==JAPAN: KM== [Hobbies]

I am addicted to history just as gamblers are addicted to gambling. The Shinnsenngumi drama was broadcast on TV last year. This drama was about the Tokugawa group that was in charge of peace maintenance in Kyoto at the end of the Edo Period. I liked Shinnsenngumi well before it was a drama. However, as for this fact, there are also some people who say that Shinnsenngumi was a mere murder group, and detest it. On the other hand, there are some people who regard them as smart heroes. Were they heroes who rode on white horses or uncommon seriously bad men or very ordinary persons?
History may sometimes express the country itself. For example, the British Empire created Admiral Nelson who fought with Napoleon and defeated him twice, thus becoming the hero of a country. The statue of Admiral Nelson stands in Trafalgar (the name of the naval battle in which Napoleon was defeated) Square even now. Also, although their meanings differ a little, everyone knows that the big photograph of Mao Tse-Tung is hung up over Tiananmen Square in China, and the big pictures of Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Chandra Bose are hung up in the assembly hall in India. These kinds of things are too numerous to mention. First of all, it turns out that history may become a symbol of state because historically great men (mostly if they are not on an anti-government side in many cases) are carried on the currency that their countries are circulating now. (Incidentally the figures of great men were already captured on money a long time ago in the time of the Roman Empire.)
Historical evaluation differs greatly by country or time. The relations have cooled down between Japan and China involving whether Prime Minister Koizumi worships at Yasukuni shrine now. Originally, this is the difference in the history recognition by the state. In Germany, in addition, the Nazi swastika cannot be used in a public places at the present even though freedom of expression is secured. Books such as "My Fight" are banned. It is said that the "Opium War" is called Eishin War in the British textbooks. We are made to consider these facts about giving evaluations of history. As for Shinnsengumi mentioned previously, its evaluation has been shaken greatly through time. In the Meiji period, they were regarded as very bad men (hero treatment was done by the public) and now, it has come to be that public broadcasting has taken this up as a drama.
However, I think that there are still common preferences irrespective of country or time. For example, Japanese people like a tragic hero. Yoshitsune Minamotono or Takamori Saigo etc. are typical persons. As there is the saying that "might is right," fundamentally, a winner makes history. However, Japanese people have sometimes liked the loser and have recovered human rights. Moreover, it is also popular to defeat a large force with a small number of tricky plans and uncommon moves. For example, Masashige Kusunoki with a small force continued frustrating the large government force, and he defeat it in Kawachi. It is said that this wonderful phenomenon of breaking a large force with few soldiers led to the next Pacific War.
History is studied by many people every day and now is also newly repainted. However, in this connection, what old history had mistaken can continue if we revise old history. In fact, "facts in history" which were thought to be true until now may be untrue. In this way, can't we say that history is one grand fabrication? A tale called history can be built somewhat freely by every person or group. This can also be referred to as being one of history's charms. Even if we call it history, it varies from its biggest to its smallest points, and how to make these visible without complete details also differs completely from one historian to another. Historical evaluation varies like the number of stars by country, by race, by sex, by time, by age, and by status or class. Therefore, the most important thing is that history still continues. We are making history now! The fact that we are attracted by history and can touch many things that we cannot hold originates from the fact that one page of history is recorded one moment at a time, even right now.

"Getting It Together"

Thank you for your reading. It's very fun to write an essay. Writing your essay is a very good way to learn English. When you start writing, you will be able to understand that it is difficult to translate even simple Japanese into English. I also suffered this. Think carefully and please be relaxed. Good luck!