Japan

A Taste of Goethe, Germany's Great Poet

War and Reading: Shigeru Mizuki's Memoirs before Going to War" - Unknown Mizuki Shigeru and the Connection to "Conversations with Goethe".

This work is based on a memoir written by Shigeru Mizuki before he left for war, and Hiroshi Aramata's background on that memoir and how young men read before, during, and after the war.

Until I read this book, I knew little about Shigeru Mizuki other than "Gegege no Kitaro". I had no idea that he went to war and wrote various works based on his experiences there.

This book was a wonderful book with much to gain. It gives us a glimpse into what Shigeru Mizuki and other young men were thinking and reading at the time, and what they were thinking about as they lived through the war years. Highly recommended.
Stalin and Hitler's genocide and holocaust

What Did Soviet Soldiers Believe and Why Did They Keep Fighting - "Learning from the Battle of Germany and the Soviet Union" Articles

The book reveals what each soldier went through and why he continued to fight.

Each one of them is an ordinary human being just like us.

A person has the potential to be anything. Depending on the circumstances, people can commit atrocities with impunity. Even if you think you are a good person, you never know what you might do. This book makes you think about that.
Stalin and Hitler's genocide and holocaust

(3) Soviet manpower tactics and deadly assault: What is the "Ullah! on the battlefield

Kill after kill, one after another, they charge at you without fear of death. There is no greater fear than this.

The reckless assault is devastating, and the Soviet soldiers retreat, but to their surprise, the Soviet command now slaughters the retreating soldiers.

In the Soviet army, retreat was not an option. As I will show later, there was an ironclad order to fight to the death. Therefore, soldiers who withdrew and returned were killed as a violation of military regulations.

Soviet soldiers were overrun by Nazi soldiers, and if they fled, they would in turn be killed by Soviet troops.

Thus, the bodies of countless soldiers on the front lines were piled up one after another. With the cry of "Ullah! was the cry of the soldiers as they were being carried out by sea.
German-Soviet War: The Soviet Union and the Nazis' War of Extermination

Takeshi Tomita, "Siberian Internment" - History of harsh forced labor after the war by the Soviet Union

The term "Siberian internment" brings to mind the image of Japanese people being subjected to misery by the Soviet Union, but in this book we learn that the Soviet political system and the influence of the Russo-German War played a major role.

There are also several columns interspersed throughout the book, where recommended books are introduced to learn more about the Siberian internment. Novels and memoirs based on the harsh experiences are introduced, and the book is full of information that will be appreciated by those who want to learn more about the Siberian internment.

This book is highly recommended to get an overall picture of Siberian internment.
German-Soviet War: The Soviet Union and the Nazis' War of Extermination

S. D. Goldman, "Nomonhan 1939: The Unknown Beginning of World War II" - Why did Japan repeat its tragic defeat? A shocking masterpiece!

First of all, let me say this first. This book is tremendous.

The book reveals that the Nomonhan Incident, a historical event that we all know only by name, had an unimaginably huge impact on the world.

The book also analyzes why Japan suffered repeated disastrous defeats and why the military went out of control and fought recklessly. I think you will be quite shocked when you read it. I myself was stunned many times while reading this book, saying, "No way.... It is that shocking.
German-Soviet War: The Soviet Union and the Nazis' War of Extermination

Masashi Jinno, "World History Theater: This is How the Nazis Seized Power" - A recommended reference book for understanding the process of Hitler's seizure of power!

Why did Germany, which was supposed to be a democracy, move toward totalitarianism?

This is also true in Japan.

Learning about the Nazis is also learning about our history.

As usual in this book, Jono's exquisite commentary keeps things moving along. It is just interesting and easy to read. This book is highly recommended for those who want to know about the German process first.
German-Soviet War: The Soviet Union and the Nazis' War of Extermination

Masashi Jinno's "World History Theater: World War II: The Fierce European Front" - A book recommended to grasp the flow of WW2.

What kind of war was World War II really? How did the Nazis operate? How did the Soviet Union led by Stalin oppose it? What about Britain, France, and the United States?

In this book, you will learn about the complex and bizarre international situation. Mr. Jinno emphasizes the "why" of why history has moved in the way it has, rather than simply listing events. I think this is the wonderful thing about the "World History Theater" series. I believe that this book is unique in that it is not mere memorization, but rather it develops the ability to think about "why". I highly recommend this book.
History of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin

The Day Digital Reality Will Be Swallowed Up" - Personal Information is Naked - Fear of an Information Management Society

友人は「この本はホラー小説を読んでるような気分で一気に読んでしまいました」と薦めてくれましたが、まさにその通り！ホラー小説とはよく言ったもので、ずばりそんな恐怖を感じる本でした。とても面白い本でした。これは今の時代にまさにオススメする１冊です。ぜひ手に取ってみてください。

この本を紹介してくれた友人には大感謝です。
History of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin

Masafumi Asada, "Siberian Expedition: Modern Japan's Forgotten Seven Years' War" - Recommended reference book to learn about the Siberian Expedition.

Although the Siberian Invasion is not often highlighted in history, it was in fact a very important event that would later lead to World War II.

You will often be surprised at the unexpected discoveries that you did not know about in this book, such as not only the intention to warn the communist Soviets, but also the pressure from Western countries and the background of having to appeal to them in order to get a share of the First World War.

The war was a long and tragic battle, and the growing mutual suspicion and hatred between Japan and the Soviet Union was reminiscent of the Sino-Japanese War that followed.

The book made me feel that the Siberian Exodus was actually a significant event in the history of Japan.
Russian History and Culture and Dostoevsky

Takeaki Enomoto's "Siberian Diary" - A great man associated with Hakodate at the end of the Edo period traveled across Russia and Siberia!

Enomoto Takeaki studied in Holland as a young man, and from there, after fighting in the Boshin War, he again traveled to Europe as a diplomat.

In this book, you will learn about the landscapes, industries, and people's lives in Siberia, which he saw for the first time. He left Petersburg in 1878. This was the year when Dostoevsky started writing "The Brothers Karamazov" in his last days. He was in Russia exactly where Dostoevsky was.

His "Siberian Diary" is an excellent source of information on the lives of Dostoevsky and his contemporaries. In this sense, I found this book extremely interesting.

It was a very gratifying opportunity to learn about Takeaki Enomoto, a great man associated with Hakodate.