If one day Japan faces a sinking crisis, governments should accept a section of ordinary people. If this problem happened in the science fiction novel "Japan Sinks", how would you decide? Written in the 70s, this novel tells the story of Japan about to sink due to the movement of the earth's crust, and countries are preparing to take in ordinary Japanese people.
Japan has been discharging nuclear effluent into the ocean since August 24. This is similar to some of the arguments in the book, so this book once again attracts attention. If you're just reading this book for fun, it might not be for you. But what does Japan have to do with us? Is it a neighbor, a partner, or something else? Regardless of our relationship with Japan, we should know each other well. During the late Qing Dynasty, the Japanese navy became increasingly powerful, but Japan still sent many diplomatic and espionage agencies to China to fully understand China and thus better strategize. In the same way, we need to know Japan to protect ourselves from harm.
The novel was written in the 70s and is a Japanese science fiction novel. The Three-Body Problem is said to have been influenced by the book at a time when Japan was in a period of rapid economic growth, becoming the second largest economy after the United States. This is one of the most glorious periods in Japanese history. While everyone was immersed in the splendor of Japan, the novel came out of nowhere and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese at that time.
It awakens a sense of unease that the Japanese have always hidden in their hearts. This small, resource-poor country facing constant typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions is located at the world's least safe plate junction. One day, a small Japanese island sank, and submarine pilot, Dr. Onodera and Tasho, dived to the bottom of the sea and began to explore. They concluded that Japan was about to sink, and the government went from initial disbelief to panic to final strategy development, eventually exchanging works and artifacts for ordinary people to temporarily live in other countries. In the end, however, Japan sank.
From a science fiction point of view, the novel is not special, but the author explores his views on Japanese history and neighboring countries and developed countries in Western Europe several times in the book. This is where the best and most important part of the book is.
Through this science fiction novel, we can understand Japan's worries and thoughts, and understand Japan's reflections and mistakes. Throughout history, Japan has been relatively obscure, and it was only in modern times that it entered the stage of world history through the Meiji Restoration. If Japan is compared to a person, he is a child who grew up stepping on a tightrope on the edge of a cliff.
Chinese often say take a step back and open the sky, because our country is large, I can take five steps back, but the Japanese can't, they will fall into the sea if they take a step back. The Japanese, who have no way back, are always in the shadow of disaster and can only continue to explore. Initially, they learned from China, whose Confucianism and Legalism helped Japan escape obscurantism. In modern times, Japan has established its own political groups, doctrines, and rule of law, and has a unique religious and literary culture. However, when they discovered that China's ancient culture could not help them defeat the West, they decisively embarked on the People's Restoration and formulated a second-step strategy, starting with North Korea and expanding into Asia. Japan thirsts for land more than any other country in the world. Chinese often say that we should be prepared for danger in peacetime, but the Japanese are the opposite, they are always in crisis. In their national consciousness, there is a sense of fear that cannot be retreated. We have an idiom called the broken cauldron and sinking the boat, which tells that after Xiang Yu led the soldiers across the river, he ordered to smash the pot for eating and sink the boat crossing the river, forcing the soldiers to fight hard and occupy the enemy's city. Japan has also been forced to break the cauldron. For nearly 100 years, in order to survive, Japan wielded butcher knives, killed its own teachers, and invaded Asia and the world. This pain can never be eliminated. No matter how much time passes, halfway through the story, the Japanese government wants countries around the world to accept their people. Australia agreed to the request, but only if a large trans-Australian railway was built. Australian politicians fear that Japan's population will be one-third of Australia's, potentially leading to Australia becoming a Japanese colony and changing Australia's ethnic structure. When politicians ask why people are not moving to Chinese mainland, Chinese mainland dare not hope much. With a population of 800 million and historically close ties with Japan, China decided to accept seven million ordinary Japanese and designate them to settle on Chongming Island in Jiangsu Province (slip of the tongue). I don't know if any friends in Jiangsu saw this video, if it's true, are you willing to accept these Japanese?
The second key point is that the disaster was not the direct cause of Japan's troubles. After the disaster, Japanese society fell into panic and helplessness, drug addiction and crime rates rose sharply, people lost hope, capital lost confidence, and the country's economy declined rapidly. Rich people began to buy property abroad, while ordinary Japanese could only vent their dissatisfaction and fears by committing crimes.
The Japanese government's first step was to control public opinion, and they first issued a statement saying that it was just a minor disaster and there was no big problem. Then they began to encourage young Japanese to leave their families and leave Japan to travel around the world. When the crisis intensified, the government began trading projects and artifacts for its own and ordinary people's survival abroad.
If disaster occurs, do you think you should tell the truth or maintain a semblance of stability? The flapping wings of a butterfly can trigger a tsunami. Everyone doesn't want to see any disaster happen on Earth, but some people are creating it. The disaster still happened. After reading this novel, I felt no pleasure in my heart, because it is always ordinary people who suffer in the end.
The novel describes a catastrophe: "No, she is dead, and I came back from the mountains. Before I got home, I found my wife's clothes and shoes in the rubble, and it looked as if she was protecting something: "That must be my daughter." "The daughter is only sixteen years old, she has a bad heart and feet, and she lies in bed almost all the time.
People often have no concept of abstract numbers, but when numbers become concrete, our feelings become extremely strong.
That's what this novel is all about. Although this is a good science fiction novel, there are some shortcomings, such as the author's prejudice against women. What are the female characters in the book? Young women who take drugs, female college students who commit crimes, and waitresses who have empty heads. Although I don't know much about Japan, I believe that this is by no means a real group of women, but the author's biased women.
The novel has more historical limitations, but it is still a good book worth reading. Although this is a book written by ordinary people, it is a Japanese reflection wrapped in a sci-fi garb. It's just a pity that this book was written in the 70s. I hope it sheds some light on today's politicians.