Autobiography of Saburo Araki -- The Thought Trajectory of a Japanese Historian

Author: (Japanese) Yasuyuki Kayano, translated by Shi Xiaojun, Liu Yan, Tian Yuan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Historian Yasuyuki Kayano, in the 1950s, had his textbooks repeatedly deemed (unqualified), once passed but then required 300 modifications. Kayano found the Ministry of Education's reasons unacceptable and believed that textbook review was illegal, leading him to launch a 32-year lawsuit. In the final judgment of August 1997, he achieved a "partial victory." This victory was hard-won. In fact, whether Japan would sincerely repent for its wartime atrocities, Chinese people, in particular, had no certainty, but Kayano's integrity and noble character were recognized worldwide. This autobiography is worth reading first and foremost because Kayano's story and inner journey are deeply moving. Listening to him calmly share the hardships and reflections of his life, one cannot help but respect him—even if you are Chinese and he is Japanese. Kayano's father was a military man, but Kayano was not warlike or rough; instead, he became a scholar and historian who expressed his ideals through poetry. His father, who was upright and did not blindly worship the emperor, along with several respected teachers, as well as his impoverished and sickly childhood, all nurtured and shaped the Kayano of today. Another rare aspect of this book is that Kayano's perspective transcends nationalism. In his long struggle, he fought for the freedom and justice of humanity more than for the condemnation or support of any single nation. Kayano is a renowned Japanese historian, and his book "A History of Japanese Culture" already has a Chinese translation published by the Commercial Press. However, Chinese readers may not be very familiar with his life story and academic path. The publication of this autobiography can help fill this gap. Of course, in my opinion, the strengths of this autobiography are not limited to providing information about Kayano himself. More importantly, through his narrative, the social trends and intellectual atmosphere of Japan's Taisho and Showa eras are vividly brought to life. Therefore, "Yasuyuki Kayano: An Autobiography of a Historian's Footprints" can be fully regarded as a slice of modern Japanese history.
Of course, Kayano's most well-known actions beyond academia were his lawsuits against the Japanese government to defend academic freedom, challenging the government's alteration of historical facts about China's invasion and interference in textbook compilation. This 32-year-long lawsuit, known as the "Ministry of Education Textbook Review Constitutional Case," is fully detailed in the book. It also shows how, after Japan's defeat in World War II, democratic and peace movements once flourished but gradually faded away as a generation of intellectuals passed away. Today, both these people and this tradition are nearly extinct. The publication of this book leaves a record of justice and progress for Japan. Kayano, a renowned scholar with profound knowledge of Japanese culture, history, philosophy, art, and education, established the "Kayano School of History," which has a significant impact on Japanese academia and thought. Who would have thought that he was a scholar who spent his life battling a frail body while constantly challenging his own country's culture and values in court! Raised in a military family and educated in the traditional Japanese model, Kayano grew to love and hate his country more as he understood it better—feeling deep remorse for being unable to stop a century of injustice, he resolved to use schools and courts to fiercely criticize Japan's past history, current education system, and judicial system, and to reform the values of the Japanese nation. This led to the 32-year textbook lawsuit, during which the ups and downs of the case stirred a unprecedented intellectual movement in Japan. This book is not only Kayano's personal autobiography but also his intellectual history, and more importantly, a microcosm of modern Japanese history. The Chinese edition of this book was specially translated for Chinese readers, fulfilling the author's deep wish at the age of nearly 90—to let Chinese readers, especially the younger generation, gain a better understanding of his life and the era he lived in, thereby helping to open up a new world for the future. Kayano is a prolific Japanese scholar whose unique "Kayano School of History" has a significant impact on Japanese academia. Beyond academia, he is most known for his lawsuits against the Japanese government to defend academic freedom, altering historical facts about China's invasion, and intervening in textbook compilation. He alone carried the 32-year-long "Ministry of Education Textbook Review Constitutional Case," during which the ups and downs of the lawsuit stirred a unprecedented intellectual movement in Japan.