Lessons From The Land Of The Rising Sun

These days, far too many Westerners take their Japanese obsession to very unhealthy levels. In fact, it manifests itself to the point of forsaking the culture of their own homelands and fully embracing that of Japan. We call them weebs, among other things, and while many wear this title as a badge of honor, it should actually be one of disgrace and shame. However, we are not here to talk about our anime-obsessed kin.

Today, we are going to be taking a brief look at lessons we can learn from Japan, and not necessarily the modern incarnation, but mainly the immediate post-war period following the nation’s utter destruction. Japan has a long and storied history; arguably, Japan has been the most powerful nation in all of Asia. It established its own unique and dominant culture, much of which is still sustained today.

Many legends of the noble-era of Japan are riddled with scheming feudal lords, wise emperors, and distraught royalty, along with various warrior-classes such as the samurai. The Japanese created their own food, music, art, and even religion, known as Shintoism. The native Japanese are distinctly different from their other Asian counterparts, just as Southerners are distinct from other Americans.

So, how did Japan survive unscathed (in relative terms) compared to Germany, which is not only still heavily occupied but has undergone their own multi-generational version of Reconstruction? Why did Japan not get its own version of the Nuremberg trials? Why isn’t Japan reminded constantly of its national guilt and required to prostrate before the global hegemony? Unit 731 is a one of the reasons.

Unit 731 was a highly secret military unit which conducted human experimentation (much of it lethal and horrific) to a degree never before seen, not only for the purposes of furthering their war effort but for laying discovery to the limits of mankind. Most of the work this Japanese unit conducted was in China, a country that underwent terrible Japanese subjugation. And, the important thing to note is all of Unit 731’s research was both documented and well saved. In fact, it exists to this very day.

In return for several concessions, including the entire archive of information collected by Unit 731, Japan was largely spared from any post-war trials by the American Empire. This information would be used in a multitude of areas, including space exploration and medical research. In addition, a surprising amount of the medical advacement and things like pressure suit design, used during the early days of the space program, came as a result of seized information handed over after the war. The American Empire did the same thing to German scientists, too.

In return, Japan was allowed to keep their culture, their beliefs, and even their beloved emperor. In short, they were allowed to keep their identity. I know this is a gross oversimplification of the matter, and Unit 731 is merely an example of the conquered paying tribute to the conqueror, but it whittles down to the main point of something we must learn – occupation by the Yankee Army is not the end of your identity, and doesn’t have to be. Yes, Japan did get “Westernized” in a sense, but it still clings to its roots and traditions.

The memory of the average American is often short, with his past fading quicker into the ether with each passing year. While Americans forgot Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt, Japan found itself surviving and thriving. It rebuilt and became a powerhouse on the world stage. While we have been occupied much longer than the Japanese, the point still stands – occupation is not the end of the world. Eventually, the Empire will fall due to its own grotesque weight and imperial aspirations abroad. All empires fall, it is the cycle of history.

It’s important to remember that we were never a united nation, a difficult truth for the hardcore programmed patriots to swallow. We can’t be united and the reason for this is simple – we are not the same people. Conflict, ultimately, happens because of differences. God made all peoples different by His design and sought to preserve those differences because they are beautiful to Him. This is why all peoples have a homeland and they have a right to it. When you have differences, especially large scale differences in culture, morality, religion, language, and the people, you introduce conflict. This is obviously much easier to mitigate on an international level because nations are sovereign, unless they’re a vassal state of the American Empire. However, when these critical differences boil up within your own borders, it’s impossible to control or avoid conflict long-term.

Generally speaking, Japan does not have these issues that plague America. This plays a part in why so many in the West admire Japanese culture. Ultimately, everyone seeks solidarity, tradition, identity, and stability.

Tradition cannot and will not be ignored without grave consequences. People will seek it out, even if it’s not their own, because all people desperately cling to the identity and energy tradition provides. If they can’t get it, they will make their own (see Star Wars becoming an ersatz religion for example). However, in Japan one can never be Japanese unless they are actually Japanese (and I’m not talking about what a piece of paper says). A nation is an assimilation of kin on a large scale. A weeb that moves to Japan to become a citizen, adopts the culture, learns the language, and even marries a Japanese woman, will never be Japanese. This is a fact, no matter how much it may hurt them to hear.

Many detractors will say what we are doing is insignificant, not enough, or irrelevant. I would argue the contrary – what we are doing here is very important to restoring our regional identity. It is up to us to educate and reignite the cultural flame of Dixie. We do it through the stories we tell, the things we do, the way we live as Southerners, the music we make, the art we paint, and the history we share as natives of this land. This is our home and we should be proud of the South.

Through culture, we have identity. Through identity, we have the strength to survive the occupation, just like Japan.

God bless you and God bless Dixie.