Izanami: The world condemned Japan fiercely after its defeat in World War II.
Izanagi: Since its defeat, Japan has strived to become a peaceful country, but some countries still continue anti-Japanese education that labels Japan as a cruel country. Behind these feelings lie a history and human nature.
Izanami: Japan has expressed their apologies to countries that have suffered damage from the war and other causes. However, even if the basis includes some false elements, the government does not explicitly point them out.
Izanagi: The Government has taken a so-called “mature response” approach to such countries.
Izanami: They do not refute the facts head-on, even if they disagree. This is based on the Japanese idea that if they refute the allegations, they will create further arguments and the conflict will expand.
Izanagi: During the war, Japanese were taught that Americans were brutal and fought with fierce hostility, though Japan was eventually defeated by the atomic bomb. Now, Japan and the USA have a friendly relationship.
Izanami: In the 19th century, there was growing concern that Japan would be turned into a Western colony, and a civil war broke out between two forces over how to deal with the West.
Izanagi: One power wanted to maintain the system with the shogun at the top. The other power, the government force, wanted to reform the system to be centered around the Emperor.
Izanami: In 1868, the Reform Army marched on Edo (now Tokyo) and was close to a decisive battle against the regime-keeping military force.
Izanagi: A meeting between SAIGO Takamori, the chief of sta of the government forces, and KATSU Kaishu, the shogunate's top military ocer, resulted in the decision to vacate Edo Castle and bloodshed was avoided.
Izanami: This was followed by the Meiji period (19th-20th century), which was the driving force behind Japan’s modernization.
Izanagi: There were many clans (countries) in Japan at that time, in which language and culture differed greatly between them. It was difficult to communicate at meetings in Tokyo.
Izanami: Nevertheless, some believe that the reason why major conflicts did not occur is because Japan was almost a mono-ethnic population.
Izanagi: Some question whether the Japanese are racist, seeing modern Japan’s reluctant policy of accepting immigrants.
Izanami : However, Japan has long opposed racial discrimination.
Izanagi: At the Paris Conference of 1919, held after the First World War, Japan was the first country in the world to propose the elimination of racial discrimination.
Izanami: Many countries agreed to this proposal, but it was not enacted due to opposition from the US, UK and some other big countries.
Izanagi: The egos of the major powers are carried over from one era to the next. For example, it does not make sense to say that large states should have nuclear weapons while small states shouldn’t.
Izanami: It cannot be considered fair unless the major powers themselves say that they will give up their nuclear weapons.
Izanagi: The people of the major powers also understand the logic of their selfishness, but they do not acknowledge or speak out about their advantages. People live in a situation where the desire for goodness and ego coexist.
( From September issue, 2022 / 2022年9月号より)
第二次世界大戦
dai’niji’sekai’taisenn
World War II
敗れた
yabureta
after its defeat
日本に対し、
nihonn ni taishi,
Japan
非難しました。
hinann shi mashita.
condemned
敗戦後、
haisenn’go,
since its defeat
目指してきました
mezashite ki mashita
has strived to become
国である
kuni de aru
labels as a country
反日教育を
hannnichi’kyouiku wo
anti-Japanese education
続けている
tsudukete iru
continue
国もあります。
kuni mo ari masu.
some countries
絡んでいます。
karannde i masu.
lie
受けた
uketa
that have suffered
謝罪を
shazai wo
their apologies
表明してきています。
hyoumei shite kite i masu.
has expressed
政府は、
seifu ha,
the government
その根拠に
sono konnkyo ni
the basis
事実でないことが
jijitsu de nai koto ga
some false elements
含まれていて
fukumarete ite
includes
指摘
shiteki
point them out
しません。
shi masenn.
does not
政府は
seifu ha
the Government
「大人の対応」をしています。
“otona no taiou” wo shite i masu.
has taken a mature response approach
同意できないことがあっても、
doui deki nai koto ga atte mo,
even if they disagree
正面から
shoumenn kara
head-on
反論しないのです。
hannronn shi nai no desu.
they do not refute the facts
反論すれば
hannronn sureba
if they refute the allegations
反論を
hannronn wo
arguments
生み、
umi,
they will create and
争いが
arasoi ga
the conflict
拡大していく
kakudai shite iku
expand
日本的発想から
nihonn’teki’hassou kara
the Japanese idea
来ています。
kite i masu.
is based on
日本国民は
nihonn’kokuminn ha
Japanese
戦時中、
sennji’chuu,
during the war
アメリカ人は
amerika’jinn ha
Americans
残忍だ
zannninn da
were brutal
教育され、
kyouiku sare,
were taught and
敵対心
tekitai’shinn
hostility
戦いました
tatakai mashita
fought
原子爆弾を落とされ
gennshi’bakudann wo otosare
by the atomic bomb
敗れました。
yabure mashita.
(Japan was eventually) defeated
両国は
ryoukoku ha
Japan and the USA
友好関係に
yuukou’kannkei ni
a friendly relationship
19世紀、
juukyuu seiki,
in the nineteenth century
植民地
shokuminn’chi
a colony
される
sareru
would be turned
不安が
fuann ga
there was concern
大きくなり、
ookiku nari,
growing and
内乱が
nairann ga
a civil war
起きました。
oki mashita.
broke out
将軍を頂点とした
shougunn wo choutenn to shita
with the shogun at the top
体制を
taisei wo
the system
維持したい
iji shi tai
wanted to maintain
もう一つは
mou hitotsu ha
the other
官軍という
kanngunn to iu
the government force
天皇を
tennnou wo
the Emperor
中心とした
chuushinn to shita
to be centered around
体制へと
taisei heto
the system
改革したい
kaikaku shi tai
wanted to reform
勢力です。
seiryoku desu.
power
1868年
senn happyaku rokujuu hachi nenn
eighteen sixty-eight [year]
改革軍は
kaikaku’gunn ha
the Reform Army
進軍し、
shinngunn shi,
marched and
体制維持軍
taisei’iji’gunn
the regime-keeping military force
決戦が
kessenn ga
to a decisive battle
間近となっていました。
madika to natte i mashita.
was close
官軍参謀の
kanngunn’sannbou no
the chief of staff of the government forces
西郷隆盛
saigou takamori
Saigo Takamori
幕府の
bakufu no
the shogunate's
軍事トップだった
gunnji’toppu datta
top military officer
勝海舟
katsu kaishuu
Katsu Kaishu
との間で
tono aida de
between
会談が行われ、
kaidann ga okonaware,
a meeting
江戸城明け渡しが
edojou akewatashi ga
to vacate Edo Castle
決まり、
kimari,
resulted in the decision and
流血は
ryuuketsu ha
bloodshed
避けられました。
sake rare mashita.
was avoided
この後、
kono nochi,
[after] this
近代化
kinndai’ka
modernization
原動力と
genn’douryoku to
the driving force
明治時代
meij ijidai
the Meiji period
20世紀)
nijusseiki
[to] twentieth century
始まります。
hajimari masu.
was followed
あり、
ari,
there were in which
違いました。
chigai mashita.
differed
意志の疎通困難
ishi no sotsuu konnnann
difficult to communicate
それでも
sore demo
nevertheless
起きなかったのは、
oki nakatta noha,
the reason why did not occur
単一民族
tannitsu’minnzoku
a mono-ethnic population
見方があります。
mikata ga ari masu.
some believe
消極的な
shoukyoku’teki na
reluctant
とっていることから、
totte iru koto kara,
seeing
日本人は
nihonnjinn ha
the Japanese
人種差別主義
jinnshu’sabetsu’shugi
are racist
ではないのか
deha nai noka
whether
という声もあります。
to iu koe mo ari masu.
some question
人種差別に
jinnshu’sabetsu ni
racial discrimination
反対しています。
hanntai shite i masu.
has opposed
第一次世界大戦後の
dai’ichiji’sekai’taisenn’go no
after the First World War
1919年
senn kyuuhyaku juu kyuu nenn
nineteen nineteen [year]
開催された
kaisai sareta
held
パリ会議
pari’kaigi
the Paris Conference
先がけて
sakigakete
was the first country
人種差別撤廃提案をしました。
jinnshu’sabetsu’teppai’teiann wo shi mashita.
to propose the elimination of racial discrimination
賛成しました
sannsei shi mashita
agreed
大国
taikoku
some big countries
成立しませんでした。
seiritsu shi masenn deshita.
it was not enacted
どの時代でも、
dono jidai demo,
from one era to the next
大国
taikoku
the major powers
通します。
tooshi masu.
are carried over
例えば、
tatoeba,
for example
大国が
taikoku ga
large states
核兵器を
kaku’heiki wo
nuclear weapons
小国は
shoukoku ha
small states
道理は通りません。
douri ha toori masenn.
it does not make sense
大国側が
taikoku’gawa ga
the major powers
自ら、
mizukara,
themselves
核兵器を
kaku’heiki wo
their nuclear weapons
放棄するから
houki suru kara
they will give up
言わなければ、
iwa nakere ba,
unless say
いえません。
ie masenn.
it cannot be considered
大国
taikoku
the major powers
身勝手な
migatte na
of selfishness
わかっています
wakatte i masu
understand
有利であること
yuuri de aru koto
advantages
声はあげません。
koe ha age masenn.
they do not acknowledge or speak out
求める心
motomeru kokoro
the desire
共存する中
kyouzonn suru naka
a situation where coexist
生きているのです。
ikite iru no desu.
live