At last! A 個人的 post!
For no apparent reason, I picked up a book I had bought sometime last (or was it early this?) year, entitled in Chinese 无约束的日本. It’s actually a Chinese TRANSLATION of an ENGLISH book, originally titled ‘Japan Unbound: A Volatile Nation’s Quest for Pride and Purpose‘ by a John Nathan.
I haven’t quite finished the book yet, but its very enlightening. For some reason, for now it just fills me with rage.
Rage at what? Japan itself? It’s people? It’s culture? It’s war crimes?
Not really.
Perhaps, more than anything else, I am raging at the powerlessness of the individual.
The times of luminaries and visionaries are over. The individual no longer possesses the power to change the world, or the nation. For now, people are increasingly divided, and an endless chain of compromises defines the society of today.
But what I really feel is necessary for Japan is, and I quote, 「一身独立して一国独立」 (National Independence through Personal Independence), by prominent Meiji era philosopher 福澤諭吉 (Fukuzawa Yukichi). What is personal independence? What is national independence?
Ultimately, there is no clear answer, but my view is simple - when the individual has virtually unlimited access to information and education, only can he be truly independent, and for that matter, ‘free’. The Japanese people need to know the truth about the war, unpolished, but yet, and I stress, NOT presented in a way to humble them any further. The Japanese have spent over 50 years essentially shouldering the ‘blame’ of the war, deprived of the pride that defines their race and identity, and through the ‘influence’ (I’d prefer to call it military pressure) of the AMERICANS to draft a constitution that denies the nation the right to possess a military. I think it’s enough. Enough of the charades and demonstrations; a sincere apology, then move on. The Japanese have in the post-war years earned the right to hold their heads high again; its high time the rest of the world acknowledges that and drops the subject soon.
日本人！贖罪の終わりは目の前だ！ 過去の事実を忘れずに頭を上げて前に進め！