[Japan] Fukunaka Harumi, Qingdao University
“Knowing that this baby is Japanese, why did you raise him?” asked the reporter.
“Because all the babies in the world cry the same,” replied the granny.
The scene in the documentary I watched has imprinted in my mind since I was a little child, and it remains a query that I keep asking myself as I grow.
As early as 70 years ago, there was such a group of newborns who were abandoned in China amid the cruel and ruthless war. They are the descendants of the Japan’s “Pioneering Group” – a product of modern Japanese colonial expansion policy – and also victims of this warfare. During the war, numerous children died in the chaos, but thousands of children survived, most of whom were adopted by kind-hearted Chinese families, including my grandfather, so I am the descendant of a Japanese orphan.
My parents told me the stories of my grandfather as long as I can remember things. This was the beginning of my desire to learn more about China, and it was also the original reason why I encountered China later.
I grew up in Japan and visited China when I was a little kid, but I didn’t know much about China because I couldn’t speak Chinese. However, because of my grandfather’s story, I tried to learn more about the country from an early age. When I grew up, I often wonder why Chinese adoptive parents can raise the children of their enemies and were willing to form a family with them. That is the question that puzzles me a lot.
In the blink of an eye, I was old enough to go to college, and China seemed to be getting closer and closer to me. Because of my unique background, my family recommended me to study in China. And I already had the idea of going to university in China, so I agreed without hesitation. Therefore, I submitted the application materials, and after some effort, I was awarded the opportunity to study in China. I couldn’t sleep the day before the flight, I was both excited and nervous as the destination I was to reach seemed strange and familiar. I wanted to find the answer to the question deep in my heart.
When I came to the Chinese university, I met many Chinese classmates, who helped me to learn more about the nation and its people. The warm smiling faces of my classmates and teachers, the intimate greetings of the couriers, and the hard work and sweat of the community anti-epidemic workers impressed me a lot and enriched the image of China in my mind. With the contacts and exchanges with my Chinese friends, I began to understand the meaning of the granny’s words in the documentary, “Because all the babies in the world cry the same.”
What the granny expresses in her words is the spirit of inclusiveness and sacrifice of the Chinese people, which is not only a good quality but also a best interpretation of human nature. In fact, the inhumane Japanese invaders were the only object of attack during the war between China and Japan. All the Chinese adoptive parents of Japanese orphans shone the brilliance of humanity to melt those evil hearts and let the world know that there is still warm sunshine in the world.
Therefore, in my final year of undergraduate studies, after careful consideration, I made a decision that I would dig further into the stories of Japanese orphans and their descendants, and take it as the topic of my graduation thesis. I believe that the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people will be further deepened while facing the history of the two countries squarely, and the friendly exchanges between the two countries will certainly continue. Because “all the babies crying in the world are the same.” Our destinies are all linked together, and I would like to make a contribution to Sino-Japanese friendly exchange.
This is my beautiful encounter with China, and my life experience has given me the opportunity to deeply understand Chinese culture, which makes me feel very proud. At the same time, I also hope that more people from all over the world can better understand China and Chinese culture.
I want to remember every moment of my encounter with China. Perhaps many years later, these stories can make me better understand the real meaning of life. My stories with China will continue…
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
