What is shocking is that a big Japanese spy who once served as an adviser to the Japanese dispatch army turned out to be a red undercover agent serving the Chinese Communist Party! How did he infiltrate a Japanese spy organization? And how did they leak important intelligence and even provide key clues to the attack on Pearl Harbor? After being arrested and sentenced to death, what kind of thrilling did he experience? What kind of miracle did you survive and get the invitation of the Chinese government to visit China? This series of jaw-dropping events is waiting to be unraveled one by one...
1. Red agents of an undercover spy organization
In 1910, Nakanishi was born into a poor fisherman's family in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Since he was a child, his family was poor, he had the ambition to serve the motherland, was diligent and studious, and finally won the opportunity to study in China at official expense with his outstanding academic performance. In 1929, Zhongxi Gong came to Shanghai with good wishes and entered the East Asia Tongwen Academy for further study.
No one thought that this school would become a key turning point in the life of Zhongxigong. Here, he became acquainted with a group of like-minded progressives, such as journalist Hidemi Ozaki and teacher Wang Xuewen, all of whom secretly joined the Comintern's Far East Intelligence Bureau. Under their influence, Nakanishi Gong gained a new understanding of the evils of colonialism, was shocked by the struggle of the Chinese people against Japanese aggression, and completely changed his thinking.
In 1934, Nakanishi and his friend Ryuo Nishiri were recruited into the secret organization of the underground party and became red agents. Since then, they have started a double life of hardships and twists and turns. On the one hand, he served in the Japanese invasion agency and served as an important adviser to the Japanese side; On the one hand, he worked for the Chinese underground party and secretly collected valuable information for it.
In the late 1930s, Nakanishi was quickly promoted by his outstanding work ability, and was soon entrusted with the important task of serving as the director of the investigation office of the Shanghai office of the Manchurian Railway, and also served as an adviser to the Japanese army. However, his glamorous official career in the eyes of outsiders is just a beautiful mask. Behind this mask is his new identity as a Red Agent.
Nakanishi's mission was not to serve Japan, but to continuously transmit valuable military information to the Yan'an headquarters. With his special position, Nakanishi was able to penetrate deep into the upper echelons of the enemy and have direct contact with the top-secret military deployment of the Japanese army. He used his connections in the secret service agency to carefully deploy a huge underground intelligence network in Tokyo, Beiping, Shanghai and other places, and vertically penetrated into every level of the Japanese puppet agency.
This net, which covers the East Asian continent, is shrouded at one end by Hideki Tojo, Minister of War Yuki Anami, and General Staff Officer Seisu Akaza of the Kwantung Army, and at the other end it leads directly to the center of Yan'an. Nakanishi and his group have been working secretly in the heart of the enemy for a long time, collecting a large amount of military intelligence on the deployment of Japanese troops and anti-Chinese activities, so that our side can understand the Japanese army's intentions in advance and formulate corresponding military strategies.
What a risky job! It's like they're walking on a precarious tightrope, one wrong step and no return. However, Nakanishi Gong and his comrades-in-arms were fearless and unswerving, and threw themselves into this life-and-death struggle with the heroic courage of a strong man breaking his wrist......
2. Leaking leads to the attack on Pearl Harbor
In July 1941, Japan held a large-scale military exercise in Dalian. When the news reached Yan'an, it attracted great attention from the leaders of the Communist Party of China. Comrade Mao Zedong personally made arrangements and asked Zhongxi Gong to find out the real intention of the Japanese army in this exercise, whether it was preparing to attack the Soviet Union in the north, or to move south to China and the colonies in Southeast Asia.
At this time, the Soviet-German war had begun, and the situation was confusing. Stalin was quite worried, fearing that Japan would take advantage of the fire and loot and attack the Soviet Union. He was desperate to find out the movements of the Japanese army in case disaster came. The Chinese Communist Party decided to fully cooperate with the Soviet Union in this secret mission.
After receiving the order, Nakanishi immediately returned to Tokyo, Japan, and inquired about the inside story from Hidemi Ozaki, adviser to the Japanese prime minister and private secretary. Ozaki agreed, but it didn't take long for him to be arrested by Japanese agents and accused of being an undercover agent for the Soviet spy organization "Sorge". This news exploded like thunder, and Nakanishi suddenly fell into a dangerous situation of being suspected by the Japanese side.
In the face of the sudden change, Nakanishi did not panic, but on the contrary, he strategized, which in turn deepened the connection with Ozaki and attracted the attention of the Japanese side to him. This little trick was actually a trap he carefully designed, which set the stage for getting out in the future.
The case of Hidemi Ozaki obscured the sight of the Japanese side, and Nakanishi immediately continued to collect intelligence through other channels. He heard from many sources that Japanese naval vessels had been assembled in the Seto Inland Sea, and that there was no hope for peace talks with the United States. It is said that the negotiations will conclude on 30 November.
This clue is crucial. After careful analysis, Nakanishi came to a major conclusion: Japan is planning to launch a surprise attack on the Pearl Harbor base in the United States! And the time of the attack has been locked, around December 8 (December 7 according to Hawaiian time).
Zhongxi Gong made an intelligence report to Yan'an overnight. Yan'an immediately conveyed this top-secret information to Stalin, and at the same time reported it to Chiang Kai-shek, who was then the supreme commander of the Kuomintang military and government, and asked him to immediately convey this important clue to the US government.
However, the U.S. government lacked sufficient understanding of the credibility of China's intelligence, and at that time, the "isolationist" trend was prevalent, and there was widespread public opinion in the U.S. government and opposition against entering the war. President Roosevelt received the information and turned a blind eye.
It was not until more than a month later in the early morning of December 8, 1941 that the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor spread like thunder around the world. The United States was finally forced to be drawn into the whirlpool of the world anti-fascist war. At this time, the officials in the White House who turned a deaf ear woke up like a dream, and felt extremely regretful and regretful about the valuable clue provided by Zhongxi Gong.
It was precisely by virtue of this key intelligence clue that our side was able to smoothly grasp the secret deployment of the Japanese army and give early warning before the Pearl Harbor incident. What is painful, however, is that this important piece of military information, which was at a critical juncture, was ruthlessly wasted by the US Government's hesitation and contempt, resulting in a profound disaster in the future.
However, this is a big crisis for the dual identity of Zhongxi Gong...
3. A detailed description of the life of an undercover agent
As a double agent who goes deep into the tiger's den, Nakanishi's life is full of dangers. He had to be cautious at all times, for fear that his whereabouts would be targeted by Japanese agents and his identity would be exposed.
When he was working in Tokyo, he was always busy, often working through the night. In fact, he used these nights to pass on the information obtained by the spies through secret channels. Sometimes he had to leave the office in a hurry and go to a predetermined location to meet with the underground party envoys and exchange the latest information.
When he returned home, he didn't dare to take it lightly. He deliberately installed a strict alarm system in his home, which would sound a sharp alarm whenever an outsider approached. He also arranged multiple escape routes in his home in case of unforeseen circumstances. His wife and children live at home, fearing a surprise attack by Japanese agents.
Close ties with underground party organizations
Nakanishi's status as a double agent made him a bridge between Yan'an and underground party agents in Shanghai and Tokyo. He needed to keep in close contact with well-known underground party workers such as Pan Hannian, Shao Lizi, and Chen Tong from time to time.
As the "red Xiaokai" of the Communist Party of China, Pan Hannian is the most direct superior leader of Zhongxigong. Whenever he obtained major military information, Zhongxi Gong had to immediately report to Pan Hannian and listen to follow-up instructions. Sometimes, Nakanishi will also discuss the meaning of analyzing information and jointly determine the course of action.
Another comrade who had a close relationship with Zhongxigong was Shao Lizi. As a core member of the Shanghai underground party leadership, she has been incognito all year round, often meeting with Zhongxi Gong, passing on secret documents and guiding work. At every critical juncture, Shao Lizi would always encourage Zhongxigong to persist in the struggle.
The role of wives and children in action
Nakanishi's wife, Michiko, is also deeply involved in this dangerous underground war. As an ordinary Japanese housewife, her daily life seems ordinary, but in fact she plays an important supporting role as an agent.
She must always be vigilant to prevent her home from being raided by Japanese agents. She hid all the Chinese books and cultural relics in her home in a secret room. She also assisted Nakanishi to destroy all physical evidence that would reveal her identity, and lied to the public that it was lost.
When Nakanishi went out, he often hid confidential documents in Michiko's package to hide his eyes. Sometimes they even let their wives and children act as a medium to transmit information, doing everything possible to avoid exposing themselves.
Nakanishi's two sons, Tokujiro and Masayuki, were also caught up in the crisis, although they were still young. They often take on chores at home to relieve the pressure on their parents...
Experiences of arrest and torture
Reasons for identity exposure
The evening of June 15, 1942 became a major turning point in the life of Zhongxi Gong. On the same day, he went to a secret stronghold on Shanyin Road in Shanghai as usual, but he never expected to be captured by a surprise attack by Japanese spies.
It was later found out that all this was due to the betrayal of his friend Siri Ryuo. Xili was his comrade-in-arms, and the two had known each other since their time at the East Asian Tongwen Academy, and together they joined the underground spy organization of the Chinese Communist Party. However, after being arrested, Xili could not bear the torture and betrayed the whereabouts of Nakanishi.
This is undoubtedly a fatal blow to Zhongxi Gong. Although he had never met with Xili, the Japanese spies successfully locked down his hiding place in the secret stronghold on Sanyin Road based on the clues provided by Xili. That night, he was about to open the secret door that would allow him to escape temporarily, but he was pounced on from behind by several Japanese agents and subdued to the ground.
Counter-attack tactics during interrogation
Soon after his arrest, Nakanishi was severely tortured by the Japanese interrogation team. In order to extract a confession, Japanese agents tortured him in various ways, such as electrocution, hanging, and injection of poison, in an attempt to force him to confess to the upline of the organization.
At this time, Nakanishi Ko wittily adopted a "strategy" that the Japanese side did not expect. He chose to take the initiative to "confess", and fictionalized the leading characters as some deceased communists, such as Deng Zhongxia and Chen Duxiu. The Japanese side was deceived and did not find any flaws for a while.
It was not until 1943 that Nakanishi was officially sentenced to death and was held in Sugamo Prison in Tokyo awaiting execution. In order to stall for time, he began to rework his previously unfinished memoir, Twenty Years of Witnessing the Strange Situation.
In the book, he makes a powerful accusation and exposé of the atrocities of Japanese colonial rule. The publication of this book greatly annoyed the Japanese invaders, but it did not reveal any clues about the identity of the Zhongxi Gong underground party, so there was no reason for further punishment.
A dramatic scene of being sentenced to death
On June 28, 1943, the presiding judge of the Tokyo District Court, wielding a hammer, announced the final verdict on Nakanishi:
"In view of the fact that the defendant Nakanishi Gong is suspected of engaging in espionage activities for the Chinese Communist Party and endangering Japan's national security. In accordance with the provisions of the law in force, the defendant is hereby sentenced to death and shall be beheaded. ＂
When the verdict was read aloud, there was an uproar. All the Japanese people present were stunned by this verdict. Because most of the people present believed that Nakanishi was nothing more than an ordinary Japanese diplomatic adviser, and could not have imagined that he would be a traitor spy in any way.
The bailiff shouted the order to take Nakanishi Gong down, but he turned a deaf ear, instead took out a stack of manuscript paper from his arms and shouted: "Japanese compatriots, you are blinded, I am a Chinese Communist!" I'm for the sake of the Chinese people... ＂
The scene was suddenly in turmoil, and the scene was out of control for a while. Hearing this, several bailiffs rushed to Nakanishi and forcibly dragged him away, but when he was escorted out of the courtroom, he still roared: "I am a Communist!" It's a revolutionary! ＂
This shocking scene shocked everyone present. In the subsequent prison life, Zhongxi Gong repeatedly staged dramatic scenes, such as announcing that he had left the organization, so as to confuse the public and escape...
5. Rescued and repatriated to China
The reason for his release after the war
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies, and World War II finally ended. Nakanishi, who was in prison at the time, learned of the news and hoped that he would be rescued and regain his freedom.
In fact, in the last year of this war, he was already receiving attention from the US military. In 1944, the U.S. military intercepted radio messages in Hawaii that the Japanese were secretly inclined to surrender to Cheng, and confirmed that they included Nakanishi Gong. The U.S. military immediately kept in touch with him and sent the spy Gary. Falkson went to Tokyo to inspect.
During Faulksen's visit, Nakanishi reported to him a large amount of top-secret information about the Japanese army, which made a major contribution to the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan. At the same time, he also recounted in detail the experience of torture and torture in Japan, which aroused Faulksen's deep sympathy.
Shortly after the end of the war, on special instructions from the American command, Nakanishi was allowed to be handed over to the Chinese Nationalist Government. In February 1946, he and his family were officially sent to Nanjing to be reunited with his wife and children. Zhongxigong's life is about to open a new chapter.
Visits to China and meetings with leaders of the CPC Central Committee
Under the arrangement of the leading cadres of the Kuomintang, during the Spring Festival of 1948, the four members of Zhongxigong's family were officially invited by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to visit China in the caves of the Jinsui base area in northern Shaanxi. The purpose of this trip is to allow Zhongxi Gong to meet with the senior leaders of the Party Central Committee, report on their work, and review history.
After arriving in North China, Zhongxi Gong first met with Chen Tong, an old Bolshevik who was in his late teens. The two met like old friends, recalling the experience of working underground in Shanghai twenty or thirty years ago, and they were like-minded, and they were reluctant to say goodbye.
Subsequently, Zhongxigong met with Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai, Ye Jianying and other senior leaders of the party and the army again and again. Whenever they met, they would cordially and kindly inquire about Nakanishi's experience and express their cordial appreciation for his long-term secret service in the Japanese secret service.
What excites him the most is that he finally had the opportunity to meet Chairman Mao Zedong. On February 9, 1948, in Yangjialing, Yan'an, Mao Zedong had a cordial meeting with Zhongxigong for several hours.
During this meeting, Nakanishi revisited his revolutionary process of being tenacious and unyielding and upholding his beliefs. He recalled that since joining the Communist Party of China in 1934, he has unswervingly contributed his own strength to the revolutionary cause. He described the arduous experience of secretly serving our Party in the Japanese army's secret service for many years, as well as the indomitable revolutionary fighting spirit of treating death as home.
Chairman Mao was deeply touched after hearing this, and gave a very high evaluation of the heroic deeds of Zhongxi Gong. He said: "Comrade Zhongxi, you are a revolutionary hero that we admire! You have made an indelible contribution to the resistance of the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders. Please continue to contribute your wisdom and talents to the people after the founding of New China! ＂
end
The People's Liberation War has entered its final stage, and the experience of Zhongxi Gong's work in the underground party of the Communist Party of China has given our party valuable spiritual wealth. This hard-won spiritual asset will become an indelible source of strength for the revolutionary party......