The Cultural Revolution

Introduction

It has been over 30 years since the Cultural Revolution (CR) began in 1966. The Cultural Revolution remains of paramount importance in Chinese history, equal to the Japan-Qing war, the Japan-China war, and the establishment of the People's Republic of China, in its impact on Chinese society.

In the Academic Community

Japan is one of the most affected by the Cultural Revolution in terms of  foreign experience. From around February in 1966, the news of the "criticism against literature" appeared in newspapers with a rumor that "Mao is badly sick". In August,  articles on the Cultural Revolution mainly about the Red Guards' movement filled the newspapers.

Chinese students were divided by whether they agreed with the Cultural Revolution or not. There was difference in recognition about conditions and a conflict between Chinese communist and Japanese - which was a matter of national pride and heritage. However the (CR) was more about changing old values in the place of new values, while at the same time it aimed at creating a pure socialist society, both self-sufficient and self-sustaining.

It was partly because there was restriction in communication that vague speculation about the Cultural Revolution spread. In those days, China controlled the media more strictly than they do now. The media was a means to control politics in China, so the Chinese Government kept tight control over what the people and the rest of the world saw. Basically, people were forced to read and accept whatever the CCP told them-and such is the nature of a Communist regime.

Only advocates for the Cultural Revolution could enter China, even journalists were exiled if they wrote articles against the Cultural Revolution. Under such conditions there were misunderstandings caused by the lack of information. But it was the individual's "ability to see" that the truth depended on. Even a student of China who visited China then mentioned, "Without the ability to see, what occurred in China now couldn't be understood even in China. One having the ability to see can understand even in Tokyo."

The Cultural Revolution affected more than the field of study of China. It was the just at the time of full student activity that in 1966 the Cultural Revolution formally started. In those days in Japan, policies for technology and encouraging talent were penetrating universities and universities were being changed according to the government's needs.

In Campus Activity

Against such a change in universities, the young were swift to respond, reacting against government. That was campus activism. It was especially active with a group called "Zenkyoto".

Among the Zenkyoto, it was only the Japanese Marxist-Leninist Union, namely ML-group, that showed Maoism clearly. ML groups maintained "It is victory through violent battles", and displayed the portrait of Mao at a gate of Tokyo University.

Indeed a background of sympathy was prepared in Japan in those days, but the conditions in Japan were completely different from those of China. Between the nations, tools and atmosphere of the Cultural Revolution like "reasonable rebels", "democracy", "revolutionary violence", "commune" and so on was peculiarly matched. Therefore it was not a portrait of any other man, but that of Mao that was displayed at the gate of Tokyo University. In January 1969, the activity of Zenkyoto came to an end. It was a peculiar sympathy between Japan and China; neither communicated at all.

Morgue: "The Cultural Revolution and Japan" written by Tadao Hurumaya