Reference News Network, March 19 report: Japan's Asahi Shimbun published an article titled "The Fragmenting 'Perpetrator' Memories" on February 22. The author is Yūhei Kouno. The full text is as follows:

81-year-old psychiatrist and writer Masahiro Noda wrote in his essay collection "The Radiance of Lost Times," published at the end of last year: "Why does post-war Japan deny its aggression? Authoritarian personality types cannot conduct critical analysis of social structures, but prefer slogans like 'move forward'."

While preparing for the publication of his book, Noda expressed a sense of crisis, stating: "What happened in that war will become history, almost unknown to people."

In the 1990s, Noda repeatedly visited former Japanese soldiers who had invaded China and compiled their accounts into a book titled "War and Responsibility," which was published in 1998. One of the interviewees was a Japanese military doctor who had participated in seven human dissections of Chinese prisoners. After returning to Japan and testifying about his war crimes, he received an anonymous postcard with the message: "Are you so foolish as not to foresee the impact your public discussion would have on bilateral relations during such a sensitive period in international relations?"

Noda's attempt to uncover the memories of former Japanese soldiers as perpetrators stemmed from his belief that Japan had failed to confront its history of aggression. In "War and Responsibility," he wrote: "What have we lost by denying the past, refusing to seek the truth, even boldly asserting 'We were also victims of war,' 'This was a war for survival, not an invasion,' 'Self-abasing historical views are unacceptable'?"

"I want to reveal the dark side of the majority through the perspective of a few individuals, those who felt guilt after the war."

Waterboarding people to the brink of death, randomly shooting civilians because they "didn't feel like it," raping children... These experiences and observations of former Japanese soldiers are horrifying.

"I always felt that the humanity of those who experienced the war was so twisted," Noda recalled.

During the war, soldiers suffered from violent rule in the rigidly hierarchical military. After the war, their repressed anger was carried directly into Japanese homes. "There were many families where men abused their wives, beating them and shouting at them. Since a certain period of the Showa era, the Japanese mindset changed greatly."

The "emotional numbness" formed under Japanese militarism continued into the postwar period. People viewed others through hierarchical relationships, ignoring individual feelings and dignity, and over-adapting to groups. In such an environment, it is very important to restore rich emotions, strive to understand facts, and regain imagination. After observing some retired veterans gradually摆脱思维僵化 by acknowledging their mistakes and facing them actively, Noda reached this conclusion.

When it comes to "war witnesses," people usually think of those who experienced victimization. A journalist conducted a three-year interview in Hiroshima, collecting testimonies of atomic bomb survivors. As local media reported, even the memory of the atomic bomb is gradually fading, and there are very few survivors willing to speak out.

According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of March 2025, there were 597 former soldiers receiving "ordinary pensions," with an average age of 103. On the other hand, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as of March 2025, there were 99,130 holders of the "Hibakusha Health Handbook," with an average age of 86.13. By the 80th anniversary of the war, it has become extremely difficult to hear testimonies from former soldiers.

As the war moves from "memory" to "history," the part of "perpetration" keeps fading. Isn't it necessary to face both the aspects of victimization and perpetration? The words of historian Ryuichi Narita during an interview remain unforgettable.

"It is important to connect memory with history." (Translated by Ma Xiaoyun)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7618863288981439012/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author."