The War is Still Here
War is not merely a matter of the past but exists all around us today. This essay reflects on the defects of the media, the author’s lifelong mission to illuminate hidden truths, and his conviction that his words—his “children”—will endure for two thousand years. It explores the contradictions of capitalism, the limits of public discourse, and the foolishness that gives birth to war.
In this March 2, 2011 blog post, the author Kisara discusses their mission to shed light on truth and criticize the Japanese media and elite. They argue that “war is still everywhere,” beginning with individual acts of “vulgarity” and hurting others. The author asserts their writing’s purpose is to guide people toward truth and prevent future wars.
War is still everywhere… right next to you. March 2, 2011
Yesterday, just as I’d hoped, my Ameba blog’s visitor count exceeded 500 for the first time in a while, reaching 516 people who read and viewed my post. However, considering the feelings and effort (laughs) I put into it yesterday, I really would have wanted over 1,000 people to visit (laughs).
The number of people who left a “Peta” (a kind of like button) also exceeded 100 for the first time in a long while. I try to read everyone’s blogs as much as possible.
I have started publishing the second chapter of “The Turntable of Civilization” as a paid email newsletter, and the reason, as I’ve mentioned, is so I can speak without mincing words.
For example, a topic for a piece I’ll write after April 5th came to me this morning… I’ll look at it through a certain sports figure (I will, of course, use their real name in the newsletter), and from there, the strangeness of how they are portrayed becomes clear… the state of our country’s media (which is, of course, a hopelessly flawed level) becomes plain to see.
What is in my writing? … I say this in a good way, but living in a capitalist society means that the part Jared Diamond so brilliantly stated—that humans are the first creatures who could learn from history—is missing.
In other words, you could say that to live in or struggle with a capitalist society is to live like a dinosaur or a grizzly bear (laughs).
The moment I came of age—the moment my thoughts began—I instantly knew my purpose, which was the same as glimpsing the history of Japan in a single instant.
In other words, I have always, and at all times, lived by observing and thinking about history.
That’s why I continue to write the truth about Japan and the world from a perspective that you all cannot see or think of… Some people, like my classmates or those in the establishment, might say, “Kisara, that’s not true, everyone thinks about that.”
But that’s not the case… If they were… I’m speaking of my classmates, all of whom are gentle and wonderfully educated intellectuals, but they are fighting day and night for the country and the world in leading Japanese companies, so it’s not possible for them to direct their energy toward other things…
The people whose mistakes I will correct are the over 30,000 opinion leaders concentrated in Tokyo, the people who lean on them, and the people who read their arguments, or even those who don’t read but watch the current television for 24 hours without feeling any doubt and form public opinion.
The very people I’m targeting might say, “Kisara, we already know that.”
… “We all graduated from Waseda Political Science, the University of Tokyo, and so on,” they might say.
Weren’t they there when Japan started its worst war in history?
No, that’s wrong.
There were a mountain of them, just like there are now.
It is the role of a certain kind of person—a role given only to true artists—to shed light on the hidden and concealed truths and express them.
Only I can shed light on the truth in Japan and express it… only I can establish the 21st-century human being.
Why? … Because that is my role, my purpose. It is the words of a person who was given life for that purpose, and for that purpose alone, and has lived for that purpose alone.
I may very well end my life without having children of my own (I won’t write about this here, it will be in the newsletter eventually), but the words I have started to write, the words I continue to write, are my children… It’s unbearable to end my life without the kind of realistic happiness you all have… “What good are silver, gold, and jade? No treasure is as valuable as a child” …
I’m confident that because I didn’t have that happiness, these children of mine—my words—will surely be preserved by God for 2,000 years.
The benefit of you all reading my writing is… I could also talk about the essence of how to make money, as I am second to none in that regard, but there are so many different people out there, so I think it’s better to get that from them.
So, what is the significance of reading my writing?
I especially want those in the world of commentary who think they are the best to read it, but in reality, over 90% of the population, who belong to the working class, are fine to focus on earning even one yen to secure their own old age…
My writing will prevent you from being oblivious to the mistakes created by that 10%… it will stop you from watching only TV or reading and looking at things only within your scope of interest.
Why? … To ensure we never have war again.
“Kisara, what are you talking about? There’s no way war will ever happen again,” you might say, but that’s not true.
War is still everywhere… when a man hurts a woman, that is the beginning of war. When you deceive and hurt someone, that is the beginning of war…
War begins with foolishness—what I’ve always called “vulgarity.”