Harukanaru Sanga Ni - In The Faraway Mountains and Rivers

The impact of Harukanaru Sanga ni upon its publication in 1947 was immediate and dramatic- -the impetus, many have argued, for a post-war peace movement in Japan that has lasted over half a century. Now the text is available for the first time in English as In the Far Away Mountains and Rivers , a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking collection of letters, journal entries, and essays written by University of Tokyo students as they were drafted to fight in World War II. Many of these students faced certain death as pilots in the kamikaze squads. Many of them deplored the war, and many were simply motivated by a sense of duty to their families and their country. They turned to poetry, philosophy, and religion—all in an attempt to make sense of the universal tragedy of war. "In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers continues the self-narrative of Japanese student-soldiers, which Midori Yamanouchi and Joseph Quinn introduced to the English speaking world in their previously published Listen to the Voices from the Sea." "The letters and journal excerpts in this volume present the poignant reflections of University of Tokyo students drafted to fight in World War II, some of them as kamikaze pilots. The brightest young men in Japanese society turned to poetry, philosophy, literature, and religion to cope with their situation. They express their love of family and friends, as well as their anguish, confusion, and sadness. The words of these students are pervaded by a sense of helplessness and fate rather than any animosity toward the United States." "Reading In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers you will hear echoes of the common experience of soldiers in all wars. You will be reminded of the courageous spirit and sense of duty that they share, but you will also be left with the indelible impression of the terrible toll that war takes on the human spirit, on every side of every conflict." "Full of sorrow and beauty, replete with the reflections of young men as they struggle with their preparation for the brutalities of war and ultimately death, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers offers the thoughtful reader a contemplative and transforming experience."--Jacket Indelible impression of the terrible toll that war takes on the human spirit, on every side of every conflict." "Full of sorrow and beauty, replete with the reflections of young men as they struggle with their preparation for the brutalities of war and ultimately death, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers offers the thoughtful reader a contemplative and transforming experience."--BOOK JACKET