On October 8, 2001, under the gaze of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Memorial Hall welcomed a special guest.
It was an old man with white hair. During the entire visit, he was silent and listened quietly to the tour guide's explanation, carefully looking at the black and white photos hanging on the walls and the rusty war relics in the display cabinet.
The visit ended. At the exit of the exhibition hall, the old man asked the entourage to get the prepared large white paper.
He closed his eyes and stood for a long time, as if recalling the scenes he had seen before, either sad, moving or heroic. Then he picked up his brush and sprinkled the two Chinese characters with vivid ink - "Zhongshu", and then left here with heavy steps.
The old man's name is Koizumi Junichiro , and he was the Japanese Prime Minister at that time.
What is the deep meaning of the word "Loyalty and Forgiveness" written by Koizumi? What is his purpose in this trip to China?
Yasukuni Shrine
On August 13, 2001, in front of Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, the Prime Minister's convoy and radio interview car were like solid city walls, blocking the entrance.
The Prime Minister's bodyguard and shrine security personnel in black suits were vigilantly guarding and only a few authorized journalists were placed in.
Even so, the reporters who were stopped outside the door were still unwilling to give up. The flashlight in their hands and the scorching eyes of the onlookers were on the back of the white-haired head. That was the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi who had just taken office.
I saw him standing in front of Torii and bow slowly, then wash his hands in front of the sink, throw money, make a wish, and finally enter the inside of the shrine to visit and pay the sacrificial fee.
seems to have been practiced thousands of times, and the whole process is meticulous, which makes the audience in an uproar and major media are rushing to report.
Yasukuni Shrine was originally named Tokyo Soul Conjuring Club . It was built in 1869. It was built by Emperor Meiji to commemorate patriotic soldiers who died in the Japanese Wuchen War. It has nothing to do with China.
But later, the Yasukuni Shrine gradually changed.
World War II ended, and Japan, as a defeated country in fascism, suffered serious sanctions: the economy collapsed, nearly a quarter of the country's buildings were destroyed, the National Wehrmacht was castrated, and faced huge war reparations, and the situation of being occupied by the Sino-British-American-Soviet subdistricts.
At first glance, Japan is suffering from bad consequences this time and it is difficult to turn things around. But who would have thought that with the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek's government in Taiwan, China, the United States' conspiracy to support pro-US regimes in the Far East of was shattered.
had no choice but to launch an alternative plan to cultivate Japan into a bridgehead against socialist camp .
not only strengthened the power, forcing the victims to reduce the war claims against Japan, but also strongly supported and supported Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force .
, especially , during the Korean War , the United States used Japan as its base camp, from military equipment to military rations supply, and even soldiers seriously injured on the battlefield could be sent to Tokyo Hospital for surgery by air transport.
Demand drives supply, supply drives production and creates economic benefits. The green and lush Americans pour into Japan like a flood, causing the ruined Japan to quickly complete reconstruction and became the world's second largest economy in the 1970s.
The rapid development of the economy has caused people's hearts to fluctuate. It has only been less than thirty years since World War II. Right-wing groups feel that they are doing it again and begin to tentatively carry out militarism restoration. One of the important signs is to worship those shameful "ghosts".
In October 1978, the tablets of 14 Class A war criminals were officially invited to the Yasukuni Shrine for worship. Subsequently, thousands of Class B and Class C war criminals were added.
They include Tojo Hideki , Doihara Kenji, Matsui Ishione , each of which is a cold butcher with blood on his hands and is the initiator of the war.
The Japanese government openly treats executioners as heroes for the people to worship, which is undoubtedly an insult to the East Asian people and a contempt for the anti-fascist war .
What is even more outrageous is that on August 15, 1985, the day when Japan announced its unconditional surrender, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Sone publicly visited the Yasukuni Shrine. This was also the first time that the Japanese Prime Minister had visited the Yasukuni Shrine as a public official since World War II, setting a precedent for "the Prime Minister to worship ghosts".
As his junior, Junichiro Koizumi was "better than his own" and as soon as he took office, he immediately prepared to visit the Yasukuni Shrine.
Allows East Asian countries to jointly protest, and he only changed his visit itinerary, which was originally scheduled to be held on August 15 to the 13th.
You should know that in 2001, the total trade volume between China and Japan reached a record high of more than 88 billion US dollars, 80 times that before the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972.
Japan has become China's largest trading partner for nine consecutive years, and Japan's exports to China also account for more than 10% of its global exports. Economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is becoming increasingly close.
, Koizumi's reverse action directly led to a wave of boycotting Japanese goods in China. This not only seriously affected import and export trade , but also caused a shock in the Japanese stock market, which can be said to have suffered a bad consequence.
political show and mainland complex
For a time, Junichiro Koizumi, who indirectly endangered his own interests, became the target of public criticism. In the end, under the pressure of public opinion and the situation of international trade, he had to try to seek reconciliation with China.
On October 8, 2001, Junichiro Koizumi visited China in a hurry for only one day.
Kuizumi Junichiro visits China
The story goes back to the beginning. At around 11:00 am on the 8th, Koizumi, who had just got off the plane, headed straight to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Memorial Hall, and publicly wrote the word "Loyalty and Forgiveness" after the visit.
What is "loyalty and forgiveness"?
The word "The Analects of Confucius·Li Ren", Zengzi said: "The way of the Master is just loyalty and forgiveness."
is a summary of Zengzi 's theory of Confucius . The so-called "loyalty" means a person's basic responsibilities and obligations, while "forgiveness" is simply understood as the beauty and tolerance of adulthood.
Koizumi uses these two words to convey her apology and hopes that the Chinese people can forgive the crimes committed by the Japanese army.
However, is Koizumi's series of seemingly touching actions and the sentence "I express my sincere apology and condolences to the Chinese people who died in that war of aggression" really from the heart?
In fact, this is just a political performance by Koizumi to ease Sino-Japanese relations, and she was performing the whole show.
After returning to Japan after his visit to China, Junichiro Koizumi continued his shameless behavior.
During his six-year term as prime minister, he visited the Yasukuni Shrine every year, and even publicly claimed that it was a good habit.
During his tenure, he vigorously promoted the expansion of the Self-Defense Forces and successively issued bills such as the "Special Measures Counter-Terrorism Measures Law", "H Self-Defense Forces Law Amendment ", and "Coast Security Bureau Law Amendment", trying to expand the castrated Self-Defense Forces overseas.
refers to its always obedience to the United States, and Japan's move undoubtedly threatens China's security.
It is obvious that when Junichiro Koizumi implemented various measures that endangered Sino-Japanese relations, he had long forgotten the so-called repentance and apology during his visit to China.
The reason why Koizumi was so enthusiastic about running wildly on the wrong path is closely related to his growing environment.
Junichiro Koizumi was born in 1942 in a right-wing political family. His grandfather, Kazukiro Koizumi and his father, Kazuki Junya, are both firm hawks in Japanese politics.
During the War of Aggression against China, Jun Koizumi even joined the extreme right wing political group " Dazhengyi Praise Association ", vigorously promoting military fascism.
was influenced by such a family atmosphere since childhood, and Junichiro Koizumi became a complete right-wing politician.
And it is not an isolated case, but a microcosm of the normalized situation. For example, , Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated some time ago, also visited the Yasukuni Shrine many times during his term of office, and even called on members of Congress to accompany him.
In fact, behind the act of "worshiping ghosts" is the ruling philosophy of Japan's attempt to distort history, revise the constitution, and pursue its status as a political power.
It is called " neoconservative " and is the mainstream force in Japanese politics after the end of the Cold War.
So, why is a political force that attempts to restore militarism highly supported and sought after, and has risen to the height of the universal values of the people?
All of this is actually closely related to Japan's "mainland complex".
As an island country, there are frequent earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions in Japan, which can be said to be a disaster and difficult situation. Therefore, since the early days, Japan has consciously wanted to increase its influence in the mainland, and even "occupy the magpie's nest".
Learn history, there have been five major wars between China and Japan. In addition to the three times in ancient history, 1894 got , , which really made Japan taste the sweetness.
Japan forced the Qing government to sign the " Shimonoseki Treaty ", not only demanding 200 million taels of silver "compensation", but also forcibly stolen vast land including Taiwan Island and Penghu Islands .
The signing site of the Treaty of Shimonoseki
As the saying goes, "A snake swallows an elephant when it is not enough." Entering the 20th century, Japan has not concealed its desire for Chinese territory and directly launched a full-scale war of aggression against China, in an attempt to completely annex China.
Its "Greater East Asia Prosperity" policy and "Imperialization" policy implemented in the occupied areas are both manifestations of the desire to Japaneseize China's territory.
Germany and Japan's attitudes are obvious. From ancient times to the present, Japan's core to achieving national development and growth seems to have always been inseparable from the word "aggression". This is also the main reason why Japan's militarist thought is deeply rooted.
After all, militarism refers to: regards military and aggression and expansion as the foundation of a country, and serves all aspects such as military expansion and preparation for war and foreign wars in all aspects.
It’s just that the times are progressing, and “peace and development” is the theme that every country should follow at the moment. Just as Germany, another former representative of militarism, did it.
During World War II, Nazi Germany established concentration camps and carried out an inhumane massacre on Jews . From unarmed elderly people to infants, none of them escaped the catastrophe.
According to post-war statistics, a total of 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust, accounting for one-third of the Jewish population in the world.
Faced with the deep blood hatred between the two nations, the Germans did not escape, but chose to face up to this history and make up for the sins borne by the country.
As of 2007, Germany had made all its efforts and successively paid compensation of up to 64 billion euros.
Among them, for the Jews who were infringing on the deepest, Federal Germany signed the Treaty of Luxembourg with Israel in 1952.
lasted for 14 years, including interest, Germany paid a total of 3 billion mark of compensation to the Israeli government, directly helping Israel, which had just been founded, complete its economic takeoff.
Maybe some people will say that 3 billion mark is not worth mentioning. But it should be noted that at that time, Germany was also poisoned by World War II, and the land was desolate and in ruins. It can be said that all German citizens tightened their belts to repay the compensation.
Of course, compared to the material level, what makes people feel more touching is the spiritual atonement of the Germans.
On December 7, 1970, West Germany Prime Minister Weili Brandt kneeled on the spot in front of the monument to the uprising in the Jewish Quarantine in Warsaw. This link was not in the plan of Weili's trip, but was entirely due to his spontaneous action.
After a short period of surprise, the reporter present quickly raised his camera to take a picture. Under countless flashes, a figure kneeled on the cold stone slab. This scene moved countless people. This is the famous " Warsaw Kneeling ".
Although Germany's series of actions involve more or less political and interest factors. For example, in order to seek the unification of and Germany, both Germans must obtain understanding from Eastern European countries; for example, in order to promote the unification of the European market, Germany, as the culprit of the war, must take the lead in making a statement, etc.
But this does not mean that Germany is false. On the contrary, his behavior of repentance and reflection is indeed very profound.
It is reported that after the war, Germany completely banned the appearance of Nazi signs, and he was very secretive about Hitler . Even Hitler's family was ashamed of him, ashamed of his bloodline, and vowed not to reproduce.
In contrast, Japan does not mention perfunctory material compensation, and even confuses right and wrong in thought and turns black and white.
In addition to Junichiro Koizumi visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, seven prime ministers in Japan acted the same way, which was a very different story from the confession of the German Chancellor.
Not only that, the right-wing forces in Japanese politics have also put pressure on the education community and beautify the war of aggression against China in textbooks.
First of all, for this all-out war launched for expansion and interests, textbooks beautify it into a "liberation" war with a just stand, with the purpose of rescuing Asian countries from the enslavement of the West.
Secondly, the textbooks directly and lightly changed to the "Nanjing Incident" in the inhumane Nanjing Massacre. This is a long-standing crime and is a cruel history that has led to the innocent massacre of hundreds of thousands of Chinese people.
Similar to this modification also includes comfort women, 731 bacterial troops, etc. The Japanese tried to write it off in a way that was deaf and dumb, which was really hard tolerate!
What is even more excessive is the legalization of the Rising Sun Flag , which symbolizes fascism, and even believes that the only thing Japan has done wrong is defeat in battle. From "anti-war" to "anti-war defeat", it shows the shame of the Japanese.
And the level of reflection of war among the Japanese people is far from enough. In the novel " Assassination of the Knight Commander ", Japanese writer Murakami Haruki once pointed out incisively:
"The fact that most citizens were involved in the war and killed cannot be denied. Some say that the death toll of the Chinese is 400,000, and some say that it is 100,000, but what is the difference between 400,000 and 100,000?"
Japan has always tried to cover up the history of the Nanjing Massacre, so when Murakami unveiled this self-deception fig leaf, it was immediately boycotted by Japanese netizens and right-wing groups. This is obviously not the attitude that should be reflected on history.
Faced with history
Although the Japanese government represented by Junichiro Koizumi said that "loyalty and forgiveness" is a false show; the Chinese people's lenient attitude and advocacy of peace are true feelings and have existed since ancient times.
From the seventh century AD to the end of the ninth century, that is, during the rule of the Tang Dynasty, Japan sent more than a dozen envoys to the Tang Dynasty to study in China because of its admiration for Chinese culture.
Now, the so-called tea ceremony, bow ritual and even architectural styles in Japan are closely related to Chinese culture.
Even the great reform that transformed Japan into a feudal state was a product of the evolution of the legal system of the Tang Dynasty.
When the eighth person sent Tang envoy Sutian to China, he also asked the government to give the country name from Wu Zetian. According to the "Historical Records of the Grand Historian, Justice ", "Emperor Wu changed Japan to Japan's ", so Japan got its name.
Wu Zetian's portrait
China and Japan during that period were like teachers who were tempted and hardworking and studious students, with a harmonious relationship, but the ancestors never expected that their openness and tolerance would eventually raise tigers.
More than a thousand years have passed, and the poor "students" who were backward and poor in the past have made great achievements, but the "teacher" is in a down-and-out situation.
At this time of crisis, the "student" not only did not want to give back, but even joined forces with robbers from afar to stab him, and put his "teacher" in a situation of no return. Fortunately, his conspiracy never succeeded.
It was not until September 1972 that in order to explore the promising Chinese market, Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka visited China, and the relationship between the two countries ushered in a break.
Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka
Although the blood hatred with Japan in the past is vivid in my mind, adhering to the idea of "harmony is the most important", our government is naturally willing to make good marriages internationally.
This time, China and Japan officially established diplomatic relations, and our country also voluntarily gave up Japan's war compensation.
In response to this, Chairman Mao said: The war of aggression against China was done by Japanese militarists, and this account should be counted on them, not on the heads of ordinary Japanese people.
Chairman Mao
It originated from China's magnanimity. China-Japan relations have officially become normalized and are constantly promoting cooperation in all aspects.
In May 1973, the Chinese and Japanese governments signed the "Agreement on the Construction of Submarine Cables", which is the first agreement between the two countries after the founding of New China. Subsequently, the two sides reached cooperation in maritime, fishery, aviation, etc., and commercial trade and cultural exchanges became increasingly frequent.
In the long history, there are friction and confrontation, exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan, based on modern times. With the improvement of international law, peace and development have become the main theme of the times. Exchanges between countries are more completed at the negotiating table. China and Japan no longer need to solve problems by meeting each other and drawing their swords. This is a blessing for ordinary people of both countries.
Whether China-Japan relations can develop normally depends more on whether Japan can face up to history and reflect in depth.
As a country of gentlemen, as long as you come with kindness, China will treat you with courtesy; if there are bad guests in your neighbors, the Chinese people will also be waiting for you.
