Modern Japanese historical issues

Author: Ikeda Yasukata
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Professor Ikeda's academic field of study is Japanese history. What is particularly commendable is his unwavering adherence to the progressive materialist historical perspective, critically refuting the reactionary Imperialist Nationalist historical view and the so-called "freedom historical view" that has been rampant in recent years. Using a wealth of concrete historical materials, he accurately explains the history of Japan's social development, especially exposing the brutal exploitation, plunder, and aggression of Japanese imperialism against China and Korea over the past century. The first volume of this collection, A Concise History of Japan, is a lecture manuscript used by Professor Ikeda when teaching in China. The late historian Zhou Yiliang provided an accurate and concise evaluation in the Preface, recommending it as: "This book can serve as a textbook and is also useful for foreign affairs personnel dealing with Japan for reference." The second volume, Studies on Japanese Imperialism, focuses on exposing Japan's pre-WWII imperialist aggression against Northeast and North China from an economic perspective. Its distinctive feature is the extensive use of materials, statistics, and charts, almost all of which are from the Japanese ruling class. With a masterful touch, it subtly highlights the sinister intentions and brutal faces of the aggressors, thereby retracing the immense suffering and hardships inflicted upon the Chinese people. The third volume includes Modern Japan and China, which discusses how modern Japanese imperialism grew and strengthened itself through brutal aggression and plunder of China and Korea, while also meeting its demise in the resistance of the people of China, Korea, and Asia, including the Japanese people. The third volume also features Japan's Modernization—A Comparison with China and the fourth volume, A Comparative Study of Modernization in Japan and China, which were newly written by the author during China's "reform and opening up" and comprehensive modernization period. The latter is an academic monograph, while the former provides a popular overview of its main content. Together, they compare the "differences and similarities" in the backgrounds of modernization in China and Japan from political, economic, cultural, and other perspectives, particularly emphasizing the differences in cultural types and national characteristics between the two countries. They not only hold academic value but also have practical significance for China's current modernization. The fifth volume, Historical Issues of Modern Japan, collects single-authored papers published by the author in recent years, covering major issues in modern Japanese history such as the Meiji Restoration, the Imperial system, the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, and pre-WWII Japan's colonial policies and military authoritarianism. In the article Postwar Textbook Issues, it exposes the deeply entrenched reactionary Imperialist Nationalist historical view among the Ministry of Education (MEXT) officials responsible for reviewing textbooks. This demonstrates the recurring textbook problems in Japan and the inescapable responsibility of Japanese authorities. These five volumes of the collection include Professor Ikeda's academic works and papers on Japanese history and Sino-Japanese comparative studies, representing a lifetime of dedication and a natural expression of his friendship toward China. I believe the publication of this collection will serve as a reference, inspiration, and catalyst for the study of Japanese history in China. Through the collection, readers can understand the history of Japan's social development and the similarities and differences between China and Japan, recognize the aggressive nature of Japanese militarism, and thus deepen their understanding of the principle of "learning from history and looking toward the future" in China-Japan relations.