The Breaking Jewel (Weatherhead Books on Asia) Book

The Breaking Jewel is set on an island in the South Pacific during the final days of World War II, when the tide has turned against Japan and it is clear that the war has become one of attrition. The novel opens with the preparations of a small force of Japanese soldiers to defend a tiny and ultimately insignificant island from a full-scale assault by American forces. The narrative closely follows the character of squad leader Nakamura, the sole Japanese survivor of the battle. Oda, previously known for his anti-establishment and anti-war sentiments, gradually and subtly develops a powerful indictment against the war. His novel highlights the bravery of the Japanese soldiers but also criticizes the hypocrisy of their leaders. He shows that despite Japanese protests against Western imperialism during the war, the Japanese sergeants themselves exercised prejudice against their Korean and Okinawan enlistees (Korea and Okinawa were then considered colonies of Japan). The soldiers grapple with the meaning of the term gyokusai, literally meaning "the breaking jewel" or the "pulverization of the gem," which refers to a patriotic act of mass suicide as a last defense of the homeland. The novel debates whether gyokusai is truly an act of patriotism or of defeat. Oda offers a rare depiction of the Pacific war from the Japanese side and captures the essence of Japan's doomed imperial aims.Read More