- Professor Eiji Oguma
Introduction of the discussion
In August 1945 at the end of the Pacific War, the Soviet Union abandoned the Japan-Soviet neutral treaty and invaded Manchuria. In the face of overwhelming strength, the majority of the Kanto troops ended the war on August 15 without intense fighting. Unarmed Japanese soldiers and civilians were captured by the Soviet Union and over 570,000 people were sent to various camps.
At that time, the Soviet Union was facing a serious labor shortage due to the war with Germany. Stalin urged the development of Siberia, where abundant resources sleep due to forced labor of detainees, and tried to use it as a foothold to restore national power.
In winter, in Siberia, below 30 degrees Celsius below freezing point, detainees were forced into harsh labor such as deforestation and coal mining, and at least 55,000 people died.
Finding the problem
Professor Eiji Oguma wrote the life of his father, Kenji Oguma, who was a Siberian return soldier, in his book “The Man Who Returned Alive”. What was the postwar period during and after the war which has come in sight through his father’s lifetime?
Argument
In that book, Kenji noted as for life after the war, “… I didn’t mean I wasn’t interested in politics, but I couldn’t afford it anyway. No matter how the cabinet changes, it’s like a story in another world, I don’t think it has anything to do with my life.”, “People in poverty who do not have a network in public institutions often have no room in life or time and cannot obtain information even if there is a system.”.
In Japan after the war, it was very meaningful for us that the fact that there were people who could not even know the various systems such as entrance to the clinic and welfare due to the problem of living environments, etc..
Conclusion
Therefore, I would like to deepen my research on the methodology for collecting the “live voices” of people who have suffered disasters, incidents, accidents, etc., in addition to war, and to pass on to future generations.
Examining the conclusion
By studying with Professor Eiji Oguma, who is the author of “The Man Who Returned Alive” and has a lot of research results on postwar Japanese history and sociology, I am sure that I could obtain various perspectives regarding my research and it would open up new horizons for me.
Therefore, I believe that Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management is the most suitable place for pursuing my research and social contributions, and I am aspiring to enter your school and study in your laboratory.
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