As part of my learning process, I was reading through 'The Fruits of Modernity' in 'Japanese culture by Paul Varley, an outstanding
book, in which the author in around 383 pages tell us the Japanese history and culture. The narration of facts attracted me much. This book neatly surveys over 2000 years of the arts, religion and cultural peculiarities of one the most cultivated of nations -
Japan. Varley's Japanese Culture remains the best book of its kind on the market.
I was surprised by the braveness and obsession (we can use this word) Japanese showed during the time of second world war. I was excited by the narrated stories in the book. During 1941, as Japan penetrated its powers through the south east asia, the United staes reacted by freezing Japanese assets in America and by joining Britain and Holland in imposing an embargo on all exports to Japan. This intractable American opposition to the Japanese aggression in 1941 made
Pearl Harbor all but inevitable.
To the Americans, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, in which more than two thousand Americans died, was an dastardly act that inspired a thirst for revenge. This revenge account for much of the brutality with which US subsequently conducted the pacific war.
To the Japanese on the other hand, there was nothing infamous or dastardly about Pearl Harbor. Japanese regarded it as a brilliant victory. Japanese public was ecstatic. Many writers publicly expressed that the anticipated war had finally begun and that Japan had delivered a devastating blow at the enemy, identified primarily as the United States and England.
Choosing the classical waka form of verse, a poet proclaimed that "The time has come, To slaughter America and England." And see this one:
Remember December eighth !
On this day the history of the world was changed.
The Anglo-Saxon powers
On this day were repulsed on Asian land and sea.
It was their Japan which repulsed them,
A tiny country in the Eastern sea,
Nippon, the Land of the Gods
Ruled over by a living god.
Whatever be the American and western point of view holds on Japanese aggression during second world war, Indian people while studying through highschool history books, had felt great proud about Japan. It was Japan who helped the Subhash Chandra bose, the great freedom fighter of India, to capture many eastern areas of British ruled India. For Indians, it was the fight against the migthy British empire, which India alone could not dream during world war II. Japan promised a new hope for Indian freedom fighting at the time of world war. Indian people hate to see Japan's surrender to US.
Now, the business had changed the world scenario and the historical faults of nations are no more important. But still the aggressiveness with which Japanese fought the war is remarkable. Post war cultural overruns had changed the Japanese mind and thinking process. But still, the Pearl Harbor lives in many minds as a challenge Eastern imperialistic force impacted on Western imperialistic forces. War, Imperialism, Racism, Attack on poor countries etc, even if it comes from a tiny country like Japan is not justifiable like the same will be applicable to US too. Looking back to the history, Japan, India are some of the best friends of United states. The influences, the US driven technological developments have own societies of these two Asian countries are much higher compared to many European countries.
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