Berkley Center

Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved reading history textbooks. To me, even the driest history textbook read like a graphic novel. My passion for history has continued on to this day, so naturally talking about Japanese history has been a frequent topic of conversation with my host family after dinner. Being able to discuss historical and political events from another point of view was one of the aspects of studying abroad in Japan that I looked forward to. By picking at my host parents' brains for the past few months, I've been able to piece together what Japanese people think of their own history.

Through these nightly conversations, I realized that for the Japanese people, the outcome of World War II, rather than the war itself, is the single most influential event in the past 100 years both culturally and politically. After the war, under the guidance of General Douglas MacArthur, the Japanese government was reorganized, its constitution rewritten so that its military was only to be mobilized for self-defense. Thus, Japan from then on became dependent on the United States for its security. Japanese society was also shaken up as the emperor, its moral foundation, saw his influence decreased as he was forced to acknowledge that he wasn't a god. Even popular culture was influenced by the end of the war as American GIs brought American music, clothes, and food to Japan. Comparing Japan before and after World War II, one can clearly see two different societies. Because of the American intervention in post-war Japan, it became a country more open to and more dependent on the West and made its mission from then on to be more involved in the international political arena.

It is for this reason that World War II comes up so frequently in discussions with my host parents. Whatever current event we discuss, they could always trace some aspect of the problem to World War II. One example of this is the current talks between the G7 and Russia. Although the rest of the G7 may have some vested interest to make Russia give up its claims on the Crimean Peninsula, Japan feels as if it was being forced to side with the other G7 countries in order to be in line with the West. As my host father explained, he didn't think that Japan had any business telling Russia what to do, especially since Crimea has been within the Russian sphere of influence for hundreds of years. But, since Japan needs to maintain good relations with the United States and the West not only for security but also for economic reasons, it feels as if it had no choice.

Although I may not always agree with what my host family says, by talking to them, I am increasingly able to understand a particular Japanese point of view. The opinions that my host parents shared with me aren't reflective of the Japanese people as a whole, but it did show me a glimpse as to why they react the way they do whenever we discuss current events. As Marcus Garvey said, “ A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” A people's history and culture are closely intertwined, and I feel that the more I talk to my host parents about Japan's history, the better I can understand its culture.