戦後８０年の取組み 青木茂 戦後８０年となる今年（２０２５年）は、「平和のための博物館・市民ネットワーク」の会員である「ピース愛知」の主催で２月に、同じく会員である「高知・草の家」の主催で７月に、「中国人強制連行・強制労働と万人坑（人捨て場）」という主題で講演会を開催してもらった。 この２回を含め、今年は既に７回の講演会（そのうち５回は小生の単独講演会。残りの２回は、複数の話題提供者による交流会）を開催している。その中には、中国駐大阪総領事館で薛剣総領事出席の下で１月に開催された単独講演会や、中国駐名古屋総領事館で楊娴総領事出席の下で８月に開催された、複数の話題提供者による交流会での講演も含まれる。さらに、この後も、年内に３回の講演会開催が既に決定している。 このような年間１０回もの講演会開催は、それまでは年に４回ぐらいの開催がせいぜいだった無名で素人の私にとっては異常とも言える状況だ。 その「異常」の原因は、コロナ禍による異常事態が収束し、市民団体などによる活動が通常に戻っていることに加え、今年が戦後８０年であることなのだろう。実際に、中国総領事館主催の２回の講演会では、「中国人民抗日戦争および反ファシズム戦争勝利８０周年」の節目を迎えての開催であることがいずれも強調されている。 それで、講演で私が説明しているのは、主に日中１５年戦争期における中国本土（中国国内）での中国人強制労働についてである。このことに関する詳細な説明は別の機会にゆずるが、要点を簡略にまとめると、「日中１５年戦争時に強制労働の被害を受けた中国人は４０００万人にもなり、そのうち約１０００万人が死亡した（殺された）と推定される。そして、その１０００万人もの犠牲者の遺体を埋めた『人捨て場』が中国全土のいたるところに作られ、戦後８０年の今も膨大な数の『人捨て場』が残されている。その『人捨て場』を中国の人たちは『万人坑』と呼んでいる」ということになる。 ところで、中国人強制連行というと、ほとんどの日本人は、約４万人の中国人が日本国内に連行され約７０００人が死亡した日本国内における中国人強制連行のことしか知らない。しかし、極めて少数にすぎないが、中国国内（中国大陸）における中国人強制労働に関心を寄せる人が増えつつあることが、小生の講演会が開催される機会が増えた原因でもあると思う。 ミューズの読者の皆さん！ 中国本土における中国人強制労働について話を聞いてみたいということであれば声をかけてください。万難を排して説明に駆けつけます。あと、とりあえずということであれば、小生が開設しているウェブサイト「万人坑を知る旅」（URL＝ http://ss102634.stars.ne.jp/ ）を参照してください。 （補足）本稿のイギリス語訳が、日本語版「ミューズ」のイギリス語版である「Muse Newsletter」の No.５９に掲載されました。下記を参照してください。それで、イギリス語話者の方に下記のイギリス語版を紹介してもらえると有り難いです。 80 Years of Postwar Efforts: AOKI Sigeru In 2025, marking 80 years of the postwar period in Japan, two lectures were held under the theme “Chinese Forced Labor and the Manninkō (Mass Graves).” The first was organized in February by Peace Aichi, a member of the Japanese Citizens’ Network of Museums for Peace, and the second in July by another member organization, Kochi Kusa-no-Ie (The Grassroots House). Including these two, a total of seven lectures have already been held this year. Five were solo talks I gave myself, while the remaining two were exchange meetings featuring multiple speakers. Among them were a solo lecture in January at the Chinese Consulate-General in Osaka, attended by Consul General Xue Jian, and an exchange meeting in August at the Chinese Consulate-General in Nagoya, attended by Consul General Yang Xian, where I also gave a presentation. In addition, three more lectures are scheduled for the remainder of the year. Giving as many as ten talks in a single year is quite an unusual experience for me. In the past, I usually gave no more than four, so this sudden increase feels almost extraordinary for someone like me- not a professional speaker by any means. This unusual surge is likely due not only to the return of normal activities by civic groups after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to the fact that this year marks 80 years of the postwar period in Japan. At the two lectures hosted by the Chinese Consulates-General, the organizers also highlighted that the events were held in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. In my lectures, I mainly explain the issue of forced labor imposed on Chinese people within mainland China during the Fifteen Year War between Japan and China (1931-1945). A detailed discussion of this topic will be left for another occasion, but to summarize briefly: it is estimated that around 40 million Chinese people were subjected to forced labor during the war, and that about 10 million of them died — or were killed — as a result. The bodies of these countless victims were buried in what were called “human disposal sites,” which were established all across China. Even now, a vast number of these sites still remain. The Chinese people refer to these places as “Manninkō” (literally,“ten-thousand-person pits”), meaning mass grave sites. By the way, when most Japanese people hear the term “Chinese forced labor,” they usually think only of the roughly 40,000 Chinese people who were brought to Japan during the war, of whom about 7,000 died. Very few are aware of the much larger scale of forced labor that took place within mainland China. I believe that growing interest among even this small number of people in forced labor in mainland China is one reason why I’ve had more opportunities to give lectures in recent years. To the readers of Muse! If you are interested in learning more about Chinese forced labor in mainland China, please do not hesitate to reach out. I will do my best to come and explain it in person. If you would like to start with something more accessible, you can visit my website, “A Journey to Learn About Manninkō” at http://ss102634.stars.ne.jp/ . |
【メールフォームのページへ】 |