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Finnish History Writing Through Japanese Eyes Finnish History Writing Through Japanese Eyes Presentation and Reception of Shifting Interpretations of the Finnish Participation in WWII Wataru Yamazaki University of Helsinki Faculty of Social Sciences Master’s Thesis Master’s Programme in European and Nordic Studies (ENS) Social Sciences Track May 2019 Tiedekunta/Osasto Fakultet/Sektion – Laitos/Institution– Department Faculty Faculty of Social Sciences Tekijä/Författare – Author Wataru Yamazaki Työn nimi / Arbetets titel – Title Finnish History Writing Through Japanese Eyes: Presentation and Reception of Shifting Interpretations of the Finnish Participation in WWII Oppiaine /Läroämne – Subject Social Sciences Track / Master’s Programme in European and Nordic Studies Työn laji/Arbetets art – Level Aika/Datum – Month and year Sivumäärä/ Sidoantal – Number of pages Master’s Thesis May 2019 62 Tiivistelmä/Referat – Abstract The legacies of WWI often have central position in shaping national memory and in many occasions create national myth that shapes historical understanding in certain ways. The issues often trigger heated debate on how to interpret history in national and transnational context. Such is true for Finland. The history of the historiography of Finnish participation in WWII is a process of national interpretations being challenged from outside, notably researchers from Anglophone regions. The debate surrounding such challenges made from external perspectives are still topic of debate in the current context and calls for deconstructing the national myth to incorporate national history into European context are made. While the details of the Anglophone challenges are found in previous literature, how other researchers outside of Finland explained Finnish history of WWII are not well documented. To expand the landscape of the Finnish history research in other regions, this research will focus on the history writing of Japanese historians on Finnish WWII history. The literature that will be analysed are those published in Japan between 1951 and 2017, which includes works aimed at academic and public audience. Analysis will be made using conceptual history approach to understand the text “as they were written” through comparing them with the context within which it was written. The context includes both historiography of the Finnish WWII in available literature in English by Finnish and Anglophone authors, as well as Japanese sociopolitical and historiographical context of seiyōshi (Western History). Through the analysis, several findings were identified. Key findings include the shift in the nomenclature of the wars from wartime names, Soviet Finnish War, to translation of Finnish names, shift in the “problem space” of the Finnish history in Japanese literature, both of which originates to the clarification of the niche by the contributions from early historians. Another feature was relatively quick presentation and acceptance of Anglophone interpretations regarding the origins of the wars, though with variations between historians. This is most likely due to external perspective they share with those from Anglophone regions. The central finding of this research was the very strong emphasis on the small state in virtually all Japanese literature. While the notions appear in Finnish and Anglophone literature, the genre trope of the Western History research resonates strongly in the literature, especially the notions to “learn from the Occident”. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords Finnish history, Conceptual History, Japanese history, history writing, Finland, Japan, Winter War, Continuation War, World War Two, WWII Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited Helsinki University Library – E-thesis Service. Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Research landscape ............................................................................................................................. 2 Research Question .............................................................................................................................. 3 Chapter Structure ................................................................................................................................ 4 Significance of Research ..................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Methodological and Theoretical Background .......................................................... 6 Chapter 3: Historiographical Context of Finnish Participation of WWII ................................ 10 Chapter 4: Finnish history through Japanese eyes ................................................................... 15 Japanese historiography .................................................................................................................... 15 1950s - Early Attempts ..................................................................................................................... 19 1960s and 1970s Early Momose, and rising interest......................................................................... 27 1980s - Rise in topic, pioneer continues ........................................................................................... 32 1990s - Significant Increase .............................................................................................................. 36 2000s and 2010s Continuation and New Generations ...................................................................... 43 Chapter 5: Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 50 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 56 Japanese Literatures on Finnish History ........................................................................................... 56 Other Literatures ............................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix: Biographies of Key Researchers ............................................................................ 62 Yamazaki 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Background The historical experience of WWII in the European context, the discourse differs between states significantly. Often the experience and national history that arise from the Second World War occupiy a key position in its self-consciousness as a nation. In Finland, such key position is often highlighted and the “two wars” fought between 1939 and 1944 is regarded as the point of national unity where Finns showed their strength in defending their own country. The “myth” of Finnish war experience created a central view on how to interpret the events in that period to fit the story. Although such a view with nationalistic flavour still holds true, the transnational trend to reflect and reconsider the past, especially its difficult aspect is gaining strength. The prime example is the Holocaust research, which offers critical eyes towards nationalistic, narrow views by offering a reconsideration of the national history and reflect upon the collaboration and other difficult past. Stockholm-Banke points out that the Holocaust offers benchmark as to “what Europe should be and for what it must avoid becoming”.1 Such reflections and critical eyes on the past is now incorporated as Vergangenheitsbewältung, expanding the concept of German origin, which is increasingly being independent of initial geographical specificity. The issues with legacies of WWII and its difficult past exist in East Asia, in more, if not similar, conflicting and politicised manner. The relations between Japan and surrounding states, which were the main battlefield and under imperial rules of the Japanese empire, has been shadowed by how the “historical consciousness” issues are treated, specifically textbooks, comfort women and other issues arising from expansionist and colonial policy through the 1920s until 1945. The politicised landscape surrounding history writing of WWII, as well as its centrality offers an interesting case of Vergangenheitsbewältung in the Asian context. At the same time, what Europe and East Asia have in common is the position as the border where the East and the West met in close proximity. In the Finnish context, foreign policy was coordinated in order to ensure the survival of the state based on realism and lessons from the WWII experience led its position in proximity to the USSR. In East Asian context, Japan and 1 Stockholm Banke, Cecilie Felicia. "Remembering Europe's Heart of Darkness: Legacies of the Holocaust in Post-War European Societies." In A European Memory? : Contested Histories and Politics of Remembrance, edited by Pakier, Małgorzata and Bo Stråth, 163-174. New York: Berghahn Books, 2010. Yamazaki 2 South Korea stood as the vanguard of the Western bloc, while the USSR, North Korea and the People’s Republic of China stood as the East, creating a fundamental divide between the two. Perhaps the end of such confrontational relations is more important in the Vergangenheitsbewältung, as it opened up the Eastern European space as well as Asian Eastern bloc to have a dialogue with
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