Chapter 34 Go to Japan to meet the wise men and think about them (1)

In the summer of 2005, Wang Yishu, Lu Rong and I stayed in Japan for two weeks as members of the interview team for Southern Weekly's commemorative report on the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.What impressed me deeply was that the Japanese nationals who participated in the commemorative rally for the end of the war, no matter men, women, young or old, all attended in formal attire. Under the scorching sun, they all sat upright and sweated profusely. There were so many people sitting in rows like kindergarten children. The sleeves of the sleeves become cloudy, and the sweat becomes rain."It is said that under the strong light, the floating black and white will make people feel dizzy. This is almost the case at the scene. The black suit is endless, and the white handkerchief for wiping sweat dances on it, like a vast and unreal spot of light.

That summer, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said that it was too hot for civil servants to go to work without a suit.But the Japanese people are solemn and must cover it.In China, some people call it discipline, while others call it the axis. I think it’s called self-denial and restoration of propriety. I was a little moved by the scene of the "Atomic Bomb" commemoration rally in Hiroshima.At the end of the rally, a helicopter of the National Self-Defense Force hovered over the crowd and shouted peace slogans through its loudspeaker. The Japanese people on the boulevard waved to the helicopter and echoed in unison as they left.This scene made me feel that the hearts of the Japanese people are very united. Those who walk below and those flying above are connected with each other. They are a family. It also made me realize that the concept of peace has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the Japanese people. There is a war.

Wherever we go, the Japanese are always talking about "peace and peace". I believe they are quite sincere, and it makes sense to use logic to distinguish authenticity from falsehood.Japanese culture has a warlike gene, but all over the world, the universal value of modern civilization is surpassing the value of national culture, especially in a developed democratic country, the people's desire for peace is not too doubtful. The mountains and rivers in Japan are beautiful and clean. Every car is very bright, as if it has just been washed. Most of the houses are beige or light gray. Like people's clothes, they are low-key and decent, revealing such a style and self-cultivation.If you only look at these advantages and the peaceful belief of the people, I like this country very much.However, when encountering "historical problems", I can't help feeling a little discouraged.

In Tokyo and other places, every Japanese citizen we interviewed, except for a few scholars and a few "left-wing" people, no one is willing to readily admit that their country has invaded Asian countries and committed crimes.After listening to their answers, you will know how incisive Kawabata Yasunari's statement about Japan's "ambiguous" characteristics is.I am not saying that the Japanese people are completely unwilling to face history. Most of them have no objection to the fact that Japan launched a war that brought disasters to Asian countries.They're just not as earnest as the average Chinese would like them to be.I don't think this is a big question: what does it matter if we are sincere or not?

The most common answer of the interviewed Japanese is "I don't know about the past of Japan's invasion of China, that's the business of politicians."This is somewhat similar to our country's orthodox view of history after 1949: Japan's invasion of China was a war led by a small number of war criminals, and the Japanese people were also victims. Real history is not always so simple.I won’t quote the materials, but what we saw and heard in the “Wartime Life Exhibition” at the “Native Museum” in Hiroshima is enough to illustrate the enthusiasm of Japan for the war.The Japanese army attacked Taiyuan, and the women in Hiroshima sewed military uniforms day and night; the front reached Xuzhou, and the rear sent over signed pennants; the capital of China was captured, and the rear celebrated with a parade, holding up numerous banners, "Celebrating the fall of Nanjing."At the end of the beating, the men disappeared, and the women went to dig coal mines. It was too hot, their upper bodies were naked, and their hair was unkempt.

All Japanese nationals back then made great contributions to the war. In the military medal, there is a share of Hideki Tojo and a share of the people.