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Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun: How I Survived Chinas Wartime Atrocity by [Homare Endo, Michael Brase]

Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun: How I Survived China s Wartime Atrocity Kindle Edition

by Homare Endo (Author), Michael Brase (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

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Over 150,000 innocents died of starvation in Changchun, northeastern China, after the end of WW2 when Mao's army laid siege during the Chinese Civil War. Japanese girl Homare Endo, then age seven, was trapped in Changchun with her family. After nomadic flight from city to city, Homare eventually returned to Japan and a professional career. This is her eyewitness, at times haunting account of survival at all costs and of unspeakable scenes of barbarity that the Chinese government today will not acknowledge.

Homare Endo was born in China in 1941 and is director of the Center of International Relations at Tokyo University and Graduate School of Social Welfare.

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304 pages
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English
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Stone Bridge Press
Publication date

September 19, 2016
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1801 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Endo’s very personal and nuanced narrative of the family’s experiences in Changchun, Yangqi, and Tianjin provide valuable lessons about political ambitions, armed conflict, and societal upheavals, and their effects on ordinary people... Teachers at all levels, as well as high school and college students, will benefit from reading about Endo’s experiences."

—Education About Asia

“A tour de force.”

—Mainichi Shinbun

“[Homare Endo] may love [her homeland] but says, ‘What happened at Changchun is a stain that remains on the birth of modern China. It is time to speak out about the truth!’ And we agree.”

—Asahi Shinbun

“An exceptional true-to-life documentary narrative.”

—Yomiuri Shinbun

"Reveals the power of official history to write its own story and exclude what troubles that narrative."

—Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

—The Japan Times

"Endo has carefully studied the historical material as well as her own traumas. Consequently, she has elected to place a heavy emphasis on the little things in life and the fleeting moments of another era, shifting her attention away from animosity and antipathy, and preventing us of becoming overwhelmed with enmity."

—The Literary Review

It’s a reminder of how far people will go to survive and how much farther they will go with hope of a better life. It’s a monument to the truth and a memento to the forgotten dead."

—The Daily Nebraskan

"[Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun] is a fascinating, harrowing story of resilience and struggle that has been overlooked by most people and historians. It is a story that needs to be told, in order that it will not be repeated."

—Lost In Translation blog

"A chilling yet inherently fascinating and intensely personal memoir, Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun is exceptionally well written, organized and presented."

—Midwest Book Review

"Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun is an important work, a reminder of humanity’s boundless potential for compassion or cruelty, once war forces a fight for survival... [It] vividly captures the psychological and physical trauma of surviving war... Endo’s memoir is also a call to action. It’s part of a history that has been deliberately ignored, and deserves to be remembered."—The Japan Times

"Endo has carefully studied the historical material as well as her own traumas. Consequently, she has elected to place a heavy emphasis on the little things in life and the fleeting moments of another era, shifting her attention away from animosity and antipathy, and preventing us of becoming overwhelmed with enmity."―The Literary Review

"There are things written in this book that are difficult to repeat aloud – haunting moments that stun the reader and stick in his or her mind long after the book is closed... Even today, no Chinese publisher has been willing to publish this book for fear of retribution. That’s what makes Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun so important. It reveals a truth hidden for so long and brings to light stories of the people who suffered, the people who were forgotten... It’s a reminder of how far human apathy can sink, the destructive power of selfishness and the necessity of empathy. It’s a reminder of how far people will go to survive and how much farther they will go with hope of a better life. It’s a monument to the truth and a memento to the forgotten dead."—The Daily Nebraskan

"[Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun] is a fascinating, harrowing story of resilience and struggle that has been overlooked by most people and historians. It is a story that needs to be told, in order that it will not be repeated."—Lost In Translation blog

"A chilling yet inherently fascinating and intensely personal memoir, Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun is exceptionally well written, organized and presented."—Midwest Book Review

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Homare Endo was born in China in 1941, lived through the Chinese Revolutionary War, and returned to Japan in 1953. She is a Doctor of Science, director of the Center of International Relations at Tokyo University and Graduate School of Social Welfare, and professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba. She was a visiting researcher and professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

She has published many works about postwar China.

Among her published works are Mo Takuto: Nihongun to kyobo shita otoko (Máo Zédong: The Man who Conspired with the Japanese Army; in Japanese and Chinese), Chaina Sebun: Akai kotei Shu Kinpei (The China Seven: The Red Emperor Xí Jìnpíng), Chaina Nain: Chugoku o ogokasu kyunin no otoko-tachi (The China Nine: The Nine Men who Move China), Netto taikoku Chugoku: Genron o meguru kobo (Internet Superpower China: The Battle over Freedom of Speech), Chaina Jajji: Mo Takuto ni narenakatta otoko (Bó Xilái: The Man who Failed to Become a Second Máo Zédong), Kanzen kaidoku: Chugoku gaiko senryaku no nerai (An In-depth Study: The Aims of Chinese Foreign Policy), Chugoku-jin ga eranda wasuto Chugoku-jin banzuke: Yahari akai Chugoku wa fuhai de horobiru (The Worst Chinese as Selected by the Chinese: Corruption Will Bring Red China Down in the End), and Chugoku doman shinjin-rui: Nihon no anime to manga ga Chugoku o ugokasu (The Chinese Anime-Manga Tribe: Japanese Anime and Manga Shake China).

About the translator: A longtime editor at Kodansha International and now freelance translator, Michael Brase counts among his translations The Manga Biography of Kenji Miyazawa, The Culture of Japan as a New Global Value, and The Building of Horyu-ji. His miscellaneous writings and translations can be seen on Facebook at Japan & Stuff Press.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LK7G94W
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stone Bridge Press; Reprint edition (September 19, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 19, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1801 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1611720389
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #2,155,767 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,060 in Historical China Biographies
- #1,147 in Japanese Biographies
- #1,552 in Chinese Biographies

Customer Reviews:
23 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Another Chapter

Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

When it comes to the modern history of China, we in the West tend to learn the few broad strokes: Japan’s brutal incursions in the 1930s, the noted “Flying Tigers” volunteer international aeronautic group based in China, China’s staunch role as WWII ally, and China’s continued civil war following the end of WWII, as well as Mao’s run of power including the Cultural Revolution.

To this list must be added the siege of Changchun. Scholars tell us that 150,000 civilians died during this four-month period in 1948, with a similar number able to flee to safety. What Homare Endo brings to us with this book is her story of living through that horrible season of death as a 7-year-old. Yes, this is a memoir and by its very nature anecdotal. And yes, it is brutal to read. You may find yourself needing to stop and take a break from it. (I sure did.)

But this is also eyewitness testimony, and belongs in libraries and on home bookshelves. I hope this book stays in print for a good long while.

Helpful

William L. Brown

A Harrowing Account of a Wartme Atrocity

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2017

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

The subtitle of this book, “How I survived China’s wartime atrocity,” is what enticed me to acquire it and read it. I couldn’t put it down. The author is a Doctor of Science, director of the Center of International Relations at Tokyo University and Graduate School of Social Welfare, and professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

Initially I found this story to be so bizarre that I had some concerns about its authenticity. (1) Is there really a University of Tsukuba in Japan, and if so how prominent is it? (2) Was there really a vicious siege of Changchun, and exactly what happened there?

A bit of quick research led me to discover that the University of Tsukuba was established in 1973 and even boasts three Nobel Prize Winners, two in physics and one in chemistry. It is reportedly one of the oldest national universities (established by the Japanese Government) and also one of the most comprehensive research universities in Japan. So, it is genuine.

As for my second question, yes – there was a siege of the city of Changchun, China in 1945. In 1932 the capital of Manchukuo, a Japan-controlled puppet state in Manchuria, was established in Changchun. The Nationalist Chinese army was trapped in the city by the Communist Army in a last-ditch effort to destroy the remnant of the Nationalists and secure China for the Communists. This siege was remarkable in that essentially none of the hundreds of thousands of civilians in the city were allowed to leave, and no food or water were allowed into the city. As a result, many died of dehydration and starvation. Estimates of the death toll range from 100,000 to 600,000. The author sets the number of deaths at around 300,000.

The author, Homare Endo, was only four years old when the military blockade of her home city began. Her father was an esteemed producer of pharmaceuticals, primarily an anti-heroin drug that he invented called Giftol (“gift,” German for “poison,” plus “toru,” Japanese for “removing”). Giftol enabled millions who were hooked on heroin to be freed from the addiction without the pain of going cold turkey. In China, where many people smoked heroin as others might smoke cigarettes, Giftol created an astonishing demand and Endo’s father became a very wealthy man. Sadly, although his wealth was earned honestly it marked him as a target for the Russian, North Korean and Chinese Communist soldiers. The soldiers claimed to be on the side of the working class, and they viewed him as part of the hated wealthy class (the bourgeoisie).

Endo has offered her memoirs not to expose a “forgotten” scandal in China’s history so much as to reconstruct how she survived the terrifying events she experienced as a child. The result is a difficult read, because the torments that she endured throughout the siege were brutally severe. Since she was Japanese, her Chinese classmates blamed her for the Japanese occupation that their families endured in the previous years. A high point of her story is her account of a school teacher who saw in her great potential and who told her classmates that, as a four-year-old, she could not possibly have contributed to the Japanese occupation of their homeland.

Much of the success of her family’s escape from Changchun was due to her father’s reputation as a highly devout man who took good care of the workers in his factory. Even though he lost millions to the marauding armies of undisciplined soldiers, he never lost hope and protected his family and friends against overwhelming odds. He is truly the hero of this story.

I strongly urge anyone who is interested in the history of the Asian people to read this book. It is riveting in its detail, a highly emotional account of a harrowing experience that a young child endured. In addition to this book, she has written at least eight books recounting her experiences in China and her views on Chinese history. Sadly, I think this volume is the only one that has been translated into English.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Carol C.

Fascinating and horrifying account of atrocities against Japanese during the beginnings of China's cultural revolution

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2017

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

The story was fascinating and horrifying. It seemed to be told with a bent for hyperbole -- so even if fully true, it often came across as exaggerated or biased, rather than objectively written. The author survived these atrocities as a young child, so perhaps the story is accurately told from her perspective, but I felt that I was reading propaganda rather than an objective account. That said, the story certainly needs to the told and the author makes clear that the Chinese government has done nothing to tell the story.

One hears plenty about the atrocities the Japanese inflicted on the Chinese in the years preceding WWII. It was enlightening to hear about atrocities inflicted by the Chinese on Japanese residents.

Helpful

Siege of Changchun Has Horrific Consequences

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2017

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

Homare Endo has written an insightful and engrossing memoir about a particularly horrifying, yet little known in the West, episode of mass starvation in Northwest China during the Chinese civil war. Endo's family was part of the large Japanese population who lived in the occupied puppet state of Manchuria. Her father was that very rare mix of gifted scientist, savy businessman and, perhaps most importantly, possessing an enormously generous heart. His kindness would benefit the family at unexpected times during their hardships.

Endo's father, Takuji Okubo, had invented an anti-addictive medicine that helped opium addicts withdraw. He was unusual among Japanese businessmen in that he treated his Chinese and Korean workers very well. Okubo's pharmaceutical company, based in Changchun, the capital of the Manchurian state, flourished. After World War II began, and refugees poured into Changchun, Okubo helped many through employment, housing and food.

After the Japanese army in China collapsed, the Russians occupied Changchun, stealing all they could. Then, as the Chinese civil war raged, Changchun was a prime target, alternatively occupied by the Nationalist and Communist armies. During that time, the vast majority of the 200,000 Japanese nationals were repatriated, leaving a scant few thousand. Okubo's family did not join this exodus because his pharmaceutical work was deemed to important to allow him to leave.

In October 1947, the Eighth Route Army lay siege to the Nationalist-held Changchun. They cut off water, electricity, gas and, of course, food. Over the next year, Changchun became a scene of human disaster, as more than 300,000 people died or disease and starvation, including members of Endo's immediate family. People ate everything edible, including animal feed, beans from bedding stuffing, wild plants, grass, bark, and even human flesh. People were dying in the streets, packs of wild dogs were not only eating the dead but going after babies as well.

Reduced to human skeletons, Endo's family with several other remaining Japanese families decide to try and leave the city and flee into Communist-held territory. With their few remaining possessions that have not been stolen, they enter Qiazi, a no-man's land of truly horrific desperation. Surrounded by decaying corpses, the living dead, and desperate refugees and little else, the 7 year old Endo is psychologically scarred by what she sees. It will take her years to recover. After managing to be allowed out of Qiazi because of her father's pharmaceutical work, Endo's family and the other pharmaceutical workers are forced to leave half the Japanese families behind to almost certain death.

They live first in Yanji for several years, and then move to Tianjin. Okubo continues his pharmaceutical work. The story in this section focuses on Endo and her travails. While in Changchun she had been suffering from tuberculosis. In Yanji, she was at death's door. Only, by her father borrowing several years of salary for him to afford the then very expensive antibiotic streptomycin was she saved. Physically healed, Endo faces the challenge of healing her unrecognized psychic ailments. On top of that, in the nascent communist republic, they had to deal with the culture of denounce or be denounced, communist propaganda, and anti-Japanese sentiment. Okubo's past kindnesses come back to help them as the beneficiaries turn into benefactors.

This is a very moving story that contains not just lessons of the past but also reflects the humanitarian crises of the present.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Horrible.

Reviewed in Canada on October 20, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is an important book on a very important part of the Chinese Civil War. The Chinese armies acted as if they were in the middle ages. Horrible.

Ruggles

Unique. Put aside any preconceptions you may have.

Reviewed in Japan on July 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

It is easy to have preconceptions about what this book may be about and it does cover some of the common ground of horrors associated with any war.

However, the point of view of the author as a young child expressing her emotions is amazing, with visual clarity and various states of suffering and consciousness as she grows. Part of a family, but also awash in so many twists of fate in the wider contexts of their lives and political circumstances.

Her seemingly detached observation of the range of human behavior in those around them also trying to survive -many ruthless and debased and others exhibiting true awareness of honor and moral values under the most extreme duress, is impressive.

The author's later exceptional achievements and personal development becoming adult help integrate the overall story and put it in a larger perspective I think we can relate to our own lives.

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