. That makes the US an exception, and it is difficult to imagine many other countries that continue to retain as real a sense of their past war as Japan.
One, because of the magnitude of the shock left by World War II, which was also Japan's first ever defeat. Two, because the Japanese are naïve about international relations and have a national tendency of being serious-minded. Three, because South Korea and China have intentionally included history in their diplomacy. While the time is ripe for reconciliation, there is no will to achieve this among the countries involved. And four, because there are various elements in Japan that do not want to deny the past. For example, Marxist influence persists among the intelligentsia, and lastly, there is the memory mechanism that was left behind by the U.S. occupation.
I abhor war as much as anyone else. But in the international community, it does not suffice to simply appeal to pacifism. The Japanese must learn from modern history, and increase their knowledge of security and military issues as well. It is most important that we learn intelligent lessons from history and understand the international environment that surrounds us. The passing of a decade is an occasion to look back on our past, but unless we keep our eyes firmly on the future, no amount of reflection will bring progress to society.
Masamichi Hanabusa is Chairman Emeritus of the English Speaking Union of Japan.
Boys at the time were thrilled by stories of famous generals and admirals who fought in Japan's wars against China and Russia. But in the mind of a child, these two wars were events from a long time ago. When "the war" ended, it had already been fifty years since the end of the Japanese-Sino War and exactly forty years since the end of the Japanese-Russo War.
Today, those born after the war account for over 80 percent of Japan's population. In other words, more than three generations have passed since that defeat. To many Japanese, "the war" is an event that took place during the times of their grandparents or those who are even older. The seventy years that lie between a child who was born this year and the end of "the war" is 2.5 times the twenty-eight years that lay between the year I was born in 1933 and the end of the Japanese-Russo War in 1905. Remembering how I felt as a child about the war with Russia being an event from a long time ago, I can understand how children today feel no sense of reality in the "last great war."
In fact, thinking along these lines gives rise to strange feelings. Considering the ever accelerating pace of social development, what is incredible is that today's Japanese continue to retain a vivid connection with that war at all. Why can't the Japanese let bygones be bygones? I am not saying we should be forgetful, but instead of seeing history for what it is, the Japanese seem to be living in its shadow. I might even say they are being threatened by its history.
Setting aside the Civil War, America is one country that has continuously waged war - in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq - without giving its people time to forget about the previous war. That makes the US an exception, and it is difficult to imagine many other countries that continue to retain as real a sense of their past war as Japan.
One, because of the magnitude of the shock left by World War II, which was also Japan's first ever defeat. Two, because the Japanese are naïve about international relations and have a national tendency of being serious-minded. Three, because South Korea and China have intentionally included history in their diplomacy. While the time is ripe for reconciliation, there is no will to achieve this among the countries involved. And four, because there are various elements in Japan that do not want to deny the past. For example, Marxist influence persists among the intelligentsia, and lastly, there is the memory mechanism that was left behind by the U.S. occupation.
I abhor war as much as anyone else. But in the international community, it does not suffice to simply appeal to pacifism. The Japanese must learn from modern history, and increase their knowledge of security and military issues as well. It is most important that we learn intelligent lessons from history and understand the international environment that surrounds us. The passing of a decade is an occasion to look back on our past, but unless we keep our eyes firmly on the future, no amount of reflection will bring progress to society.
Masamichi Hanabusa is Chairman Emeritus of the English Speaking Union of Japan.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
戦後70年―わたしはこう考える
英 正道 / 元駐伊大使
2015年 10月 6日
70年前「あの戦争」が終わったときに、私は小学校の6 年生で長野県の山中で牧歌的な疎開生活を送っていた。あの時代のこと なので、私は真珠湾攻撃の大戦果に驚喜した軍国少年だった。緒戦の勝利の後、南の島からの悲報が次々に伝えられる毎に、日本の運命が容易でないことは想像できたが、戦争に負けたという事が何を齎すかなど全くわからない子供だった。
当時の少年たちは有名な将軍や提督が日清戦争や日露戦争で活躍した ことに胸を躍らせた。しかし子供心にこの2つの戦争は遥か昔の 事だと言う気持ちだった。「あの戦争」が終わった時点で、日清戦争は50年前に終わった戦争で、日露戦争は丁度40年前に終わっている。
現在日本の全人口の８０％以上が戦後生まれである。ということは敗戦の時点から三世代以上が経過している。大部分の日本人には、「あの戦争」は曾父母以上の人達の時代の出来事なのだ。今年生まれる子供と「あの戦争」終了時との距離７０年は、私が１９３３年に生まれたときの日露戦争の終了時１９０５年との距離２８年の２倍半に当たる。私が
子供心に日露戦争は昔の戦争と思ったことを考えると、今の子供たちが「先の大戦」に全く現実感がないのも理解しうる。
むしろそう考えると幾つかの不思議な感情が生まれる。社会の発展のスピードが加速度的に高まっていることを考えると、今の日本人があの戦争をいまだにビビットに引きずっていることはむしろ驚きと言わざるを得ない。日本人はなぜ「過去は過去」と割り切れないのだろうか。忘れ去ることがいいと言っているのでは無いけれども、歴史を歴史として
見ないでその影に生きている。歴史に脅かされるっていると言っても良い。
アメリカのように、内戦であった南北戦争は別として、朝鮮戦争、ベトナム戦争、アフガン戦争、イラク戦争と前の戦争を忘れる遑もなく次から次へと戦争をしているのは特別としても多くの国が日本のように前の戦争をリアルな感情を持って引きずっているとは到底思えない。
第1は戦争の衝撃の巨大さ、しかも有史以来初めての敗戦だったこと。第２は日本人が国際関係で素朴で、かつ真面目な国民性だと言うこと。第3は中国、韓国が意図的に外交に歴史を持ち込んでいること。特に和解をすべき時が来ているのに、関係諸国の間に和解に向けての意思が弱いこと。第4に日本の国内に過去を否定したくない様々な要素があること。例えばインテリの間にいまだに根強く残っているマルクス主義の影響。最後に占領国が残した記憶装置。
私も戦争を嫌悪することに掛けては人後に落ちないが、といって国際社会の中で反戦を叫んでいれば済むものではない。国民が現代史を学ぶ必要があるし、安全保障や軍事についての知識を増やす必要があるだろう。過去から賢く学ぶことと国際環境を理解することは何よりも重要である。１０年の年の経過は、過去を振り返る節目であるが、過去についてのあらゆる省察は、将来を見据えたものでなければ、その社会には進歩がないと思う。
（筆者は日本英語交流連盟 名誉会長。）
当時の少年たちは有名な将軍や提督が日清戦争や日露戦争で活躍した ことに胸を躍らせた。しかし子供心にこの2つの戦争は遥か昔の 事だと言う気持ちだった。「あの戦争」が終わった時点で、日清戦争は50年前に終わった戦争で、日露戦争は丁度40年前に終わっている。
現在日本の全人口の８０％以上が戦後生まれである。ということは敗戦の時点から三世代以上が経過している。大部分の日本人には、「あの戦争」は曾父母以上の人達の時代の出来事なのだ。今年生まれる子供と「あの戦争」終了時との距離７０年は、私が１９３３年に生まれたときの日露戦争の終了時１９０５年との距離２８年の２倍半に当たる。私が
子供心に日露戦争は昔の戦争と思ったことを考えると、今の子供たちが「先の大戦」に全く現実感がないのも理解しうる。
むしろそう考えると幾つかの不思議な感情が生まれる。社会の発展のスピードが加速度的に高まっていることを考えると、今の日本人があの戦争をいまだにビビットに引きずっていることはむしろ驚きと言わざるを得ない。日本人はなぜ「過去は過去」と割り切れないのだろうか。忘れ去ることがいいと言っているのでは無いけれども、歴史を歴史として
見ないでその影に生きている。歴史に脅かされるっていると言っても良い。
アメリカのように、内戦であった南北戦争は別として、朝鮮戦争、ベトナム戦争、アフガン戦争、イラク戦争と前の戦争を忘れる遑もなく次から次へと戦争をしているのは特別としても多くの国が日本のように前の戦争をリアルな感情を持って引きずっているとは到底思えない。
第1は戦争の衝撃の巨大さ、しかも有史以来初めての敗戦だったこと。第２は日本人が国際関係で素朴で、かつ真面目な国民性だと言うこと。第3は中国、韓国が意図的に外交に歴史を持ち込んでいること。特に和解をすべき時が来ているのに、関係諸国の間に和解に向けての意思が弱いこと。第4に日本の国内に過去を否定したくない様々な要素があること。例えばインテリの間にいまだに根強く残っているマルクス主義の影響。最後に占領国が残した記憶装置。
私も戦争を嫌悪することに掛けては人後に落ちないが、といって国際社会の中で反戦を叫んでいれば済むものではない。国民が現代史を学ぶ必要があるし、安全保障や軍事についての知識を増やす必要があるだろう。過去から賢く学ぶことと国際環境を理解することは何よりも重要である。１０年の年の経過は、過去を振り返る節目であるが、過去についてのあらゆる省察は、将来を見据えたものでなければ、その社会には進歩がないと思う。
（筆者は日本英語交流連盟 名誉会長。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟