The pacifist dissent of Yanaihara Tadao, 1931-1945

Abstract

While they were few in number, the people who refused to ingratiate themselves or to undergo conversion, who persistently opposed a war of aggression, and who protected the great causes of peace and opposition tc war, created a reality which must not he overlooked. oimply because of these people, we can discover a tradition whose radiance illuminates Japanese history; the Japanese people can take pride in the history of the dark period which has been regarded as a time of hardship and humiliation* These people during the frenzied storms protected the light of the conscience of the Japanese, and have thus infused a brilliant and eternal light into the annals of Japanese history.