ABSTRACT
Takeyama Michio (1903-84) is famous mainly as the author of the novel Harp of Burma (Biruma no Tategoto), which was acclaimed as a masterpiece of children’s literature and war literature in the post-war period in Japan. The novel was subsequently translated into English, and has been transposed to cinema on two occasions in 1956 and 1985, both directed by Ichikawa Kon. It is still widely regarded among most Japanese as a masterpiece of the post-war canon of humanist, anti-war and peace literature. In this chapter, it will be seen that this appraisal of Takeyama’s work can be seen as somewhat contradictory to the person himself; Takeyama was a central figure among right-wing critical circles as an advocate of anti-communism. His many works have been largely forgotten since his death in 1984 and the end of the Cold War. Of particular regret is the tendency to overlook or forget his sincere and deliberate consideration of war responsibility as an intellectual who had experienced the war. The aim of this chapter is to depict intellectual perspectives on history in the post-war period through an examination of Harp of Burma and analyse this medium as a means of accomplishing reconciliation among former enemies. I believe that this novel reflects Takeyama’s own conscience concerning war responsibility and depicts a unique perspective on post-war peace and reconciliation.1
