Is It Barbaric to Write History After Losing a War?
The February issue of "Bungeishunju," on sale this month, features my series "Textbooks for 'Conservatives' and 'Liberals'". For the first month of the 80th year since the war, I chose to feature Jun Ishikawa's masterpiece "Jesus in the Ruins" (1946).
As for the summary of this short story, which represents the immediate post-war period, I will leave you to read as much as you can via the link below first, and instead, I would like to talk about what I couldn't write due to space constraints.
The setting of this novel is slightly different between the first and second halves. The bustling black market in Ueno that I featured in the column is the first half. In the second half, the protagonist walks a bit further to the rather quiet Yanaka.
Since it is described as "the temple with the grave of Dazai Shundai," it is Tengan-ji Temple in Yanaka, Taito Ward. I think this site is easy to use to see its current state and its location relative to Ueno.
The protagonist, who reminds one of the author Ishikawa himself, is interested in the inscription carved on Shundai's tombstone and is trying to take a rubbing of it to take home. It's not that he wants to decorate a mansion with it, but a modest story of someone just wanting to satisfy their literary interests in a dilapidated house.
However, he is followed by a "Jesus" who appeared in the Ueno black market—a waif who seems to reject all understanding and easy sympathy. The description is vivid and conveys something important to the reader.
I am carrying a small furoshiki bundle. Inside the bundle, along with paper and ink for rubbings, there are two pieces of bread for lunch. When I am able to take the rubbing, it will become a fragment of history of a perished world. It will be just right for patching the holes in the walls of my temporary dwelling. (Omitted) Strangely, when viewed from this wide space on the mountain, the figure of the boy [following me]
loses the Jesus-like vitality he had in the market, and he looked as if he were just a descendant of the pigs possessed by demons described in the Bible, wandering around the mountains and waters, scavenging for food like a wild beast.
The author (assuming it is him) who moved from Ueno to Yanaka is captivated by obtaining an inscription related to a famous historical figure named Dazai Shundai. In other words, based on evaluations made by later generations, he wants to gain a reputation like, "Ah, the inscription on Shundai's grave is valuable as a historical source for the history of thought."
As a result of his perspective straying from his own time, the figure of the waif, whom he had felt awe toward like Jesus just a moment ago, now only looks "dirty." However, after this, "Jesus" catches up to the protagonist, takes thorough revenge on such arrogance (read it to find out!), and leaves.
Translating this into colloquial language without literary flair, the protagonist approaches his country's past like he's tinkering with antiques, saying, "This is a valuable text carved in the Edo period!" and gets excited, thinking, "Wow, my historical research is so empirical!"
"So what? Is that what history is to you?"
It can also be read as a story where history itself strikes him. I find this incredibly refreshing (laughs).
On New Year's Day, I sounded an alarm that a large number of people who suddenly preach the "importance of history" would appear by this summer. Reconfirming the criteria for distinguishing between real and fake history, it looks something like this.
When visiting the past, you are prepared to discard the preconceptions and values you currently hold (that is, those created by later generations) and encounter an existence like "Jesus" that has not yet been given any meaning. History depicted with such an attitude is the real thing.
Conversely, history that cherry-picks facts from the past only in a way that aligns with the values you already hold, while acting like a "Grand Inquisitor" and making arrogant judgments about what is historical fact and what is not, is fake.
Thanks to having quit, I can speak the truth without reservation, but frankly, there are many historians who are Grand Inquisitors (bitter smile). To meet the Jesus of history, you actually need completely different materials and methods.
In my new book scheduled for publication in May of this year, I intend to deliver post-war history to readers using a new method that allows them to "meet Jesus," and I consider this column to be a precursor to that! I would be happy if it catches the eyes of many people.
(Header is from an article in Gendai Business).