I am writing a novel I call Enemy in the Mirror about the Pacific War as seen from both sides.
Unraveling the actual awareness of Japanese civilians regarding the brutal tactics of its military is difficult.
For example, after the infamous Nanking massacre, I note that civilian parades celebrated the "noble" victory without apparent awareness of its ignoble reality. Japan was just a "big brother" that would lead East Asians in sphere of co-prosperity.
The paradox for me is the seemingly graceful and harmonious culture promulgated in the homeland and the bestial activity of soldiers on foreign fronts.
