For the sake of meeting, I am lucky to have this life: "How to Have This Life" by a Japanese Orphan

"If it weren't for these troubled times

Would fate be rewritten?"

What is this life?

An accidental opportunity three years ago At a reading sharing meeting, I read a book by an old Japanese gentleman called "Why This Life Is Here". The main content of the book is about his memoirs of being adopted by a Chinese family as a Japanese orphan during World War II. This is the first time I have had close contact with a historical narrator. His name is Nakajima Yuhachi.

The term "Japanese orphan" seems very strange and confusing to many people today, but in fact it is not...

During the war years, tragic stories of wives and children separated often Everyone will find that the origin of Mr. Nakajima Yuhachi’s identity as an “orphan” that I want to talk about is quite special. I still remember that when I was reading the book "How to Live in This Life", I specifically looked up the definition of the term "Japanese Orphans", which refers to Japanese people who were abandoned in China or were not repatriated to Japan after Japan's defeat in 1945; History turns back to the 1930s, when Japanese militarism was prevalent. Especially after the September 18th Incident, the entire Northeast China gradually became a de facto colony of Japan. During this period, the Japanese government formulated the "Agricultural Immigration to Manchuria" The policy of "Million Household Plan" is called "Pioneering Mission". The members of the pioneering group at that time included armed immigrants and agricultural immigrants, most of whom were poor farmers in Japan. Later they became cannon fodder in the war, and most of the casualties were the old, weak, women and children. After the defeat, they became "militarists" The "abandoned people" left behind in China were one of the reasons for the many "Japanese orphans" later on. So from another perspective, for the immigrants of these pioneering groups, it was also a tragedy in the war, and it was a tragedy in the shadow of the war. the other side of.

The family of the protagonist Nakajima Yuhachi in the book came to China as part of the pioneering regiment. His father failed to return from the conscription in 1945. After Japan was defeated and surrendered, the abandoned pioneering regiment suffered from severe cold and hunger. , living a difficult life of displacement, not knowing what fate awaits them next. Under such circumstances, Mr. Nakajima's biological mother was unable to raise her due to lack of material resources, so she entrusted him to a Chinese hawker. This began the story of his 13 years of life as an adopted child in China. And the Chinese adoptive father and mother also took good care of him in every possible way. Under such a historical background, raising an orphan who was a survivor of an invading country really reflects the benevolent side of the Chinese nation's inner nature. In the book, he is told that when his adoptive mother first adopted him, he was suffering from hunger and malnutrition, and his whole body was bruised and his abdomen was swollen. She gently rubbed his belly with her hands every day and carefully fed him until he was healthy. Although this memory has been in the past seventy years. , but in Mr. Nakajima’s mind, it is as clear as yesterday, especially since all the adoptive mothers in the book use the word "my mother", "My mother has been so supportive and considerate of me since I was a child"...

Mr. Nakajima wrote this book to reorganize the understanding of that period of history by the people of China and Japan, and also to reshape the simple and industrious ordinary life in rural China at that time. The writing is very delicate, and the feelings revealed are very real, without too many embellishments, and expressed directly and clearly, which also reflects how deeply Mr. Wang feels about his life in China.

When I first came into contact with the author, I listened to him recalling this narrative with choked words at a reading meeting. For a while, it was difficult to understand what unforgettable memories an old man had that made him so... I was filled with emotion until my eyes turned red. That kind of scene is something I rarely see...

How could this life be possible...

It wasn't until I read it that I realized what was going on here. The story turned out to be very sad. I recommend everyone to read this book. In addition to reading about this history of "orphans", you can also look at the judgment of human nature under the shadow of war from more angles. This is not only a personal memoir but also a post-war historical memoir of China and Japan.

Due to various reasons in the past, the people of China and Japan lack a lot of understanding of history. Even the little bit in history textbooks cannot give us a comprehensive understanding of history. This has led to Today we are in a situation where we don't understand each other, and the meaning of this book just fills this "understanding". What I want to say is that many years have passed since the war. We remember the great pain caused by the war in order to cherish the current peace. Mr. Nakajima Yuhachi is a witness to this period of history, and he is also an unfortunate one. With this "Chinese sentiment", he has been committed to the development of friendship between China and Japan. He said that we should try our best to put the friendship and understanding between the two peoples at the forefront, which will overcome all political obstacles. Perhaps this book is A testament to the friendship between the two countries.

The twentieth century

is a century that buries great sadness

Those who came out of that war

will have bullet scars in their hearts

In the whole era of change

Life and death pass by like a river

It has become so inevitable and inevitable

Middle The memories of Shima Yuhachi are always in my heart, and also in the hearts of our generation