INTERVIEW/ Kazuo Ogura: People, not events, shaped modern history
04/01/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
The following are excerpts from an interview with Kazuo Ogura, president of the Japan Foundation, about his choice of the 10 biggest incidents in modern and contemporary history in East Asia. This interview is part of a series to complement the "Impact of History--150 Years in East Asia."
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I picked the 10 biggest incidents from the viewpoint that people shaped modern and contemporary history. I also include ones that occurred outside East Asia that had a major impact on the region.
Perceptions of history naturally differ by country and person. Whether Napoleon Bonaparte is considered an invader or not obviously depends on if the observer is Russian or French. The problem is that young Japanese people have no interest in history and do not know much about it before discussing perceptions of history.
Ignorance leads to prejudice, creating misunderstandings among people.
I put the Sepoy Mutiny in India (also known as the Indian Rebellion) at the top of my list. This represents resistance to British colonial rule. This first major anti-colonial rebellion by Asian people influenced the rest of East Asia. The movement adversely led to the direct control of India by the British government, affecting Indian defense, advancement into China, and overall Asian policies. (211 words)
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