"'s diary in Japan (Vol. 1 & 2)"

Author: Zhou Enlai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-12-01
Features: The bound volume of "Zhou Enlai's Diary During His Stay in Japan" includes a segment of his diary from his time in Japan (autumn 1917 to spring 1919). It begins on January 1, 1918, and ends on December 13, 1919, spanning over 300 pages and more than 120,000 words, making it the first time it has been publicly published. Each entry consists of an outline summarizing the content, including climate, temperature, studies, affairs, correspondence, etc., followed by the main body of the diary. These writings genuinely record the changes in Zhou Enlai's daily life, studies, social interactions, and emotional state during his nearly year-long stay in Japan, particularly documenting significant turning points in his thoughts. After a long period of exploration and self-reflection, he resolved to "discard everything he had been before and forge a 'new thought,' pursue 'new knowledge,' and engage in 'new endeavors,' thereby opening up a new era." What he sought to discard included religious and superstitious ideas, misguided views on marriage and romance, as well as the influences of individualism, liberalism, anarchism, and utopianism, all of which reflected his historical limitations at the time. What he aimed to pursue was the theory and practice of scientific socialism. At the end of the diary, there is also an accounting ledger detailing his income and expenses, recording the sources of his funds and how they were spent. All of these are invaluable documentary materials for studying Zhou Enlai's early activities and the development of his thoughts.