“耳塚”与近代日本的战争记忆

Memory Site:"Mimizuka"'and the Imjin War

“耳塚”是壬辰战争期间由丰臣秀吉下令修建的外国人首级塚,其目的是将此作为“永久的纪念”。之后日本对耳塚不断地言说、利用,使耳塚由战争的记录之地,成为日本人借由它进行政治外交、施加政治影响的场域,还成为日本人历史认识、丰臣秀吉认识的重要载体。近代以后明治政府通过对丰臣秀吉记忆的建构,使耳塚与丰臣秀吉一起,成为日本人对壬辰战争的“荣光”记忆,成为日本人历史认识、战争认识的根源性存在。耳塚成为日本人的“记忆之场”。

"Mimizuka,"also known as the Ear Mound,was a mound erected during the Imjin War by the decree of Toyotomi Hideyoshi,and it contained the severed ears of foreign adversaries as a"permanent memorial."Over time,Japan has repeatedly referenced and leveraged"Mimizuka",transforming it from a simple war record into a platform for political diplomacy and influence,as well as a pivotal medium for public historical comprehension and the perception of Hideyoshi.In modern times,the Meiji government curated the memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi,rendering"Mimizuka"a symbol of Japan's"glorious"recollection of the Imjin War,thereby influencing fundamental aspects of Japanese historical and wartime understanding."Mimizuka"has evolved into the quintessential"memory site"for the Japanese people.