信：战前日本农村知识分子的形象

 1945 年 12 月 16 日

尊敬的麦克阿瑟将军

日本极其寒冷的冬天已经来临。

阁下年事已高，在异国他乡的冬季履行盟军司令官的职责，我对您所面临的困难深表同情。

作为一名日本公民，我想在此坦诚地表达我的感受和意见，并接受阁下的批评。

真理永远是最宝贵的财富。

虽然我是战败国日本的公民，但我相信我也有说真话的自由。

日本人对美国有什么感情？

我不能说我的感受就是所有日本人的感受，但大多数人的想法和我一样。

正如阁下所知，开战前的总体气氛是亲美的。

但这种亲美情绪并非毫无保留。

我认为这是因为日本受到了压迫。

在明治四十年间，美国是日本的朋友。

日俄战争后，美国在东亚的参与不断增加，不幸的是，我们两国成了竞争对手。

随后发生的两件事让日本人无法忘记：

华盛顿会议和反日移民法。

这就是多年后他们支持日本发动抗美战争的根本原因。

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在战争期间，日本人并没有对他们的敌人美国产生强烈的敌意。

对中国和英国也是如此。

奇怪的是，在这样一场重大战争中，日本人对敌人并没有涌现出敌意。

经历过前几次战争的老前辈们会说：

"人民的精神面貌与日俄战争时期完全不同。

我们不能这样打仗。

日本人没有打仗的精神"。

我经常听到这样的话。

今年 6 月，我站在一座被 B-29 轰炸过的城市中央。

在我的目光所及之处，没有任何东西在无情的破坏中幸存下来，让人想起这座城市曾经的面貌。

但即使在那一刻，我也只感到一种无奈，仿佛这是一场自然灾害。

但如果你问我，"战争期间你是旁观者吗？

" 我会明确地回答：

"不，不，我为保卫日本做了我能做的一切。

" 我没有被军队征召入伍，但如果我被征召入伍了，我一定会自愿上前线，如果允许的话，我一定会成为特攻队（神风特攻队）的一员。

这是任何日本人的光荣义务。

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战争的结束来得突然。

这是一个冷酷得令人无法接受的现实。

阁下熟悉战后对美国的态度。

我在这里如实描述了战前和战时日本人的情绪。

我现在真切地感受到 "有朋自远方来"。

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然而，我必须在此表达我最重要的真实感受。

这关系到现在和未来。

战败的日本！这是我心头一道极深的伤口。

想到三千年来从未被其他国家侵略过的日本如今却被占领，我就感到无尽的悲痛。

通过阁下的公正措施，日本正在稳步改革，我真的很高兴看到一个新日本的希望之光。

必须消除最近战争的根源。

我认为，由于占领军的存在，重大改革是可能的。

但这是否意味着日本人自己没有能力进行改革呢？

绝对不是。

我相信日本人凭借自身的力量能够恢复其固有的性格。

占领军确实更容易进行改革，因为占领军拥有力量。

这种权力带来了过度和误导的危险。

我在前面描述了日本人对美国的情绪。

过去是这样，我祈祷现在和将来也是这样，但我不得不说，这种情绪正在发生变化。

首先是我们被占领的事实。

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第二，占领军犯了一个严重的错误，那就是扣押了梨本宮守正亲王。

无论职位多高，只要是臣民，为国捐躯是天经地义的。

即使是陛下身边的侍从也是如此。

然而，皇室则完全是另一回事。

这是因为皇室本身就是国家。

日本人民对皇室的绝对崇敬可能让身为外国人的阁下难以理解。

对日本人来说，皇室是无可非议的。

这不是教育的结果，也不是强迫或干扰的结果。

这是日本人民三千多年来自发产生的感情。

如果有人说这反映了日本人的封建思想，我认为只要回答一句：

"摘下你的有色眼镜，研究一下日本历史就够了"。

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最近，人们一直在谈论美国和苏联之间的战争。

我一直说这是不可能的。

这是因为美国不希望发生战争，而且美国显然会在任何冲突中获胜，因此苏联会暂时避免战争。

然而，美苏协议会对日本产生什么影响呢？

如果仅仅因为美国不希望发生战争，就允许苏联大举进攻，这让我不寒而栗。

我怀疑拘留梨本宮守正亲王就是这种妥协的第一个表现，因为这一行动将使苏联能够永远阻止美国和日本之间的和解。

日本和美国正被迫在原本和平的太平洋上走向永久对抗的道路。

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下一个可能出现的问题可能是损害天皇制或天皇本人。

这显然会带来世界上最大的悲剧。

只有在八千万大和民族（日本）被彻底消灭之后，这一行动才会成功。

我认为，美国并不想看到这种情况发生。

那么，为什么会有这种可能性呢？

这取决于美国人对苏联人让步的程度。

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我不希望美苏对抗。

全人类永远渴望和平。

天皇说，我们应该建立万世和平。

我们怎样才能实现持久和平呢？

通过美国和日本之间的和解，从长远来看，通过美国和日本的统一。

这应该是在相互尊重各自历史和传统的基础上，包括文化、经济和工业在内的全面协调统一。

美国和日本应在平等的基础上彻底了解对方。

这可以称为美日同盟，但其性质将完全不同于以往的同盟。

也许你会说，日本应该忠实地遵守《波茨坦公告》，其他问题留待将来讨论，但我担心，在执行该公告条款的同时，美日和解将永远消失。

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December 16 [1945]

The Honorable, and Respected, General MacArthur: 

Japan's extremely cold winter has arrived.

 I offer my profound sympathy for the hardship facing Your Excellency in your old age, fulfilling your duties as commander of the Allied forces during the winter in a strange land.

As one Japanese citizen, I would here like to honestly express my feelings and opinions and receive Your Excellency's criticism.

 Truth is always the most valued treasure.

Although a citizen of a defeated Japan, I believe that I too have the freedom to speak the truth.

 What feelings do the Japanese have toward the United States?

 I cannot say that my feelings are those of all Japanese, but most people think as I do.

The general atmosphere before the beginning the war was proAmerican, as Your Excellency knows.

 But this pro-American feeling was not without reservation.

 I believe that this was because of oppression toward Japan.

 During the forty years of the Meiji era, the United States was Japan's friend.

 After the Russo-Japanese War, American involvement in East Asia grew steadily, and unfortunately our countries became competitors.

 Then two developments occurred that the Japanese were unable to forget the Washington Conference and anti-Japanese immigration laws.

 These were the fundamental reasons that they supported Japan's war against the United States years later.

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During the war, the Japanese did not feel an upsurge of animosity toward their enemy, the United States.

 It was the same toward China and Great Britain.

 It is strange that in such a major war there was no flood of ill will toward Japan's enemies.

The old-timers who had experienced previous wars would say, "The people's spirit is entirely different from what it was during the Russo-Japanese War.

 We cannot fight a war this way.

 The Japanese are not in the spirit of fighting a war.

" I heard this said very often.

In June of this year, I stood in the middle of a city that had been bombed by B-29s.

 As far as my eyes could see, nothing survived the merciless destruction to remind one of what the city had been.

 But even at that moment, I only felt a sense of resignation as if it had been a natural disaster.

 But if you were to ask me, "Were you a bystander during the war?

" I would answer clearly, "No, no, I did everything I could for the defense of Japan.

" I was not drafted by the military, but if I had been, I would have volunteered for the front line, and if allowed I would have been a member of the special attack [kamikaze] corps.

 This is the honorable duty of any Japanese.

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The end of the war came suddenly.

 It was a reality too cold to accept.

 Your Excellency is familiar with the postwar attitude toward the United States.

 I have honestly described here Japanese sentiment before and during the war.

 I now truly feel that "a friend comes from afar.

"

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However, I must express my most important honest feelings here.

 This concerns the present and the future.

A defeated Japan! It is an extremely deep wound in my heart.

 To think that Japan, which had not been invaded by another country for three thousand years, is now under occupation gives me endless grief.

 Japan is steadily being reformed through Your Excellency's just measures, and I am truly delighted to see the dawn of hope for a new Japan.

 The causes of the recent war must be eliminated.

 I feel that major reform may be possible because the occupation forces are here.

 But does this mean that the Japanese are not capable of reform themselves?

 Absolutely not.

 I believe the Japanese by their own strength are able to return to their innate character.

 It is true that it will be easier for the occupation army to carry out reform, because the occupation army has power.

 The dangers of excess and misdirection come with this power.

I described Japanese sentiment toward the United States earlier.

 As it was in the past, I pray it will be for the present and the future, but I have to say that sentiment is changing.

Number one is the fact that we are being occupied.

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Number two, the occupation forces have made a grave mistake, and that is the detention of Prince Nashimoto Morimasa.

 No matter how high one's position might be, as long as one is a subject, it is natural to give one's life for his country.

 This applies even to those who serve close to His Majesty.

 However, the imperial family is another matter entirely.

 This is because the imperial family is the nation itself.

 The Japanese people's absolute reverence for the imperial family may be difficult for Your Excellency, as a foreigner, to understand.

 For the Japanese, the imperial family is beyond criticism.

 This is not the result of education, and it is not a belief we have from coercion or distor tion.

 It is a spontaneous feeling the Japanese people have had for three thou sand years.

 To anyone who says that this reflects the feudal thinking of the Japanese, I think it is enough to reply, "Take off your colored glasses and study Japanese history.

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Recently, there has been talk of a war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

 I have always said that this was impossible.

 This is because America does not want a war, and because it is so obvious the United States would win any such conflict that the Soviet Union would avoid it for the time being.

However, what effect would a U.S.-Soviet agreement have on Japan?

 It makes me tremble to think that the Soviet Union would be allowed to make inroads simply because the United States does not want a war.

I suspect the detention of Prince Nashimoto is the first manifestation of such a compromise because the action will enable the Soviet Union to prevent reconciliation between the United States and Japan forever.

 Japan and the United States are being forced down a path toward perpetual confrontation across the otherwise peaceful Pacific Ocean.

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The next matter that might arise could be the harming of the imperial system or the emperor himself.

 This would obviously bring about the world's greatest tragedy.

 It would succeed only after the complete annihilation of the eighty million Yamato [Japanese] people.

 I think that the United States has no desire to see this happen.

 So why is this a possibility?

 It depends on how much the Americans give in to the Soviets.

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I do not hope for confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.

 All of humankind forever desires peace.

The emperor said we should establish peace to last ten thousand generations.

 How can we bring about a lasting peace?

 Through reconciliation between the United States and Japan, and in the long run, unification of the United States and Japan.

 It should be a complete and coordinated unification encompassing culture, the economy, and industry, based on mutual respect for each country's history and traditions.

 The United States and Japan should thoroughly understand each other, standing on an equal footing.

 This might be called a U.S.-Japanese alliance, but its character would be totally different from previous alliances.

 You may say that Japan should faithfully observe the Potsdam Declaration and leave other discussions for the future, but I fear that a U.S.-Japanese reconciliation will be lost forever while the terms of the declaration are being carried out.

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