Source

  • Post: Instagram
  • Content: A video, filmed around Meiji Shrine and Nogi Shrine, that introduces the bushido spirit shown by Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and traces the origin of the place name “Nogizaka.”
  • Transcription: The video had no clear narration audio and was built from on-screen captions, so frames were extracted from the video and the captions were transcribed by hand.

“The winner looks down on the loser” — that scene is not unusual anywhere in the world. The video opens by contrasting it with how Japan is said to have behaved during the Russo-Japanese War.

Respect for the Defeated

Japan’s victory over Russia stunned the world, and the video says Japan did not humiliate the defeated Russian soldiers and officers. Emperor Meiji is said to have ordered that “the honor of enemy officers and soldiers must not be harmed,” and General Stessel, who surrendered at Port Arthur, was treated with respect — not as a former enemy, but as the video puts it, “yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend.”

General Nogi’s Anonymous Support

The video then tells a follow-up story: after returning home, General Stessel faced criticism and fell into financial hardship. In response, General Nogi Maresuke, who had commanded the Japanese forces, is said to have continued supporting him anonymously, without revealing his own name.

According to the video, it was this series of actions that made Japan’s bushido spirit known to the world.

A Spirit That Remains in the Name “Nogizaka”

In the latter half, the video shows — alongside a local street sign — that “Nogizaka,” a place name in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, is named after General Nogi. The video closes by saying it wants to keep honoring this spirit, handed down by those before us, of the victor showing respect to the defeated, and ends with the word “iyasaka” (a traditional expression wishing for prosperity).

Summary

  • Japan is said to have won the Russo-Japanese War without humiliating the defeated Russian soldiers and officers, treating them with respect on the order of Emperor Meiji
  • General Stessel, who surrendered at Port Arthur, was treated as “yesterday’s enemy, today’s friend,” and when he later fell into hardship at home, General Nogi is said to have continued supporting him anonymously
  • According to the video, this conduct is what made Japan’s bushido spirit known to the world
  • The Tokyo place name “Nogizaka” is named after General Nogi, and the video closes by expressing a wish to keep honoring the spirit of the victor showing respect to the defeated

Note that this is one story and one historical perspective as presented in the video, not an established academic account. The episode involving General Nogi Maresuke and General Stessel (including their meeting at Shuishiying) is a widely known historical account, but its finer details and interpretation are viewed differently by different historians.