Set on an island in the South Pacific during the final days of
World War II, when the tide has turned against Japan and the war
has unmistakably become one of attrition, "The Breaking Jewel"
offers a rare depiction of the Pacific War from the Japanese side
and captures the essence of Japan's doomed imperial aims. The novel
opens as a small force of Japanese soldiers prepares to defend a
tiny and ultimately insignificant island from a full-scale assault
by American forces. Its story centers on squad leader Nakamura, who
resists the Americans to the end, as he and his comrades grapple
with the idea of "gyokusai" (translated as "the breaking jewel" or
the "pulverization of the gem"), the patriotic act of mass suicide
in defense of the homeland.
Well known for his antiestablishment and antiwar sentiments,
Makuto Oda gradually and subtly develops a powerful critique of the
war and the racialist imperial aims that proved Japan's
undoing.
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