How difficult was it to catch a Japanese prisoner in the early days of the Anti-Japanese War? ! Look at how the Eighth Route Army did it

The following article comes from the history of the party, written by Hu Xinmin

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After the full-scale outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, in the face of the Japanese army, whose military strength far surpassed that of China, the Chinese side was in the strategic defensive stage and on the defensive, which was manifested in the successive defeats and retreats on various battlefields. At this time, it was very difficult to capture the Japanese army. Even though the first victory of the Anti-Japanese War was the victory of Pingxingguan, although more than 1,000 Japanese troops were annihilated, not a single Japanese prisoner was captured. The Cambridge History of the Republic of China states: "The Communists captured only about 100 guns and did not capture prisoners, and the Japanese soldiers resisted to the end, and the survivors destroyed their weapons and then committed suicide." "But capturing the enemy does have a special significance for boosting morale, inspiring people, and breaking up enemy forces. As the mainstay of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party of China and its anti-Japanese forces captured a large number of Japanese soldiers in the subsequent wars and implemented a correct capture policy, which can also be called a wonder in the history of Chinese and foreign wars.

Both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party tried in every possible way to capture the Japanese army

When the battle of Pingxingguan was over and the battlefield was cleaned up, Nie Rongzhen, deputy commander of the 115th Division (actually political commissar), specifically emphasized: Capture more prisoners and pull them to Taiyuan Street to show the public. However, not only did not a single prisoner be caught, but many commanders and fighters of the Eighth Route Army also paid a heavy price. For example, a battalion commander carried a half-dead wounded Japanese soldier on his back and was about to be sent to the first-aid station for treatment, but the Japanese soldier bit off the battalion commander's ear as soon as he recovered his breath. Another messenger found a seriously wounded Japanese soldier when he was collecting the line, and when the messenger was about to bandage his wounds, he was stabbed in the abdomen by the wounded soldier....... It is said that the local peasants captured a Japanese captive, and when they were about to escort it to the Eighth Route Army, they were killed by angry peasants because of the captive's frantic resistance. Lin Biao, commander of the 115th Division, frankly pointed out in his "Pingxingguan Battle Experience" summed up after the war: "The Japanese soldiers refused to surrender their guns until death, first, because of Japan's bushido education and fascist education, and also because they were too brutal to the Chinese military and civilians, and they were afraid that the Chinese would retaliate." Later historical data confirmed that in addition to the reasons pointed out by Lin Biao, there was another important reason, that is, the "battle formation training" of the Japanese army. The "Battle Formation Training" stipulates that you must face death, live not to be taken prisoner, not to endure humiliation, and not to surrender until you die in battle. If you are a prisoner and still alive, it is tantamount to treason and surrender to the enemy. Even if they flee back, they will be court-martialed.

◆ Pingxingguan was a great victory, but unfortunately not a single Japanese prisoner was captured.

But capturing the enemy does have a special significance for boosting morale, invigorating people, and breaking up enemy forces. The Kuomintang army was apparently aware of this. However, as we all know, at the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, despite the stubborn resistance on the frontal battlefield, Japan's attempt to quickly annihilate China was delayed. However, it must have been unimaginable to catch Japanese prisoners in retreat. It was not until the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered the stalemate stage that the Kuomintang army had a chance. The Battle of Changsha can be said to be a relatively good battle on the frontal battlefield, and it also played an encouraging role in the national war of resistance. However, there was little progress in capturing the Japanese army. Taking the Second Battle of Changsha in September 1941 as an example, Xu Yongchang, the Kuomintang's military commander of the Kuomintang, said that he had not been able to obtain accurate data on the number of casualties between the enemy and the enemy. He recorded in his diary that because the propaganda caliber of the Ninth Theater on different occasions was not consistent, for example, the number of enemies killed was "30,000" and "41,000," and the number of captured enemies was "8,000" and "247." Chiang Kai-shek was very concerned about this battle. After the battle, he came to Nanyue and personally presided over the third Nanyue military conference. He said at the meeting: "In this battle of Changsha, the enemy could not resist when he came, and the enemy could not pursue after retreating, and there were no captures in several battles. "In this battle of Changsha, we have such a strong force and such a good posture, we will definitely be able to defeat the enemy, we will definitely be able to capture many of the enemy's officers and soldiers, and we will certainly be able to capture the enemy's countless ordnance! Even if there are not 10,000 prisoners, there should be 1,000! 1,000 will not have 10 people, but you will not even have 10 prisoners! How can you be worthy of your duties?" (Zeng Yingzhou: "Nanyue in the War of Resistance", CPC History Publishing House, 2010). pp. 128-129)

The reason why the Communist Party is called the mainstay of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression does have a certain relationship with the fact that it captured a large number of Japanese soldiers and implemented a correct prisoner policy.

◆The 359th Brigade of the 120th Division captured more than 10 enemies in the "Upper and Lower Waist Stream Battles".

The first Japanese prisoner of war captured by the Eighth Route Army was captured on November 4, 1937 by Chen Shiyu, chief of staff of the 343rd Brigade of the 115th Division. The incident caused a sensation in the local area. The Eighth Route Army captured a large number of prisoners in February 1938. On February 18, Wang Zhen, commander of the 359th Brigade of the 120th Division, led his troops to attack Pingshe Village Station, but withdrew from the battle on the 22nd because the purpose of the battle was not achieved. He Long, commander of the 120th Division, personally rushed to the participating troops on the evening of the 23rd and instructed them to sum up their experience, attack Pingshe Village again, take down the station, and capture a few Japanese prisoners. He Long said to the commanders and fighters: "Now it is rumored every day that the Eighth Route Army has won the battle, but there are no living prisoners in sight. If you attack the Pingshe Station again this time, it doesn't matter how few guns you don't have, you must catch a few prisoners for me and see if they are still arrogant. I don't believe that the devil is so powerful that he can't catch him. Some people say that the devils who are caught will not leave. If you don't leave, you will lift him up, for fear that he will not come?" Sure enough, several Japanese prisoners were captured in this battle, and some of them were really tied up and carried back. Since then, the 359th Brigade has always tried to capture more prisoners when it participated in the war. For example, in the Mitsui area of the "Battle for the Reconquest of Seven Cities", 28 Japanese soldiers were captured.

What had a great impact on the capture of the Japanese army was that the 359th Brigade captured a number of Japanese prisoners in the "Upper and Lower Waist Stream Battles". Some military historians say that the "upper and lower waist stream battles" are the second great victory of Pingxingguan. The battle took place in May 1939, and a total of more than 500 Japanese troops were annihilated, and a batch of weapons and ammunition and a large number of military supplies were captured. Towards the end of the battle, a dozen Japanese devils put up a stubborn resistance in the grass. Liu Lianzhuan, commander of the 359th Regiment of the 717th Brigade who participated in the battle, ordered: "Don't kill them, catch them alive!" In the end, 11 people were captured. During the cleaning of the battlefield, 53 wounded Japanese soldiers were captured. After the battle, some of the fighters hated the captives and said they wanted to shoot them all. When Wang Zhen found out, he said to the soldiers solemnly: "These Japanese have laid down their arms and become prisoners, and they should also have dignity." Wang Zhen also personally educated these prisoners, and Zhao Anbo, the head of the enemy engineering section of the 359th Brigade and who understood Japanese, served as the interpreter. At that time, the "Anti-Enemy Daily" published a message that included the words of a captured Japanese soldier: "I am very happy to be able to meet Brigade Commander Wang, and I have written the most glorious page in the history of my life." It was He who showed me the new path of light. I will always be grateful and respectful to him. "Indeed, this shows the justice of the Eighth Route Army. In this battle, the military ability of the brigade commander can also be seen, and I cannot but admit the total defeat of the Japanese army this time", "I used to have a lot of prejudices against the Eighth Route Army, and I am really ashamed. Finally, I pray for the happiness and victory of Brigadier Wang, the Eighth Route Army and the Chinese people." Some of these captured Japanese soldiers remained in the 359th Brigade and later joined the "Anti-War League" formed by Japanese anti-war figures. When Wang Zhen was talking with Japanese prisoners, Yuan Muzhi, a famous filmmaker who accompanied the army, took a few photos. One of the most famous photos is "Wang Zhen talking with Japanese prisoners". When Yuan Muzhi and others left, Wang Zhen said: "Thank you for taking many scenes of our army resisting Japan and killing the enemy, leaving extremely valuable historical materials for future generations." ”

Because this battle was a battle of annihilation that was completed by the Eighth Route Army alone without the cooperation of friendly forces, it had a very positive impact at home and abroad. While publicizing the achievements, the photos of "Wang Zhen talking with Japanese prisoners" also spread throughout the country and even abroad. It is said that at that time, an official of the British Embassy in China repeatedly praised the Eighth Route Army as a "divine soldier".

A model for the education and transformation of prisoners of war - Yan'an Japanese Workers and Peasants School

Nie Rongzhen's remark at Pingxingguan about catching a few Japanese prisoners and parading the streets was actually momentary angry talk. Preferential treatment of prisoners was a policy that existed during the Red Army. After the Red Army in northern Shaanxi was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, it immediately gave instructions to the Japanese army in capturing the enemy: not only should the captured enemy soldiers not be killed or humiliated, but they should also be treated preferentially in order to win their sympathy, and then they should be sent back in a planned way to carry out the work of disintegrating the enemy army. On October 6, 1937, based on the fact that the Japanese soldiers in the battle of Pingxingguan resisted being captured, they again issued instructions to treat the prisoners preferentially. Mao Zedong also pointed out the three major principles of the Eighth Route Army's political work: unity of officers and soldiers, unity of the army and the people, disintegration of the enemy army, and leniency of prisoners.

With the development of the Anti-Japanese War, the number of Japanese officers and soldiers captured by the Eighth Route Army gradually increased. In the three years after 1938, the Jizhong Military Region captured more than 60 Japanese soldiers. In 1941, in the "Battle of the Hundred Regiments", the Eighth Route Army captured 281 Japanese soldiers. In 1942, in the battle of Tianjiahui, the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army captured more than 100 Japanese soldiers. At the same time, the number of Japanese troops who surrendered to the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army also grew from scratch and increased year by year. According to incomplete statistics, during the Anti-Japanese War, at least more than 1,000 captured Japanese soldiers and defectors later became the "Japanese Eighth Road".

◆On May 15, 1941, the official opening ceremony of the Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School was held in the auditorium of the Eighth Route Army in Yan'an Wenhuagou.

In September 1939, Zhou En went to Moscow to treat his injured right arm. While in Moscow, one of the leaders of the Japanese Communist Party, the representative to the Comintern, Nosaka Sanzo, met Zhou Enlai in a hospital. Before leaving Moscow, Zhou Enlai told Nosaka that he was going back to Yan'an. Nosaka took this opportunity to discuss with Zhou Enlai and said: If I transfer the work I did in Moscow to Yan'an and oppose militarism, do you think it will work? Zhou En said: Okay. As a result, Nosaka Sanzo came to Yan'an with Zhou En in March 1940. Nosaka later recalled: "At Yan'an, he initially managed the Japanese soldiers who had retreated from the front line. The Chinese side told me that although these Japanese soldiers fought against China for Japanese militarism, they were ordinary workers and peasants. If it is reformed, it can become a good anti-war force. After more than half a year of investigation and research, Nosaka wrote a letter to Mao Zedong in October 1940, suggesting that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China should establish a special school in Yan'an to educate and reform Japanese prisoners. This suggestion was completely consistent with the idea of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Mao Zedong attached great importance to it, and named the school "Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School". On May 15, 1941, the official opening ceremony of the Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School was held in the auditorium of the Eighth Route Army in Yan'an Wenhuagou. More than 2,000 people from the central government and various schools and organizations in Yan'an attended the congratulations. Mao Zedong personally wrote an inscription for the congress: "The Chinese people are the same as the Japanese people, and there is only one enemy, that is, Japanese militarism and China's national scum!"

The Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School trained outstanding Japanese prisoners of war and defectors, who came voluntarily from the anti-Japanese battlefields of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. According to the educational level, ideological status and political performance of Japanese students, the Workers' and Peasants' Schools are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes. According to statistics, this school has trained about 500 cadets in total. Thirty-six of them gave their lives for the cause of national liberation of the Chinese people, and their monuments can still be seen on the site of the Yan'an Workers' and Peasants' School. The school is located on the southern slope of Baota Mountain, a famous landmark in Yan'an. When the preparatory staff found this place to be used as a school site, some people objected, believing that it was in the center of Yan'an, close to Baota Mountain, and would be an easy target for Japanese planes to bomb. After careful consideration, Wang Jiaxiang, director of the General Political Department of the Eighth Route Army, decided to set up the school here. In fact, when the Japanese army bombed Yan'an City many times, it was the pagoda that was retained as the only symbolic target for searching Yan'an, and the most dangerous place became the safest place.

The students deeply felt the charm of studying and living in Yan'an. In their recollections, when they read Mao Zedong's "On Protracted War," many people were "amazed by Mao's incisive analysis, and were shaken as if they had been struck by lightning." I was particularly impressed by the Yan'an Rectification Movement. When the rectification movement blew into the workers' and peasants' schools, the students carried out rectification practices suitable for themselves. During that time, they talked to each other about experiences and exchanged ideas. As a result, classmates became more intimate. Not only that, but several spies sent by the Japanese military department to the Workers' and Peasants' School were discovered." Some of the spies confessed on their own and explained their respective tasks and training contents. Some of these agents eventually joined the anti-war coalition, and some escaped and were taken back to school.

After graduating from each cohort, the vast majority of the students went to various anti-Japanese base areas to carry out the struggle against the enemy. They took advantage of the homesickness of Japanese soldiers to publicize the Eighth Route Army's policy of "not killing prisoners" and encouraged them to abandon the war and surrender to sincerity; encourage the grassroots soldiers of the Japanese army to rebel against their superiors and intensify the internal contradictions among the officers and soldiers; Awaken the proletarian revolutionary consciousness of the Japanese soldiers and make them aware of the reactionary nature of the war of aggression. Their main methods were shouting in front of the battle, distributing leaflets, and sending condolence bags and letters. These trainees were familiar with the internal situation of the Japanese army and played a unique role on the battlefield. At that time, Zhu De said: "The Japanese invaders are most afraid of two things in North China: one is the Japanese Anti-War League, and the other is the Korean Youth Anti-Japanese Volunteer Corps." After the war, some Japanese studies said that in the middle and late stages of the Anti-Japanese War, the "grassroots rebellion" of Japanese anti-war fighters dealt an effective blow to the morale of the Japanese army.

The funds for the workers' and peasants' schools and all the living expenses of the students were all provided by the Eighth Route Army. Their standard of living was higher than that of the officers and men of the Eighth Route Army, and their cultural and sports life was also rich and colorful. The school has set up a student troupe, which holds a sports day once a week, and holds volleyball, baseball, chess competitions, etc. from time to time to enrich the students' cultural and sports activities and other social activities. Dramas such as "The Outpost" and "Shimada Senior Soldier" performed by the students were well received. When "Shimada Senior Soldier" was first performed in the Yan'an Border District Government Auditorium in the winter of 1944, Mao Zedong and other leaders of the party, government and military in the border region attended to watch it. The synopsis is that the Japanese soldiers make legitimate requests to their superiors, the squadron leader, but they are not granted. So, the soldiers killed the squadron leader and threw themselves into the ...... of the Eighth Route Army. As the plot developed, bursts of applause and cheers were heard from time to time in the audience.

Mao Zedong also seems to have been infected by the plot. Zhao Anbo, who was sitting next to Mao Zedong, explained: "These actors are all Japanese students from our school. The actor who plays the protagonist Captain Shimada is named Taro Yoshida. He speaks Chinese the best of all Japanese students. When he was captured by us in Shanxi in July 1938, he attempted suicide by stabbing his throat. Well, the scar on his neck was left at that time. The man who wore myopic glasses and played the role of the leader of the Japanese squadron was called Terufumi Umeda. He was captured by us in August 1940 during the Battle of the Hundred Regiments. When rehearsing this play and assigning roles, the Japanese trainees were reluctant to play the negative role of the Japanese squadron leader, and they all felt that this role was dishonorable......"

Mao Zedong interjected and asked, "How did you solve this problem later?" Without waiting for Zhao Anbo to answer, Mao Zedong said to himself: "You must have used the method of hard apportionment!" Zhao Anbo said: "Later, we did some work, saying that from an artistic point of view, his image fits the role. He reluctantly agreed. But when he played the scene of beating the soldiers, he couldn't do it, and it was only after repeated inspiration from the instructor sent by the Lu Xun Academy of Arts that it had an effect. After the performance, Mao Zedong highly praised: "This play is very good, the content is very rich, and the actors' acting skills are also good." Later, the play, which was originally planned to be staged for only three days, was performed for a month.

When the War of Resistance entered the later stage, the battlefield behind enemy lines showed an increasingly important position. In order to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party, the United States decided to send a mission to Yan'an. Although Chiang Kai-shek was reluctant to establish any cooperative relationship between the United States and the Chinese Communists, he was later forced to agree under pressure from President Roosevelt, but insisted on not agreeing to the use of "delegation" in the name of the mission. In the end, after consultation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the United States, it was named: "U.S. China-Burma-India Theater Observation Group in Yan'an", referred to as "U.S. Military Observation Group", codenamed "Dixie Mission".

On July 22 and August 7, 1944, the 18-member U.S. military observation group arrived in Yan'an in two groups. During their time in Yan'an, they "observed" all aspects of Yan'an. The workers' and peasants' schools in Yan'an were an eye-opener for them.

Four members of the U.S. military observer group watched a theatrical gala held at the Workers' and Peasants' School to welcome new students. Most of the programs written and performed by Japanese students reflect the customs of Japan, such as the dance "Sado Dance", "Nogo Pilgrimage", and the live newspaper drama "Autumn of Harvest". In particular, the play "Autumn of the Harvest" shows that the farmers in rural Japan cultivate and grind all year round, but after the rice harvest, they do not get any grains themselves, and all the fruits of their labor are supplied by the government to the troops of the war of aggression. The peasants cried out for the heavens and were in pain. Then, the newly rehearsed drama of the "Yingshan Incident" pushed the anti-war atmosphere to a climax, and the interaction between the stage and the stage was enthusiastic. When the Japanese veteran in the play pulled out a bright bayonet and aimed it at the terrible Squadron Leader Fukuda, the Japanese and American audience in the audience even waved their fists and shouted: "!

The theatrical evening came to an end with the military music of the "March of the Eighth Route Army". A member of the U.S. military observer group was invited by teachers and students to speak. He said in half-baked Japanese: "I really didn't expect that the students of the Workers' and Peasants' School would live such a pleasant life in Yan'an, and even the newly arrived Japanese soldiers would be heart-to-heart with everyone in such a short period of time, which made us marvel. I watched Sado Dance, and it reminded me of a time when I traveled to Sado, Japan in peacetime. I firmly believe that in the near future, I will be able to revisit the old place......

On November 21, 1944, all members of the U.S. Army Observer Group visited the Workers' and Peasants' School. In a summary afterwards, it was as follows: "The reasons for the change of thinking of the students of the Workers' and Peasants' School were as follows: First, they found that the Eighth Route Army did not kill and mistreat prisoners; second, they were psychologically shocked when they met the Japanese who had switched to the enemy's side; third, the Eighth Route Army was treated favorably; fourth, they began to come into contact with outside news and were inspired by the possibility of Japan's defeat and the possibility of a different government from before; and finally, the education in the Workers' and Peasants' Schools was the decisive factor that brought about their transformation." “

The Japanese took part in the political participation and discussion of the border areas

September 30, 2014 is the first national legal Martyrs' Memorial Day in mainland China. Before the arrival of this anniversary, the Ministry of Civil Affairs released the first batch of 300 anti-Japanese martyrs of the Anti-Japanese War, among whom Hideo Miyagawa, who bravely sacrificed his life for the cause of the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war as an anti-war person, is the only Japanese. From the Japanese invasion of China to the "Japanese Eighth Road", Miyagawa Hideo's life is quite legendary, one of the highlights is that he once served as the vice chairman of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Council and the senator of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region.

According to statistics, there are a total of nine "Japanese Eight Roads" like Hideo Miyagawa who have served as senators in border districts. After visiting Yan'an, the American journalist Foreman wrote: "In the Communist-controlled area, there were no prisoner camps. At the very beginning of the war, the Communists declared that they would not kill prisoners, but would give them preferential treatment, and that those who were willing to return would be let go back ......", "those who remained enjoyed complete personal freedom......", "they had the right to vote and to be elected......"

◆ Hideo Miyagawa (front row, first from left) volunteered to join the Eighth Route Army and became a member of the Japanese Anti-War League. In 1945, he died in the "sweep" of the Japanese army.

The right to vote and the right to stand for election mentioned by Foreman refers to the election of Japanese workers and peasants to the Senate. There was a student named Sen Ken. He was one of the first Japanese soldiers to be captured in batches by Wang Zhen's troops, mentioned earlier. Sen Jian later recalled: "The Eighth Route Army under the command of Brigade Commander Wang Zhen attacked the Pingshe Village Station on the Taiyuan-Tongpu line, and I was captured at that time and became a prisoner of the Eighth Route Army. I came to Yan'an at the end of 1938, three months after I was captured. The Japanese prisoners lived not far from the enemy's engineering office, and to my surprise there was no barbed wire. Maybe treat me like an international friend. After education, he applied to join the Eighth Route Army and became one of the founders of the Yan'an Japanese Workers and Peasants School.

In November 1941, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region held a Senate election in accordance with the principle of the "three-three system". In accordance with the principle of democratic government building under the "three-three system," seven academies and colleges, including the Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School, the Eighth Route Army's Enemy Work Cadres School, Kang Da, and Lu Yi, were elected as one unit. Each school is required to put forward its own candidates, who then give public speeches and let voters vote for senators. The Eighth Route Army Enemy Work Cadre School and the Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School jointly recommended Sen Jian as a candidate, Lu Yi's candidate was Zhou Yang, Kang Da's candidate was Guo Huaruo, and Yan'an Academy of Natural Sciences candidate Xu Teli and so on.

On the day of the election, voters in various schools crowded around their candidate representatives, carrying slogans, and some even beating gongs and drums, and marched into the venue in a procession. The election venue at Yan'an Airport was full of singing and slogans. Lu Yi teachers and students gave full play to their specialties and brought out the portrait of Zhou Yang to show their momentum. Candidates are entitled to a 20-minute presentation. Mori Ken gave a speech in Japanese, and Zhao Anbo, who was the vice principal of the Workers' and Peasants' School, translated it on the spot, so the concession time was extended to 40 minutes. In his speech, he said: "We Japanese living in China's anti-Japanese democratic base areas are fortunate enough to be able to participate in the election of the Senate of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region, and this is a good opportunity for the CPC and the Chinese people to learn about new democratic politics. This will help us accumulate valuable revolutionary experience for overthrowing the reactionary feudal Japanese warlord government and establishing a democratic new Japan. The speech was met with long and enthusiastic applause. Finally, the staff distributed a ballot paper to each of the voters present on the spot, and the voters carried out a secret ballot, and the voters drew a tick after the candidate's name and walked to the ballot box in turn to vote. After the voting is over, the ballot will be opened and checked on the spot. The election result was that Zhou Yang was elected first with the first vote, and Sen Jian was second. The next day, the border district government issued a notice deciding to elect Ken Mori as a senator on a special case. The Workers' and Peasants' School held a grand celebration for this purpose. Subsequently, Xiao Lu Jingnan, a student of the Workers' and Peasants' School, was elected as a member of the Yan'an City Senate. It caused a great response among the students. In addition, seven "Japanese Eight Roads," including Yoshiteru Akiyama and Esumi Geruda, were successively elected as senators of the Senate of the base areas where they were located, and participated in the discussion and management of the anti-Japanese democratic government.

After Japan announced its unconditional surrender, all walks of life in Yan'an held a farewell rally for the students of the Workers' and Peasants' School on August 30. Ye Jianying, chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army, many party, government, and military cadres in Yan'an, as well as international friends, attended the meeting. Before Nosaka Sanzo and Mori Ken left Yan'an on September 10, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, Ren Bishi and others held a farewell banquet for them. After returning to Japan, almost all of these people devoted the rest of their lives to the cause of Sino-Japanese friendship.

(This article only represents the author's point of view and does not represent the position of this number)