Looking Back at History to Learn About Today

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Auschwitz. These are the stages for the tragedies of the 20th century. To this list, we might add Chernobyl and, from the 21st century, Fukushima. Two were atomic bombings, two were nuclear power plant accidents, and one was a mass slaughter. Of these five, three took place in Japan.

Is this country specially cursed among the nations of the world? Surely, that cannot be the case. In the modern and contemporary eras, Japan has stood on tiptoe, stretching itself further than any other country in the world. It has pushed itself relentlessly, piling one unreasonable demand upon another. As a result, it has achieved a great many successes. However, when you stand on tiptoe, you are also more likely to fall. Consequently, the incidence of tragedy also increases. Is it not possible to think of it this way?

I am particularly interested in the history of thought and culture in modern and contemporary Japan. Specifically, this includes the era of the two World Wars, as well as postwar political and social thought, philosophy, and the arts and culture. These fields have borne much fruit, but they also contain failures and tragedies born from overexertion. Present-day Japan is the result of this accumulation of experiences—of learning and forgetting such lessons. Indeed, we can learn from the past. It is only by looking back at history that we can gain a perspective for understanding the present. I imagine that you are aiming for the Faculty of Law because you have an interest in law and politics. However, it is of course impossible to master these subjects in isolation from the start. It is only by having a good understanding of the premises and related fields that many things become visible, that you notice them, and have flashes of insight. The various courses in the humanities, including history, are provided for this very purpose.