Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Pacific War and Japanese - 8


In this last article of this book review series, "Eternal Zero", I wanted to express my views and opinions on the subjects this book is talking about.  Lieutenant Miyabe was the one who spoke for the Japanese Tokko pilots and soldiers who were killed in World War II in their real feeling from the bottom of their hearts.  Since Japan lost the war, they were destined to be disregarded and forgotten.  Japanese people after the war determined that they should forget about the war and restart from the beginning.

The approach was not all bad in one sense for it motivated industrial growth.  However, the soldiers who fought for their own country, and once were heroes for their country, were no longer heroes.  Instead, they were treated almost like criminals from their own society.  They were hated, disliked, and disregarded for long time.  More than 60 years have passed since the war.  I personally believe that it is about the time they were remembered and re-evaluated by the world.  I believe they should not be treated as heroes.  But I believe at the same time they should not be forgotten or ignored.  They lived their own lives.

After I finished reading this book, I remembered the Clint Eastwood movies "The Flag of Our Fathers" and "A Letter from Iwo Jima". They were excellent movies learning what happened both side of the war, East Pacific and West Pacific, also won and lost.  I think it was Clint Eastwood himself stating in the movie "I want to know how they (Japanese Soldiers) lived and died."

The story of "Eternal Zero" ends when his grand daughter and son found out the secret that Kyuzo Miyabe lived and died for his own family.

I plan to check if they have English translation of this book.  If I found it, I will write again here.  This is the book which I wanted all American people read.


Related Posts:

http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/10/pacific-war-and-japanese-1.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/10/pacific-war-and-japanese-2.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/10/pacific-war-and-japanese-3.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/10/pacific-war-and-japanese-4.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/10/pacific-war-and-japanese-5.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/11/pacific-war-and-japanese-6.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/11/pacific-war-and-japanese-7.html 


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http://vur.me/shawfunami/main
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http://vur.me/shawfunami/zi


Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link


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4 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Shaw .. a moving story .. you say "they lived their own live" .. to a point - they didn't because they had to conform to their orders and the rigours of war, their regiment or selected special forces ..

We change our thoughts .. all life is so valuable - war is the challenge .. suicide bombers worse .. so unfair (such a simple word for such an act of devastation).

Thanks - interesting series .. and I did see one of the Eastwood films .. but probably need to revisit to get the full story he was telling and see the other -
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Unknown said...

Hi Hilary,

I would love to believe that they lived their own lives, though it might have been tougher than or different from ours. There were love stories, happy times, and sad times. I came to believe that there was no difference which side the one was fighting. It was interesting reading.

Please also watch "A Letter from Iow Jima", the other movie from Eastwood film.

Thanks, again,
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Marketing Unscrambled, Home edition said...

Hello Shaw,

What a thought provoking story. It is good to see both sides. You are so right that they should not be forgotten. It is harder to do when you are the one that lost the war. So many on both sides died. Thank you.

Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"

Unknown said...

Hello Dan and Deanna,

I had a resistance in my feeling if I should post this series or not. It is about war, and it is about loss of lives. But, I am now glad I did. I feel that way in reading your comment and Hilary's.

Thank you.
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link