Concise History of Japan

Author: Ikeda Kazuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Professor Ikeda's academic field of study is Japanese history. What is particularly commendable is that he has consistently adhered to the progressive materialist historical view, critiquing the reactionary Imperialist History View and the so-called "Freedom History View" that has been rampant in recent years. Using a wealth of concrete historical materials, he accurately explains the history of Japanese 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 the lecture notes used by Professor Ikeda when teaching in China. The late historian Zhou Yiliang made 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 the economic aggression of Japanese imperialism against Northeast and North China before World War II. Its distinctive feature is the extensive use of materials, statistics, and charts, almost all of which are from the Japanese ruling class. Then, with a masterful touch, it subtly highlights the sinister intentions and brutal faces of the aggressors, revealing the immense suffering and hardships brought to 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 against China and Korea, while also meeting its downfall through the resistance of the people of China, Korea, and Asia, including the Japanese people. The third volume also contains Japan's Modernization—A Comparison with China and the fourth volume, A Comparative Study of Modernization in Japan and China. These 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, emphasizing the differences in their cultural types and national characteristics. They not only have academic value but also hold practical significance for China's current modernization. The fifth volume, Historical Issues of Modern Japan, includes 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-war Japanese colonial policies and military authoritarianism. In the article Postwar Textbook Issues, it exposes the deeply rooted reactionary Imperialist History View among the Ministry of Education (MEXT) officials responsible for reviewing textbooks. This demonstrates that Japan's recurring textbook problems are the responsibility of the 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 encouragement for the study of Japanese history in China. Through the collection, readers can understand the history of Japanese 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.