最近有朋友提起中国人的戏说历史的话题。碰巧看了汤姆库鲁斯的电影《最后的武士（the Last Samurai）》，感到洋人戏说起历史来，比起我们中国人那是有过之而无不及。中国人戏说，至少还坦白，古有《三国演义》，今有《戏说乾隆》之类，至少那是明白提醒读者观众，我这是在演义，戏说。不可真当历史看。而无论人物还是事件，往往皆有所本。即使如此，还不知有多少人直把《三国演义》当历史书来读。而美国人戏说，除了人物事件无有所本而外，一切看上去好像都是真的。凭借一个抽象虚空的理念，就可以编造历史，而且就是要给你造成这就是历史的假象。加上好莱坞的声光电技的艺术手段，引人入胜的曲折情节，和帅哥猛男美女的精彩演绎，真能把人带入这无何有之乡，改写掉实际的历史篇章呢。
更加严重的问题是，日本的明治维新，从根本上讲，是具有历史进步意义的事件。而武士作为一个阶层，却是一个没落的反进步的势力。武士叛乱，就是他们秉持其作为一个阶级的道德优越感，拒绝放弃武士阶级的旧有特权，反对维新改革。而且这样的武士其实也只是少数人。 当时的武士阶层约占3500万日本人口的百分之五，日本的统治精英，包括那些主张现代化的绝大多数人也都是武士（其中许多就来自西乡隆盛的萨摩），他们作出决定，消除自己的特权。绝大多数的武士没有抗议，没有反抗，都转化为警察，军人，或教师，以新的身份为国家和地方政府尽职。而在电影中，这些主张现代化的人士被表现为十足的邪恶。少数反叛的武士，却成了高贵，纯粹的英雄。作者通过不断地闪回阿尔格伦对印第安战争中美国人屠杀印第安妇女和儿童的画面的回忆，试图造成一种与日本政府军屠杀武士的类比。所以有人（Martin Lefebvre）评论说，这是一部奇怪，混乱，语无伦次的电影（a bizarre, confused, and ultimately incoherent film）。
电影试图在美洲印第安人与武士之间形成的这种类比关系，他们的冥想，音乐，自然，灵性，简单、美好的生活，自律性，和荣誉感，让人立即意识到一系列其他好莱坞西部电影中塑造的“高尚”的印第安人的形象。而他们的对立面，就是日本政府军与野蛮的美国印第安征服者的类比。这一类片子，如《大地英豪（The Last of the Mohicans）》《夏延的秋天（Cheyenne Autumn）》，《与狼共舞（Dances with Wolves）》等。这种将日本传统和现代化与西方对印第安文化的入侵的简单化的类比，造成了这个电影的硬伤。他在日本的日本传统和现代化之间选择传统，而这个传统又正是日本右翼保守势力，反西方势力，民粹派，军国主义，法西斯主义和日本帝国主义的思想根源。它植根于明治时期，大行于昭和年间，直接导致了1910年对朝鲜的并吞，30年代血腥的中日战争，和1941年的珍珠港事件。这种对现代化的批判，与美国的民粹主义相重合，片中那个贪婪，嗜权的大村代表美国民粹主义者所反对的政府。具有讽刺意义的是，这样一来，电影的制作者莫名其妙地扮演了日本法西斯政治的吹鼓手。它对美国帝国主义的批判，却直接将自己引向日本帝国主义，法西斯主义和军国主义。
Statism Kokka shugi? in Sh wa Japan sometimes also referred to as "Japanese right socialism" or "Sh wa Nationalism" refers to a political syncretism of Japanese right-wing political ideologies, developed over a period of time from the Meiji Restoration, and dominating Japanese politics during the first part of the Sh wa period reign of Hirohito . These ideas mixed Japanese nationalism and Japanese militarism ideas with "state capitalism", and were proposed by a number of contemporary political philosophers and thinkers in Japan.
Japanese nationalism is in fact quite different from European fascism, yet in parts its development can be seen as comparable.
The Yamato Empire had the concept of the state as led by a powerful singular leader Emperor . In feudal times, the military caste, which included the bushi and the samurai, were organized as a single headquarters-like structure, the Shogunate, which represented the required civil and political power. In this period, the Shogunate constituted the basic social composition, power structures and the foundation of law. It can be divided into three stages Kamakura Period 1185 1333 , Muromachi Period 1338 1573 and Tokugawa Period 1603 1867 .
After the Meiji Restoration and the birth of the Empire of Japan, the result seems similar to what has been described above, yet it developed under different circumstances.
The ultranationalism movement in Japan can trace its origins to the disaffected samurai class, who lost their social status and privileges in the Meiji Restoration. Disgruntled samurai rose in a number of unsuccessful rebellions including the Saga Rebellion, Satsuma Rebellion, etc. against the new order. When violent protest proved ineffective, many turned to political movements, both in terms of political parties and in militant secret societies. Politically, under the aegis of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, the rightists campaigned for a Constitution, which would allow them to get elected into positions of power. Within the secret societies, such as the Genyosha and the Black Dragon Society, they formed paramilitary organizations which assisted the Imperial Japanese Army in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, while politically striving towards greater Japanese expansionism under the aegis of Pan-Asianism, which would give the military more of a role in Japanese politics and society.
The military had a strong influence on Japanese society from the Meiji Restoration.<strong> Almost all leaders in Japanese society during the Meiji period whether in the military, politics or business were ex-samurai or descendants of samurai, and shared a common set of values and outlooks. The early Meiji government viewed Japan as threatened by western imperialism, and one of the prime motivations for the Fukoku Kyohei policy was to strengthen Japan's economic and industrial foundations, so that a strong military could be built to defend Japan against outside powers.</strong>
