Diary+Entry+3

** 10.4. 1940 ** (Japanese troops entering Saigon)

Last month, it was reported in the French daily newspaper that Japan launched what is called the First French Indochina Campaign and invaded French Indochina. Japan started to pressure our Vichy government which had signed an armistice with Germany in June. In September, Japan’s pressure kept increasing. Japan’s ambition seems to reach its peak these days. Japan occupied Vietnam as part of its imperial goal to control the entire Southeast Asia. Last month I saw Japanese troops coming into Saigon. I observe rising number of people will smaller eyes. Before Japanese invasion, I’ve never seen Japanese people before. Interestingly, they had smaller eyes than Vietnamese did. They seemed more “Asian.” Yesterday, I saw a Japanese soldier talking in English. This was my first time seeing a Japanese guy who I can actually talk to. Although I was afraid, I decided to have a short conversation with him. His name was Kano Sasada. He told me that even though he does not want to fight, he is just fighting in order to save his country from experiencing the Great Depression again, as his leader Iwane Matsui, the general of the Japanese Imperial Army told him. I like talking to new people so I also wanted to meet this guy named Iwane Matsui but Kano told me that he could only speak Japanese. It was astonishing that it seemed like he was “conditioned” by his government. And I never saw him again. Ah, Japanese invasion itself will even more make the Vietnamese angry. So nationalists have to fight both Japanese as well as the French. Things are getting even more complicated in the world. Sometimes I just do not get why imperialist countries make this problem so worldwide; I just think countries are too ambitious. They could just get more raw materials and economic markets to export their commodities. I know it is more than just economic reasons why countries invade other weaker countries, but sometimes they are making the issue too extreme, too worldwide. Despite the fact that I was one citizen of the rich, strong imperialist countries who benefited from imperialism (since I am owning a rubber plantation here and earned a lot of money here), I sometimes want to go against my country’s will. Finally a war broke out. This month the Franco-Thai war started. It is just so close to where I am. It is so obvious that a war is going to take place in Vietnam too. I am determined to move now. This night I am going to deliberate with my parents about going back to France. When I go back, I am going to adopt a Vietnamese girl and make her have better life. Ah, I wish I could take all the children here to France. They should never be victims of the war resulting from all the colonial ambition. (I collaborated with Jae, a Japanese soldier, also Kaila's person, Iwane Matsui and this was the best way that I could think about collaboration)