Sionil Jose, a National Artist of the Philippines, a Magsaysay awardee, is 90 years old. He was born in 1924. His interview was published on 27 February on the daily Asahi newspaper in Japanese. The occasion was the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Manila about this time in 1945.
He fought the Japanese troops in Luzon in the last months of the War. The Battle of Manila was fought during that time. Manila, by the way, was one of the most destructed cities during the Second World War together with Stalingrad and Warsaw, by the land battle. Sionil was determined at that time to come to Japan and kill as many Japanese as possible by his gun.
His first visit to Japan was in 1955. Since then he visited it almost every year. As he sees it, Japan is safe and comfortable, with a lot of things to see. Some of his books were written there. He forgot some stuff in the Metro from time to time, but they were all returned to him.
He seems to be telling the young generation of his country to learn from the Meiji Restoration in the second half of 19th Century Japan. He says that it was a great event opening up a closed country. Then the victory in the Russo-Japanese War at the beginning of 20th Century was not only Japan's but also of the whole of Asia in that it showed that an Asian country isolated for centuries under feudalism was able to modernize itself. Even the Second World War showed what a small country with a dedicated people could do.
This writer, however, would not agree. Japan modernized itself under the motto of the Rich Country, Strong Military. Many Asian leaders, including Sun Yat-sen of China, looked up to Japan in those days, but they got ultimately disillusioned. If there was some one who was not interested in this way of modernization, it was Gandhi of India.
But when Sionil Jose says that in Japan today there is not much of open debate on the questions facing her, the media is hesitant in criticizing the ruling elites, and it is possible that the country is led to some ultra-nationalistic goal, I heartily agree with him. A person like him is a real friend of us. Let me conclude by saying that I look forward to meeting him sooner rather than later.
He fought the Japanese troops in Luzon in the last months of the War. The Battle of Manila was fought during that time. Manila, by the way, was one of the most destructed cities during the Second World War together with Stalingrad and Warsaw, by the land battle. Sionil was determined at that time to come to Japan and kill as many Japanese as possible by his gun.
His first visit to Japan was in 1955. Since then he visited it almost every year. As he sees it, Japan is safe and comfortable, with a lot of things to see. Some of his books were written there. He forgot some stuff in the Metro from time to time, but they were all returned to him.
He seems to be telling the young generation of his country to learn from the Meiji Restoration in the second half of 19th Century Japan. He says that it was a great event opening up a closed country. Then the victory in the Russo-Japanese War at the beginning of 20th Century was not only Japan's but also of the whole of Asia in that it showed that an Asian country isolated for centuries under feudalism was able to modernize itself. Even the Second World War showed what a small country with a dedicated people could do.
This writer, however, would not agree. Japan modernized itself under the motto of the Rich Country, Strong Military. Many Asian leaders, including Sun Yat-sen of China, looked up to Japan in those days, but they got ultimately disillusioned. If there was some one who was not interested in this way of modernization, it was Gandhi of India.
But when Sionil Jose says that in Japan today there is not much of open debate on the questions facing her, the media is hesitant in criticizing the ruling elites, and it is possible that the country is led to some ultra-nationalistic goal, I heartily agree with him. A person like him is a real friend of us. Let me conclude by saying that I look forward to meeting him sooner rather than later.
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