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I am such a patriot.
As a student in California, especially in my school, it is mandatory to take U.S. (unnecessary...excuse me) History, and today was the day I was most afraid of; history of World War 2. Being an international student from a country which used to be a big enemy (well, maybe Americans didn't really care in fact), listening to the lecture about horrible incidents what my people, Japanese, did for American was extremely uncomfortable.
In the U.S. history, the only important incidents are probably the Pearl Harbor attack and the atomic bomb, and they say "we joined the world war because Japs attacked us" and some even say "we brought the world war to the end with the bomb". Let me tell you what was actually happenning in arrogant, imperial Japan at the time. American air crafts flew the sky and droped rains of fire almost every night, everywhere, even in my town where is definitely not one of important cities in japan, and burnt everything. People in Japan had no food, literally. If you took unseasoned white rice with just one pickled plum for a lunch to school, you had been even abused by teacher because they couldn't even get rice. Children living in big cities had sent to rural, countryside villeges separating from their parents no matter how young they were, because those cities had been attcked so often and otherwise no one would be left. There was no huge symbol bells in temples because those were taken to make bullets for war, we didn't have any resource. Kamikaze commando was organized because there was no use of having air crafts without bullets and fuels other than having hardly enough fuel to fly and crash into enemy and make as much damage as possible with them. Most pilots were teenagers or early twenties because there was no man who could fight at the end of the war. Yes, everyone knew that the war was going to end inside of their minds, but it was not allowed to say in public. People were not proud of dying for country or the Emperor, it was just a way to make themselves feel less fearful because they knew they won't be back their hometown alive. These were all happenning while Americans were making films like Gone with the Wind.
I couldn't breathe when they started talk about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only places where hit by atomic bomb. My hand holding a pen was shaking, my heart was beating so fast and loud that I could feel the blood flowing into my head, and I felt painful heat deep inside my eyes. I was torn.
posted by sheeep at 8:51 PM
9 Comments:
"...arrogant, imperial Japan..."
you're right that many (most?) americans have no idea how much the japanese people suffered in ww II, how much devastation there was, even beyond the atomic bombs. so much horror, because of arrogant, imperial rule. arrogant, imperialistic... too much like america is these days under king george dubya.
how did / do these people give no thought and have no care about inflicting suffering on so many? as the saying goes, those who don't learn from history...
Eugene. Look, most of the world (except maybe a couple of staunch US supporters like Israel and Holland) think atomic bombardment of Japan was savage and unnecessary. it will forever remain a symbolic, albeing very real, tragedy of humankind.
But you have to look at the other side as well. Japan was, in fact, a nation-agressor. What about Chinese cities slaughtered by the Japanese? What about concentration camps Japan built throughout Asia? What about women forced to be slaves to Japanese soldiers? What about their husbands killed?
I personally feel very little sympathy for Perl Harbour and laugh when Americans tell me THEY won World War II, rather than Soviet Union, at a cost of 30 million lives. But let's be straight - Japan was no angel here. The war that caused such suffering of the Japanese, was a deed of Japanese government itself.
The thing about Asian peoploe is that they forgive. Even though we, Japanese, hurt people in south asian countries during WWll physically and mentally, they forgive... and that makes us feel much more guilty than ever even in these days.
The thing about Americans (what I mean here is government, not people) is that they don't understand the tradition, and do take advantage of us being ashamed and regretting of WWll. Emphasising their glories and tragety, but not others.
Hmm. The Chinese, apparently, never forgave Japan. Because, they say, Japan, unlike Germany, never apologized for WWII crimes. Hence the still widespread hatred or dislike of the Japanese among the Chinese, even the young.
Eugene
When I say Asian countries, I mean most South Asian countries excluding China. I think China has another different unique tradition which I personally think closer to American. Their history is all about betrayal (excuse me, but it is true) and exaggeration in both good and bad ways that completely opposes against Japanese tradition. Even though we, Japanese, feel sorry and admit the fact it was a sin that hurt and insult so many people, we cannot simply apologize and admit everything Chinese government claims...who knows what this simple apology will cause...
This is on opinion as another (patriotic) Japanese.
I do admit Japan committed a number of horrible crimes in other Asian countries during WWⅡand the attack on Pearl Harbor was absolutely unforgivable.
Nevertheless, that doesn't mean what America did to Japan should be justified, either.
Here, what I think is really important is not to debate who was right and who was wrong but to know and understand what really happened as objectively as possible. Although there must be a lot of emotional concerns that make people(including me) favor their own country, but any understanding about the history of war should never be biased.
In this sense, I guess American people don't seem to have enough knowledge about the reality of the war and their views might be considerably biased. (I don't think I know enough about the reality in other countries back then either and that's why I'm always trying to be as objective as possible about this issue.)
"History repeats itself." This is exactly why we need to learn about our history.
And you can never learn the true lessons from the history unless you try to be unbiased and generous enough to know the truth.
Well, China is kind of important, don't you think? And since when are you an expert on Chinese history? Or American, for that matter. I am starting to understand just reading your notes why the Chinese think Japanese are arrogant for not apologizing for war crimes and, in fact, still cherish war criminals, even on the governmental level.
I am sensing a lot of very subjective bitterness in your post, especially towards America. Let me remind you a few things from Japanese history that you seem to feel is so superior. Japan has borrowed quite heavily from Chinese culture and religion throughout the centuries, from buddhism to government structure to writing system.
Later on, Japan was an isolationist country until 1853, and after that, had quite a militant history, both with China and Russia.
Again, I am not defending the atomic bombardment of Japan by any means - but I am as much against the Japanese arrogance and ignorance as the American one.
-Eugene
First of all, you should understand that this post was not for the purpose of claiming Japan's absolute innocent, but the purpose of letting people, especially Americans, know that there is no winner or loser, victim or assailant, in otherwords, there is no black and white in war. Everyone can hurt and be hurt at the same time. However in the class, it sounded like only we, Japanese, are BAD, and there was no understanding, and pity for us except the victims of the atomic bombs (because most of the world criticised them about it). I know that Japan is no angel even now. I particularly choose this topic because it was the most obvious example, and in this case, it was targeting on Americans because I AM in America. I will not talk about other countries because I do not know about them. I am not as harsh and stupid as you think. I do not feel any superiority being a Japanese. You don't know how much I love and hate my country. I am respecting and subjective about the country because I AM a Japanese. Period.
Next time some hippy asks me why people can't just get along I'm going to show him this entry.
I'm sorry you had to feel like that in your own classroom, that's frustrating.
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