Yesterday Hero, Tomorrow Murderer.

I know it rarely happens but if you want to be disapointed or
feel helpless, I definitely recommend you to watch
"Watashi ha kai ni naritai（わたしは貝になりたい）"　
I don't know it has Eiglish subtitle version but This is the movie
I'll never forget.


This movie is basically set the situation as WW focusing on
a man who got an invitation letter from goverment,which is called "red paper" 赤紙(aka-gami)in Japanese because the letter literally colored in red. And the invitaiton means you are picked up as a solder to go to the war.

Roughly let me explain on the movie.
Japan was beated in WW2. And after the war is ended, US or United Nations
executed trials for the persons who took part in a war and killed people
in foriegn countires. In the war time, they were enemies for them and it
was natural to do it (of course it is never natural, i know)decause Japan
was a country of the emperor and at that time if you behave like you are
against from emperor's order, you are not seen as a nomal human and people
were afriad to be eliminated by neibours and society. (In basic Japan
is an island isolated from other continent and it made a culture easily that
cooperation is the essential matter to survive in that small island. then
For us Japanese it is more important to live in harmony with people rather than being indipendent like Eastern countries do.)

In short, emperor is God for Japanese and ignoring goverment order means death.
(in war time goverment is totally under the control of emperor. Of course,
now emperor is separeted from politics and just a symbol od Japanese citizens)
Moreover, you can be admired as a hero if you go to the war and killed emenies.
because it's a huge contribution for Emperor who wants to win the war!

During the movie you can find a scene that a man got an solder invitation
was oedered to kill an American solder. He was shrinked up and couldn't
easily execute the cruciel order by his boss. but his boss doesn't allow him to
stop to kill the American solder then the boss put a gun on the head of the man
and ordered him to execute the murder again. This is dead or alive.
If you refused your boss's order, you will die. Where is the origine of the boss's order? Emperor.
As a result, The man couldn't kill the americam solder and panished badly.
(but the audience know the fact later on this scene)


And the war is over. as I mentioned above, Japan lost.
What happen then? The United Nations decided to find the
JApanese who killed people in United Nation side and
execute judgements. the guilty JApanese solders were
ranked in 3 level, A, B, C.
A is the most heavy charge which is death penalty.
the guilty person is hung until die.
Moreover, the body of hunged persons are not sent to
their families even the families never be told where the
body is buried. It was a strict rule.

The change is the history is like this.
Today you are hero, and tomorrow you will be hung.

The man ordered to kill an American solder judged as rank A.
It was misunderstanding. but what the man could do in the traial
executed by English speakers who emphasize on the free will
to chose his own will. Both regarding language problem and
democratic idea was a begining of the tragetic misunderstanding.
And the movie goes as if the misunderstanding can be solved
but it never happens. he was hung.

He was characterize as a cheerful person who never lose the
hope but at last scene, he wrote a will that he never want to
be reborn as a human. I can't post this anymmore today.
it's too hard to remember this movie. after some time
i will post more on this, sorry.