For the first time, I am going to write a very special blog for people coming from overseas.
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to those who come to this blog from various countries overseas, even though it is written in Japanese.
I assume that you come to this blog because it is written about studio Ghibli, and I hope that the translation function is working properly.
Now, I would like to tell you about an issue that is causing great anger and sadness in Japan today: the countless images of "Barbenheimer," which is the joke that combines the American movie "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer".
In response, people overseas have said that the Japanese have no right to be offended by this. I'd like to give my opinion on this.
Please think about it. 140,000 civilians were slaughtered by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and 74,000 by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Is it "justice" that "civilians" are slaughtered as test subjects for "two" atomic bombs in retribution for the actions of the Japanese military? Was it deserved?
Some people think this was retribution for Pearl Harbor, but declaring war was not yet considered "law" that absolutely had to be done at the time. This, of course, was not a righteous act. But as far as the U.S. is concerned, it did not declare war in either Vietnam or Iraq. Even though both were after World War II. In other words, war is sometimes such an "unorthodox" act.
Also, the atomic bombs have been attributed to hastening the end of the war, but this is false. Without a doubt, the "two" atomic bombs had a huge impact on Japan. However, the Japanese military top brass still intended to continue the war. Their decision to surrender was directly caused by the Soviet Union's entry into the war against Japan. With the entry of the Soviet Union into the war, Japan accepted the certainty of defeat and unconditional surrender. But will you know this and will you now thank the Soviet Union? Even if you accept it as an individual, most countries would not want to think so, as a country. This is why the atomic bomb is considered the cause of the end of the war.
Others argue that the atomic bombings were justified given the atrocities inflicted by Japan on Asian nations. Nor do we intend to deny the atrocities committed by the Japanese military, of course. Japanese people know it as a fact. However, the extent to which the damage and acts are true is currently impossible to discern due to rampant anti-Japanese propaganda. This is still being done. For example, like this. (Sorry for the Japanese. Please translate)
この写真はペスト防疫をしているところだと、もう随分前から知られている。ロシアの政治宣伝は、ホント稚拙だね。 https://t.co/tKe4aCEEmw
— buvery (@buvery) August 5, 2023
(Russia blames the atomic bombings, while greatly exaggerating the atrocities committed by the Japanese military. The purpose is to increase the Japan-U.S. confrontation and the hatred of various nations toward Japan and the U.S.)
Even Japanese people often believe this easily understood anti-Japanese propaganda. An account self-proclaimed "Japan Fact Check Center" spreads lies with impunity. This is the reality of what is happening in Japan. (By the way, I want to emphasize that I don't agree with any of the names of the accounts that are correcting this hoax, either)
《拡散希望》#日本ファクトチェックセンター がデマを流布しています。
— shin@バービーが地球から消え去りますように💕 (@shin_the3rd) August 5, 2023
> 南京事件について「プロパガンダ映画で嘘」と主張する言説がありますが、誤り
⬆️「証拠写真」の多くに「プロパガンダ映画のスクショが使われている」という正当な指摘をわざと言葉足らずにしてねじ曲げています。 https://t.co/MFWExqY7rT
In this case, it is very straightforward anti-Japanese propaganda. But the real anti-Japanese propaganda is more skillful.
Sadly, the atrocities allegedly committed by the Japanese military are almost always mixed with anti-Japanese propaganda and lies. The atrocities are true. But it is impossible to tell how much of it is true. Each side believes different things to be "true". Because there are very few reliable sources of reliable facts. And they are being lost year by year.
In addition to that, I would like you all to look up the "war crimes" of your own countries, either by Googling or by reading books. If you are from a victimized country at all, please look up the war crimes of, say, Western countries, or sorry to name specifics, the US, China, and Korea. In other words, war is a brutalization of any nation, and in most cases, the citizens are not informed of it. Is it "justice" or "deserved" that civilians are slaughtered in retribution for the atrocities committed by these armies?
And many were of the opinion that Japan has not apologized, regretted, or compensated for its actions in the war. This also came as a big shock to us. For example, that what is even written in Wikipedia had not been communicated at all for many years.
See especially here for the forms of the apology.
It's not just about apologies and remorse as a nation. Our despair at realizing that all our regrets on a personal level had been drowned out for decades cannot be expressed in words.
Thus, our knowledge and feelings about the war are very complex and mixed with many emotions and intrigues and the interests mingle. Most of the time, we're exploited by it. So, it is very difficult to trace it calmly. The Japanese people, most of us, have never justified our military's past actions in the war and never will. Some people sometimes say the wrong things to deny propaganda and exaggeration, but that is not the opinion of the average Japanese person. Shame, regret and remorse will continue.
So I want you to know as calmly as possible about Japanese war, although it is quite, quite difficult. And although the acts committed by the Japanese military were atrocious, I beg you to let the Japanese mourn the deaths of our civilians.
If you have read to the end, I thank you deeply. I am sorry that my first blog written in English turned out to be such a document.
