Japanese POW Journal

Japanese: 日本捕虜志 - にほんほりょし

A historical biography by Hasegawa Shin. Serialized in the magazine Popular Literature from 1949 to 1950, and published privately in 1955. Based on careful research into materials, it recreates in anecdotes and stories how Japanese people treated prisoners of war. Starting with the Battle of Baekgang in 663 (the second year of the Tenchi era), Hasegawa devotes a great deal of his writing to the issue of prisoners of war in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, and reveals the good qualities of the Japanese people at that time by describing their respect, consideration, and humanity towards prisoners of war. When it was released, it was seen as a protest against the one-sided military trials of the victorious countries, and as a call to self-awareness for the defeated Japanese people.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

長谷川伸の史伝。1949‐50年に《大衆文芸》に連載，55年私家版として刊行。日本人がどのように捕虜を遇してきたかを，丹念な資料調査を踏まえ，挿話や物語として再現したもの。663年(天智2)の白村江（はくそんこう）の戦から説き起こし，とくに日清･日露両戦役での捕虜問題に多くの筆を割き，捕虜に対する敬意，思いやり，人情などを描いて当時の日本人の美質を明らかにした。発表時，戦勝国の一方的な軍事裁判への抗議と，敗れた日本人へ自覚をうながすものと受け取られた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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