The Manchurian saviour? Re-examining the ‘Otpor Incident’ in imperial and contemporary Japan (Record no. 531603)
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| fixed length control field | 02293nam a22001457a 4500 |
| 008 - FIXED-LENGTH DATA ELEMENTS--GENERAL INFORMATION | |
| fixed length control field | 250918b ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d |
| 100 ## - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME | |
| Personal name | Kowner, Rotem Fogel, Joshua and O’Brien, Dylan H. |
| 245 ## - TITLE STATEMENT | |
| Title | The Manchurian saviour? Re-examining the ‘Otpor Incident’ in imperial and contemporary Japan |
| 260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC. (IMPRINT) | |
| Place of publication, distribution, etc | Modern Asian Studies |
| 300 ## - PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION | |
| Extent | 59(1), Jan, 2025: p.171-206 |
| 520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC. | |
| Summary, etc | In recent years, the Japanese public has hailed a new national hero, the late Lieutenant General Higuchi Kiichirō. Unlike other notable military figures of his era, Higuchi’s heroism is unconventional, if not unique. Despite playing a leading role in the defence of Hokkaido against the Soviet Red Army in 1945, it is humanitarian efforts that have cemented Higuchi’s lasting legacy in public memory. Presently, a plethora of publications, TV documentaries, a museum, and monuments praise his actions during the ‘Otpor Incident’, in which he is said to have saved up to 20,000 Jewish refugees stranded in the winter of 1938 along the Soviet-Manchukuo border. This article questions the authenticity of Higuchi’s acclaimed rescue efforts, highlighting discrepancies that cast doubt on the entire narrative. It suggests the possibility of the ‘Otpor Incident’ being a complete fabrication or, at best, an extremely exaggerated account of a minor event, aimed at enhancing post-war personal and national reputations. Critically, this piece contends that Higuchi’s current recognition is part of a strategic move by nationalist groups in Japan to use Holocaust narratives to divert attention from Japan’s history of wartime aggression and colonialism. To substantiate this view, this article assesses the evidence of Higuchi’s involvement in the supposed rescue, examines the narrative’s post-war evolution, and analyses the motives for its initial dissemination and recent surge in popularity.- Reproduced https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/abs/manchurian-saviour-reexamining-the-otpor-incident-in-imperial-and-contemporary-japan/D08F474E13BFAE92564CCA5F6DE57476 |
| 650 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM | |
| Topical term or geographic name as entry element | • Manchukuo, Japanese war memories, Historical revisionism, Holocaust, Jewish refugees. |
| 9 (RLIN) | 56834 |
| 773 ## - HOST ITEM ENTRY | |
| Main entry heading | Modern Asian Studies |
| 942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA) | |
| Item type | Articles |
| Withdrawn status | Lost status | Source of classification or shelving scheme | Damaged status | Not for loan | Permanent location | Current location | Date acquired | Serial Enumeration / chronology | Barcode | Date last seen | Koha item type |
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| Indian Institute of Public Administration | Indian Institute of Public Administration | 2025-09-18 | 59(1), Jan, 2025: p.171-206 | AR137280 | 2025-09-18 | Articles |