Photo/Illutration Houses are seen underwater and polluted by oil in a flooded neighborhood in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 10. (AP Photo)

There was a young film director who so impressed “jidaigeki” (period drama) star Kanjuro Arashi (1903-1980) that the actor called him a "genius."

His name was Sadao Yamanaka (1909-1938).

But his talent was smothered by war. He was 27 when he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army and shipped to the Chinese front.

There, the scene that greeted him was that of the Yellow River’s murky water flooding the entire area because Chinese forces had cut the embankment to stop the Japanese.

For a full month, Yamanaka wallowed in the mud, clad only in a “fundoshi” loincloth. He eventually died from a disease he contracted at the time.

But the true victims were the locals. With their fields ruined, castle walls destroyed and homes washed away, The Asahi Shimbun of the time described the situation as a “horrendous living hell.”

The dead and the missing were said to have numbered about 890,000.

War is an act of folly. People who become blinded in the process of waging war go on to commit even worse acts that no person can stop. Later in the war, Japanese forces also engaged in campaigns like what the Chinese did.

And now, I should say that someone has repeated the mistake. A week has passed since the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine collapsed, reportedly killing at least 14 people, according to Ukrainian sources.

But from the images of the widespread disaster, I get the cold premonition that the reality could turn out to be much worse.

About 700,000 locals are said to still lack sufficient drinking water. Russian attacks against refugees have continued, however, hampering international aid. We are gnashing our teeth and helplessly watching the number of victims rise.

Can’t the fighting be suspended, if only even in the flooded zone?

I do not know what caused the dam failure, but I do know that the name of any country that does not try to protect people will be remembered for a long time, even if it wins the battle for a while.

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 14

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

Related News