Daito Shizuo's Diary

Author: Collected by Sichuan Jianchuan Museum
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-08-01
Features: A firsthand record of war by a Japanese soldier, complete diary with accompanying photos that verify the events described. The diary documents corpses, comfort women, prisoners, and ruins in text, followed by photos, creating a vivid visual record. There is no description, no sentimentality—only the relentless advance, sweep, killing, and artillery fire. The cold-bloodedness is glaring. Three years of diary entries were never interrupted, and the camera's shutter never stopped. The raw text and images serve as irrefutable evidence of the Japanese invasion of China. The diary has been preserved in China since 1950.
The protagonist, Ojima Shizuo, is portrayed vividly: he comes from a rural Japanese family with parents, siblings, and a lover. He worries about his parents' health and the harvest. He fears the war and worries about the future, yet also feels the confusion of youth. He loves novels, magazines, and cherishes deep human connection. He is passionate about literature, film, and art, making him a thoughtful and sensitive figure among Japanese soldiers.
Over three years of war, he records and reflects every day. But was his purpose simply to leave a war record? His perspective is micro and meticulous—is he aiming to give a vivid account of the war? His records are both bloody and cold—is this the national character of the Yamato people?
After the war, what path did Ojima Shizuo choose? Did he return to the countryside to live as a farmer, or stay in the city to pursue his artistic ambitions? How did the war, which he truly experienced and recorded, shape his life?
The book also includes many photos of corpses, comfort women, prisoners, and ruins. These are the " spoils of war" from the Japanese army at the time. Ojima Shizuo would always document in text, then take photos—creating a "comprehensive visual record."