Please re-examine the revised Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Profound introspection and sincere apology

Early spring 1985. Japan. Outside of Tokyo. Inside a white two-story building.

A map of China and a Chinese flag of the same size hang side by side on the wall. On the long table against the wall below were placed side by side an old light gray Eighth Route Army hat and a copper Eighth Route Army military horn. Nakagawa Eiichi, who was already completely bald and had a tough body, had a pair of eyes full of remorse and guilt, and stood side by side with his son Nakagawa Katsuo and grandson Nakagawa Hayashian, and the three of them bowed deeply and respectfully in front of the map of China and the Chinese flag, the hat of the Eighth Route Army, and the military horn.

1985 Ching Ming Festival, Lin'an County, Hebei Province, China Anti-Japanese War Martyrs Cemetery.

Eiichi Nakagawa knelt on his knees at the Martyrs' Memorial with the highest traditional Chinese etiquette

In front of the monument, bow your head in silence and apologize. Three minutes later, Nakagawa Eiichi slowly stood up with the support of his son Nakagawa Katsuo and grandson Nakagawa Hayashi, and the three of them stood side by side in front of the Monument to the Martyrs of the Anti-Japanese War, bowing deeply with a solemn expression and full of reverence. Behind the three of them stood more than 20 entourage, including opponents on the battlefield and their children and grandchildren, local leading cadres, and family members of the martyrs, who also bowed deeply to the martyrs' memorial plaques three times at the same time.

Reception room of the Lin Government Guest House, Lin'an County, Hebei Province, China.

On the opposite side of the sofa sat Fang Jiren, a retired veteran soldier with white hair, strong spirits, a tough body, and a ruddy complexion, and sitting next to him was his heroic son in an army uniform and his grandson with a full face in an air force uniform. On the sofa next to him sat Ding Ruxuan, a retired veteran cadre in Tang costume, and his son, who was calm in a suit, and his capable grandson sat beside him. The other escorts sit on the couch in the outer ring. The three old men were mortal enemies on the battlefield of the Anti-Japanese War, and they were related to each other, and they got together with their children and grandchildren decades later.

"Hahahaha." Ding Ruxuan laughed heartily and said with emotion: "The life-and-death rivals on the battlefield decades ago are together again today, it's rare, it's not easy!" General Nakagawa, ah no, Mr. Nakagawa, cousin-in-law, welcome to China once again as an envoy of peace and friendship, and welcome to see the great changes that have taken place today in the land you invaded decades ago. ”

"yes. I very much welcome Mr. Nakagawa to visit China and Hebei as an envoy of peace and friendship. Francis said with a smile.

"Thank you! Thank you. Nakagawa put his hands on his knees and bowed. Allow me to introduce you both. This is my son, Katsuo Nakagawa, who works at the headquarters of the Japan-China Friendship Association in Tokyo. ”

Katsuo Nakagawa stood up and bowed, and said in standard fluent Chinese, "Please take care of us when we meet for the first time." ”

"This is my grandson, Nakagawa Hayashiyasu, a professor of history at the university."

Nakagawa Lin An stood up and bowed, and said in more standard and fluent Chinese: "Please take care of us when we meet for the first time." ”

Fang Jiren and Ding Ruxuan also introduced their respective children and grandchildren to Nakagawa Eiichi respectively.

"Cousin-in-law, you stayed in Beijing for two days, where did you go?"

Zhongchuan lifted his glasses, looked at Ding Ruxuan with soft eyes, and said humbly:

"Little brother, please allow me to call you that, after all, we are close relatives, blood is thicker than water, and family affection is higher than politics and ideology. When we were in Beijing, we didn't go anywhere, mainly to go to Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall, and we went twice together. In the days that followed, the two of them met with Chinese friends who had been friends for many years. Nakagawa said proficiently in fluent Chinese.

"Oh? You went to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall? Went twice more? Cousin-in-law, why? Do you have any thoughts and experiences? Ding Ruxuan asked curiously.

Nakagawa's expression was solemn, he slowly looked around at everyone, and said in a sincere tone:

"Absolutely. Chairman Mao is a great man I admire and worship very much, which stems from the life-and-death struggle with the Eighth Route Army during the war. He was a great statesman and military strategist. I am a soldier of a defeated country and a defeated army, and I admire his old man so much that I am convinced. Therefore, I must take my children and grandchildren to pay homage to him, pay homage to him, apologize to Chairman Mao, express my deep reflection and sincere remorse, as well as my best wishes for China, and my hope for friendly exchanges and peaceful coexistence between Japan and China. Little brother, this is my feeling and experience. ”

"Good! It's really remarkable that Mr. Nakagawa can think and do this. Francis praised from the bottom of his heart.

"Well, yes, it should." Ding Ruxuan looked at Nakagawa Katsuo and Nakagawa Lin An and asked curiously, "What?" Do you still have some Chinese friends in China and in Beijing? Can you tell us what you talked about when you met? What is the psychology of you Japanese people in the process of interacting with your Chinese friends? ”

Katsuo Nakagawa glanced at his son Nakagawa Lin An, turned his head and said:

"I'll start with that. Mr. Ding. Oh, no. I should call you cousin, and allow me to correct your statement first. Cousin, I am not Japanese, I am Chinese, please don't tell me about you Japanese in the future. ”

"Oh? Am I wrong? How can you be Chinese? Ding Ruxuan's eyes widened, and he asked puzzled.

"Cousin, please listen to my explanation. People all over the world compare their motherland to their mother, and conversely, the mother also symbolizes the motherland. My mother is Chinese, so I am also Chinese. Growing up, my mother always said to me, you have to remember that you still have a motherland, which is China, which is separated by a strip of water, and it is much bigger and more beautiful than Japan. My mother also told me a lot about China and my hometown of Lin'an County, so that I would do something and contribute to China when I grew up. She told me that the most regrettable thing she had ever done in her life was studying abroad in Toyo and marrying my father. Also, my mother taught me Chinese for as long as I could speak, and as far as I can remember, she never seemed to speak Japanese to me. To put it mildly, I may not know less about China than I do here. Therefore, it is absolutely not a false statement that I am Chinese. Cousin, is this the reason? ”

Ding Ruxuan paused for a moment and said, "Huh? Ah, you have a point. It's also your mother's good education and guidance. Ding Ruxuan raised his hand and pointed at Zhongchuan Lin An and asked, "Do you think so too?" ”

"Yes, my dad is right, of course I am also Chinese. Growing up, my grandmother taught me to love not only Japan, but also China and my hometown. Nakagawa Ryasu is the name my grandmother gave me. Nakagawa replied loudly.

"Haha, yes. Interesting. Cousin-in-law, what do you think of what they say? Don't you object? ”

"No objection. I'm Japanese, but I agree with them. ”

"Okay. Ay? General Fang, do you have any opinions? ”

"Me?" Fang Jiren thought for a moment and said, "I, I'm the first time I've heard such a statement, it's interesting and reasonable. Well, first of all, they have not forgotten about the Chinese blood they have. Secondly, it is a very friendly gesture. I hope that more real Japanese people will also have such friendly expressions and wishes. ”

"Hey, it's still General Fang who said it well." Ding Ruxuan nodded in agreement.

"Grandpa Fang, uncle, let me say one more thing, you may be surprised. I just said that my father and I are Chinese, in fact, my grandfather and our Nakagawa family in Japan are all descendants of Chinese, and as a result of tracing our roots, it turns out that our ancestor is Liu Bang, the emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. ”

All the people in the VIP room were shocked to hear Nakagawa Lin An say this.

Ding Ruxuan's eyes widened in surprise, and he stared at Zhongchuan Lin An with good eyes, and asked:

"Huh?! Is there such a thing?! Unheard of, do you have any basis? ”

"Uncle, of course I have a well-founded basis for saying this, this is not something I can make up by myself."

"Oh? Do you still have a basis? Interesting. Tell me the ins and outs of this. Ding Ruxuan asked with interest.

"Okay, then I'll talk about it briefly. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China, that is, in 220 AD, the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xie, was forced to give up the throne to Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, known as Emperor Wen of Wei in history. Liu Xie was demoted to the Duke of Shanyang and expelled from the Luoyang Imperial Palace in Henan Province and lived in Turbid Deer City, which is today's Turbid Deer City in Li Gu Village, Xiuwu County, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province. Liu Xie lived in Turbid Deer City for 14 years and died of illness at the age of 54. Later, Liu Azhi, a descendant of Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty, led his family to Fusang to Japan, and they brought advanced agricultural technology, textile technology, regular Chinese characters, traditional Chinese medicine, clothing and clothing, and some construction technology. In addition, there are five families in Japan, including Sakagami, Okōza, Harada, Tahara, and Nakagawa, all of which originated from Xiuwu County in Jiaozuo, Henan, China. In subsequent dynasties, descendants of the Liu clan and other Chinese crossed to Japan, took root and multiplied, and lived to this day. There is a monk Jianzhen in the distance, and there is Wu Qingyuan, a chess saint, in the near. The two of them have played a huge role in promoting Japan's Buddhist culture and Go skills, which is something that the people of China and Japan know. A few years ago, when I learned about this history, I was also shocked, and I didn't believe it at first. To figure out where I and my family came from? Over the past few years, I have traveled back and forth between China and Japan many times, consulted a large number of historical materials, compared them with each other, and conducted in-depth analysis and research. In the end, the results were confirmed that the Nakagawa family was indeed the descendants of Liu Bang. At present, I am still working hard to collect historical materials and further explore and research. At present, there are still Japanese historians and descendants of Liu Xie who come to China to investigate the tomb of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, or to trace the roots. Uncle and grandpa, I'll tell you about the updated results. ”

"Okay, I'll wait. General Fang, listening to Lin An's words, Japan and China are not only of the same origin, but also of the same ancestry, and the two countries are relatives of the same family. ”

"You can say that. Therefore, China and Japan should live in peace, have friendly exchanges, respect and help each other. War must be absolutely avoided. ”

"Hmmm! General Fang is right and well-said. ”

"Brother, it's not that I'm saying it well, it's Shengnan and Lin An who are saying it well. Katsuo, I would like to hear what the Japanese think of China and the Chinese? Would you also like to hear what your Chinese friends think of Japan and the Japanese? Can you tell us about it? ”

"Absolutely. General Fang and Uncle Fang, over the past 10 years, I have come to China dozens of times because of my work, and I have come into contact with friends from all walks of life, and have had comprehensive and in-depth discussions on the past, present, and future of China and Japan, and even more on politics, economy, military, and culture. To put it simply, Chinese people are sincere and friendly to Japanese people, and they all like Japanese cars and electrical and electronic products. However, they have a deep hatred and hatred for the anti-China right-wing elements in Japan. Moreover, I can feel that this disgust and hatred comes from their grandparents and fathers, as well as some radical and wrong practices towards the current Japanese government. I think this disgust and hatred may continue for hundreds of years. ”

Fang Jiren: "What do the Japanese think of China and the Chinese?" ”

Katsuo Nakagawa picked up the teacup and drank two sips of tea before saying:

"Most Japanese people generally believe that China is a large developing country with abundant resources and a vast territory, and that it should maintain permanent friendly relations. However, they feel that there are too many Chinese, and although the standard of living is generally not high, they are simple and kind, and should help each other and interact with each other like neighbors. However, a very small number of ultra-rightists in Japan regard China as a huge threat and are afraid that China's strong and peaceful rise will pose a threat to Japan's survival and development, and they will even launch a war to retaliate. ”

"! Isn't this creating something out of nothing and spreading rumors?! I'm full! Ding Ruxuan said angrily.

Francis said, "Yes! Make up lies, have nothing to do, and have extremely sinister intentions! Lin An, you are a history teacher, what do you young people think? ”

Nakagawa Hayashi: "Grandpa Fang, in the past few years, some Japanese politicians and right-wingers have been constantly advocating ***** have sinister political goals and military intentions. I believe that these people do not understand history, let alone Chinese history, and anyone with a little knowledge of history will believe that China will not start a war against Japan. ”

"Oh? Why? Do young people in Japan think the same way? Could you please tell us more about that? May I? Fang asked curiously.

Nakagawa Lin An thought for a while and then said, "Yes." Grandpa Fang, uncle and grandpa, what I said may not be right. As far as I know, not all young people in Japan think this way, and the basis for my and some people's thinking is that for thousands of years, China's law of governing the country has been based on the Confucian concept of being kind to others, being kind to one's neighbors, being lenient to others, and being able to endure oneself. Therefore, in the course of 5,000 years of historical development, China has never launched a war of aggression against a sovereign and independent country with the aim of occupation and annexation. Moreover, China, with its vast land and abundant mineral deposits, has no need to wage war against Japan, an island nation that is extremely short of resources. A friend of mine in Beijing once said to me: We don't want a small island country of Japan that has no resources to give China for nothing, so how can we still launch a war of aggression? We in China are too busy to do our own things, where can we have so much spare time? ”

"Whether it is a big country or a small country, or a poor country or a rich country, it is wrong for anyone to start a war against whom, and it should coexist peacefully." Fang Jiren shook his head and waved his hand.

Ding Ruxuan changed the topic and said, "Okay, okay, let's not talk about this, let's change the topic." Cousin-in-law, why didn't you look for us when you were in Beijing? General Fang and I have not returned to our hometown since our retirement and we all live in Beijing, and our two families are very close to each other, and we often see each other. However, General Fang was wounded many times during the war years, and it was very difficult to travel far away from home. ”

"General Fang, I'm sorry for the trouble." Nakagawa bowed and apologized.

"Mr. Nakagawa, sit down. During the war years, I was injured many times, but none of them were fatal, but in recent years, when it rains on a cloudy day, my right leg, especially my knee, hurts a little. However, it is not as serious as he said. You see, I'm pretty tough now. ”

"That's good, that's good. I know I shouldn't bother you, but I have to. I'm 82 years old this year, and my days are running out. It is very likely that this will be the last time I will come to China, so I very much want to see you two again in Lin'an County, where we fought against each other and fought to the death, and repent and apologize to you, so that I will not leave regrets and go to heaven. Oh, and there's one more very important thing that I have to accomplish. Little brother, I will bring half of your cousin's ashes, and I will send her home, which is also her lifelong wish. I must let her return to her roots, her soul to her hometown, and let her rest in peace in the homeland where she was born and raised, so that I have no regrets in life and can die blindly. Little brother, please help me bury your cousin. ”

"Okay. Cousin-in-law, I'll do my best to help you with this. Let my cousin, who has been away from home for decades and died in a foreign land, rest in his hometown. ”

"Little brother, thank you. Katsuo, Lin An, stand up. Nakagawa Rong stood up and looked at Fang Jiren and Ding Ruxuan and said sincerely: "General Fang Jiren, junior brother Mr. Ding Ruxuan, my son and grandson, I would like to express our deep repentance and sincere apologies to the two of you, as well as your innocent relatives and countless victims during the War of Resistance Against Japan. After speaking, the three ancestors and grandchildren of Zhongchuan bowed deeply to Fang Jiren, Ding Ruxuan, and their children and grandchildren.

"Alright, well, sit down. We accept my cousin-in-law's sincerity. However, we all know that many Japanese veterans have not deeply reflected on that war until now, let alone sincerely repented, and even want to overturn the case for the war of aggression. ”

"Yes. There are many such people in Japan. That's their ignorance and arrogance!" Nakagawa sat down and said indignantly and helplessly.

"Oh? Cousin-in-law, what do you say? ”

"Little brother, it's actually very simple to say, those people don't understand Chinese history and Japanese history at all, and they don't understand what kind of character Chinese people are. In addition, they do not understand China's topography and abundant natural resources. Compared with the two countries, how can such a small island country as Japan occupy and conquer such a large China? I'm a student of history, so I know everything. In your words, I am a China expert. ”

"Mr. Nakagawa, have you ever reflected on that war? How do you reflect on it? ”

Nakagawa's face was full of remorse and guilt, and he sincerely blamed himself in fluent Chinese:

"Yes, General Fang. I am very ashamed, I have deeply reflected on it for decades, and I have seriously reflected on it for decades. From the past to the present, the right-wing ideological trends and extreme nationalist sentiments of some people are wrong and even more dangerous. Therefore, today I take my son and grandson to the place where I invaded to apologize to the Chinese people and to you, and to pay tribute to the brave and fearless Chinese soldiers and innocent civilians who died in that war. Alas! I am a Chinese son-in-law, my son and grandson have the blood of Chinese, and China is my second hometown. At that time, I led my troops to trample on this beautiful and rich land and committed unforgivable crimes. As a result, we, Japan, were defeated, and you, China, were victorious. That war made me understand that Japan's war of aggression against China was an unjust and invincible war that was doomed to failure, and it was completely wrong. China is invincible, and the Chinese people are invincible. Japan waged a war against China, and it could not win in the past, nor can it win now, and it will not be able to win in the future. Alas! It's simple, you can never win. This has been proven by historical facts from ancient times to the present. The purpose of my visit to China to repent and apologize is to tell the Japanese people that in order for Japan to survive and develop, it must live in peace and have friendly exchanges with its neighbors, especially China, which is very culturally similar, and this is the only correct way. ”

"Yes, the past does not forget the teacher of the future. Mr. Nakagawa said it well and hoped that the Chinese and Japanese peoples would coexist peacefully and have friendly exchanges from generation to generation, and that there would never be another war. Francis said with infinite emotion.

"Alas!" Nakagawa sighed heavily, and said with emotion from the bottom of his heart:

"Actually, when the war lasted for more than two years, I saw it very clearly and came to a definite conclusion: The Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, the Japanese government frantically launched a full-scale war of aggression against China was very stupid and completely wrong, and it was a war that could not be won with self-destruction. Chairman Mao clearly asserted in the article "On Protracted War" published in May 1938 that Japan would be defeated and China would win. At that time, the secretary of the county party committee also told me that Japan's desire to occupy and annex China was completely rats swallowing elephants and was completely wishful thinking. ”

"Back then, why did the Japanese government launch a war of aggression against China?" Francis' grandson asked. ”