In 1931, Japan was immersed in militaristic fanaticism. Inoue Seiichi, an ordinary Japanese officer, was supposed to enjoy the sweetness of his newlywed and spend a wonderful wedding leave with his wife, Chiyoko. However, the outbreak of the 918 incident shattered this tranquility. A piece of paper ordered Inoue Seiichi to be dragged out of Gentle Township and ordered him to go to the battlefield in northeastern China.
Inoue Seiichi is conflicted in his heart, he wants to fulfill the duties of a soldier, but it is difficult to let go of his deep affection with his wife. Chiyoko, a Japanese woman brainwashed by militarism, chose extreme ways to support her husband's decision on the eve of the army's march. She cut her own throat with a knife as a way to show her support for her husband and her loyalty to the country. In her suicide note, in addition to her affectionate entrustment to her husband, she also had the expectation of victory in the war.
Inoue Seiichi embarks on the path of aggression in grief, and he becomes ruthless in the land of northeastern China, like a "beast" that has lost its bonds. He directed the massacre in Pingdingshan Village, an atrocity against innocent civilians that would never be erased on his military career.
Chiyoko's death caused a sensation in Japan. She was portrayed by the media and newspapers as a model for "promoting the morality of Japanese women", and her story was made into a film and widely disseminated. Even the Empress of Japan personally attended her "Testament Manifestation Meeting" and named her a "Showa Martyr". This extreme propaganda method undoubtedly contributed to the militaristic atmosphere in Japan, and more women regarded the sending of their husbands or sons to war as a supreme honor.
Behind these distorted values are the shattering of countless families and the loss of countless innocent lives. Chiyoko's behavior, although it shows her loyalty to her husband and country, also reveals the blind worship and erroneous perception of the war of aggression in Japanese society during World War II from one side. And in addition to these psychological agitations, these Japanese women have done far more crazy than that......
Retired Major Sweeney of the U.S. Air Force once said: There are no unjust souls under the atomic bomb.
In Japan during World War II, women were not directly involved in the front lines of the war, but their lives and destinies were closely linked to the war. Under the influence of militaristic ideology, many Japanese women are convinced that it is their "patriotic duty" to support the war and contribute to the country's "holy war". This thought grows like a weed in their hearts, deeply influencing their every choice and action.
After the "September 18 Incident," Japan occupied the northeast of the mainland, and the subsequent "July 7 Incident" opened the prelude to a full-scale invasion of China. As the war continued to escalate, almost all men in Japan were drafted into the war, leaving only the elderly, children, and women in the country. In order to maintain the normal operation of domestic production to support the needs of the war on the front line, the Japanese government began to brainwash women and encourage them to take over jobs that would otherwise be performed by men.
More and more Japanese women are working in the fields and factories to produce food and military supplies, which are then quickly transported to the front lines, providing critical logistical support to Japanese soldiers in the midst of their frenzied aggression.
Under the brainwashing of militarism, some Japanese women have an almost fanatical attitude towards the war. In their eyes, war is the only way to achieve national glory and national rejuvenation. Driven by such extremist ideas, some women even volunteered to join the army's logistics services, becoming "comfort women" and providing sexual services to soldiers. In the social context of the time, this kind of behavior was actually regarded as a "patriotic act". These women also spontaneously formed the "Great Japan Defense Women's Association". In this organization, they volunteered to bond with soldiers who were about to go to battle, and in this way they tried to inspire them to fight bravely. Every time a soldier steps on the battlefield, these women devote themselves to production without hesitation.
And those Japanese women with certain abilities and outstanding appearances have been trained to become female spies after layers of selection and rigorous training. They entered China under various disguises, skillfully approached Kuomintang officers, and even sold their bodies in order to obtain more military and political information. These women played an extremely complex role in the war, both as victims of it and in some ways as a catalyst for its perpetuation.
There are also women who have neither special abilities nor outstanding appearance, who choose to cross the ocean and go directly to the front line of the battlefield to become comfort women in the military camp. In the context of that special era, this so-called "dedication" was regarded as a kind of honor. On the battlefield, they not only have to meet the physical needs of soldiers, but also give them spiritual comfort and encouragement.
By August 1945, Japan was at the end of its power, and the shadow of defeat hung over the country. However, in the face of the grim situation of the Allied Powers' imminent attack on the Japanese mainland, there are still many Japanese women's organizations that encourage all Japanese people to rise up and resist and carry out the so-called "One Million Jade Fragments" plan, and they are ready to serve as funeral objects for Japanese militarism. This extreme nationalist sentiment permeated the society of the time, causing many women to fall into a state of madness.
Fortunately, with the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Emperor on August 15, 1945, the war machine, which had caused so much suffering to many countries around the world, finally collapsed. And those Japanese women who had sacrificed so much for the war began to reflect on their past and behavior.
It is worth mentioning that the "United Women's Association of Great Japan", which was formed during the war, announced its dissolution on the eve of the end of the war. At its peak, the organization had a staggering 20 million members, including almost all adult women in Japan at the time. This fact makes one wonder: what role did these women play in Japan's war of aggression? They are undoubtedly indirect participants and perpetrators, and they have an unshirkable responsibility for the war of aggression.
However, we should also recognize that these women are also victims of war. They were seduced by militaristic ideology and embarked on the wrong path and paid a heavy price for the war. While reflecting on history, we should also pay attention to those who have been harmed by the war and give them the care and support they deserve.