In the future, war for self-defence may be possible in Japan.
Self-defence is complicated because a pre-emptive attack on an enemy base for defence is conceivable.
Some people, like the Ukrainians, may be willing to give up their lives to fight in defence of their homeland.
But the most disgusting thing is that military orders are absolute.
In the army, if you are told to go and die, you must do as you are told.
You can never quit just because you don't want to. That would be treason.
If your superior officer was a respectable person, you would still be saved.
On Iwo Island, Lieutenant General Kuribayashi first saved lives by evacuating the islanders when the war situation became severe.
When water and food became scarce, he himself followed the same poor diet as ordinary soldiers.
However, most of his superiors in the army were arrogant and corrupt, and they were violent and forced their subordinates to do unreasonable things.
The elites who had graduated from the Army War College only made unsuccessful plans and never took responsibility for them.
As a result, many unknown soldiers lost their lives in vain and starved to death.
The army chief of staff, Masanobu Tsuji, was a high achiever at the Army War College and even received a military sword from his former teacher.
He was a strong-minded manoeuvre planner and forced his subordinates to commit suicide instead of taking responsibility for the heavy defeat at the Nomonhan.
So the elites are various, and there are many who end up doing great damage to the national interest.
No, not just damage: they took the lives of three million of their countrymen and destroyed their livelihoods.
His education pushed people who should never have been given power into national leadership positions.
Fearing the pursuit of war responsibility, he went into hiding and fled in Southeast Asia and Japan, disguised as a monk.
His obsession with survival was very strong and his skills were also excellent.
He used his escapades to become a writer and even became wealthy from the royalties he earned.
When the US gave up pursuing him, he even became a Member of Parliament in his hometown.
The prefects who choose to do so are also prefects...
But this kind of thing is not limited to times of war.
In fact, it is a social phenomenon that continues unabated in Japan today.
What is school? What is education?
It is surely thanks to these highly educated people that Japan is in a state of decline.