The Remains of War: Apology and Forgiveness - Softcover

Ishida, Jintaro

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1592281354 ISBN 13: 9781592281350

Publisher: Lyons Pr, 2004

Synopsis

THE REMAINS OF WAR is an eye-opening collection of reminiscences about the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army soldiers during World War II, including a series of bloody massacres. It is a sequel of sorts to Ishida's first book, Walang Hiya (Without Shame), published in 1990, which was the first book to examine Japan's dark past in this era.

Through extensive research, Mr. Ishida became sympathetic to the plight of the Filipino victims. He worked with other World War II veterans in order to get firsthand accounts both from Japanese assailants and their Filipino victims, and to expose the harsh truth of these horrible war crimes that have heretofore gone grossly unacknowledged by Japanese government and military leaders.

Ishida strongly believes that the present Japanese political leadership, once confronted with the overwhelming evidence of his book, should take full responsibility for the horrible acts committed against the Filipino people during World War II, and that they should offer an official and public apology, expressed through compensation. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen. However, with THE REMAINS OF WAR, it is clear that at least one Japanese citizen and veteran has taken a significant step toward acknowledging and rectifying the shame of his nation's past.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"An extraordinary work of parallel reporting.... In plain language and painstaking detail, Mr. Ishida's book presents the words of both the Filipinos and the Japanese he interviewed, along with his own anguished reactions.... a wealth of historical material." -The New York Times"As long as Japanese like Jintaro Ishida keep confronting their own people with their dark past, it is very possible that the errors of that bygone era may never be repeated."-from the Epilogue by F. Sionil Jose, author of Dusk The Remains of War is an eye-opening collection of reminiscences about the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army soldiers during World War II, including a series of bloody massacres. It is a sequel of sorts to the author's first book, Walang Hiya (Without Shame), which, in 1990, was the first book to examine and acknowledge this dark era in Japan's past.Through extensive research, Mr. Ishida became sympathetic to the plight of the Filipino victims. He collaborated with other World War II veterans in order get firsthand accounts both from Japanese assailants and their Filipino victims, and to expose the harsh truth of these horrible war crimes heretofore gone grossly unacknowledged by the Japanese government and its military leaders.Ishida strongly believes that the present Japanese political leadership, once confronted with the overwhelming evidence of his book, should take full responsibility for the horrible acts committed against the Filipino people during World War II, and that they should offer an official and public apology, expressed through compensation. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen. However, with The Remains of War, it is clear that at least one Japanese citizen and veteran has taken a significant step toward acknowledging and rectifying the shame of his nation's past. (5 1/2 x 8 1/4, 336 pages, b&w photos)

About the Author:

During World War II, JINTARO ISHIDA served in the Japanese Navy. At the age of 55, he resigned from his teaching job to concentrate on writing. He wrote about apartheid in South Africa, the United States bases on Okinawa, and other issues. In 1988, he conducted a one-year research project on the Filipino experience during the Japanese occupation, the result of which was his first book, Walang Hiya (Without Shame: The Record of Filipino Civilians Massacred by the Japanese Army). Ishida lives in Japan.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lyons Pr
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1592281354
• ISBN 13: 9781592281350
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336