I have been intrigued a lot about the Japanese Character. I had a Japanese girl friend when I was doing a course in French. She was a nice girl and we drank endless cups of tea. I also learn't that the Japanese are mainly Buddhists. The Buddha, as we all know renounced the pleasures and comforts of life and went away to seek enlightenment. He propagated a path to salvation that had as its main pillars non-violence, peace, friendship and respect for human life.
However a look at the Japanese conduct during the last century and one wonders whether the Japanese Army and people really imbibed the teachings of Buddha. It appears they negated every concept enunciated by Lord Buddha.
A look at the Japanese occupation of China is a point. In 1937 Emperor Hirohito issued a royal decree that Chinese soldiers captured were not to be treated as POW's. This resulted in the Japanese Army butchering over 57,000 POW's. Going further the Japanese Army started what is known as the 'rape of Nanking' and on their occupation of the city unleashed a terror that just cannot be imagined. More than 200,000 Chinese citizens were killed and over 100,000 women raped and then butchered with swords or simply shot. I fail to understand the rationale of this Japanese conduct, particularly of a people who believed in Buddha. China was not the exception and they carried out such activities at other places as well.
The Japanese treatment of POW's of British and Australian origin was abhorrent and the Geneva Conventions thrown to the wind, with daily beheading and torture. No apologist for Japan has been able to explain this conduct of the Japanese. What was the reason for the Japanese to indulge in these massacres and tortures ? Perhaps scientists must study this aspect of the Japanese character. I cannot understand how the Japanese justify to themselves the complete negation of all that Buddha taught. It is an enigma to me
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