During the Russo-Japanese War, Abe Isoo corresponded personally with Leo Tolstoy and published Tolstoy's letter in the antiwar newspaper Heimin Shimbun, causing a significant stir among Japanese intellectuals.
Antiwar Advocacy During the Russo-Japanese War
During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Abe Isoo opposed the war and advocated non-cooperation, positioning himself among a small group of Japanese intellectuals who challenged the widespread popular support for the conflict. His opposition was grounded in his Christian pacifist principles and his growing socialist convictions, both of which led him to view war as fundamentally incompatible with moral progress and social justice.
Abe's antiwar stance was not merely theoretical but involved active participation in organized opposition movements. He contributed to and supported the antiwar newspaper Heimin Shimbun, which provided a platform for dissenting voices during a period when criticism of the war effort was both unpopular and potentially dangerous.
The Tolstoy Correspondence
Abe initiated correspondence with Leo Tolstoy by sending him both a letter and a paper containing an English article. Tolstoy responded with a letter written at Yasnaya Polyana, dated to between October 23 and November 5, 1904.
In his response, addressed "Dear Friends Iso Abe," Tolstoy wrote that he had received both Abe's letter and his paper, thanking him for both. Tolstoy expressed: "Though I never doubted that there are in Japan a great many reasonable moral and religious men, who are opposed to the horrible crime of war, which is now perpetrated by both strayed and stupefied nations, I was very glad to get the proof of it. It is a great joy for me to know that I have friends and coworkers in Japan, with which I can be in friendly intercourse."
Tolstoy closed his letter: "Excuse me for the liberty I take to discuss your creed and for my bad English and believe me to be your true friend. Leo Tolstoy. I will be always glad to have news from you." A facsimile of the original handwritten letter is held in the Waseda University archive.
Publication and Intellectual Impact
Abe published Tolstoy's letter in the antiwar newspaper Heimin Shimbun in 1904, where it caused a significant stir among Japanese intellectuals. The publication had a direct and documented influence on prominent Japanese thinkers, most notably Kawakami Hajime, who was deeply moved by Tolstoy's humanitarianism as a direct result of reading the letter and subsequently read Tolstoy's "My Religion."
The correspondence represented more than a simple exchange between two individuals; it demonstrated the existence of an international network of Christian pacifists who maintained communication across national boundaries during wartime. Tolstoy's reference to having "friends and coworkers in Japan" suggested his awareness of a broader community of Japanese Christians and humanitarians who shared his opposition to militarism.
Broader Context of Christian Pacifism
The correspondence occurred within the context of international Christian pacifist movements that were growing during the early twentieth century. Both men represented different national expressions of the same underlying conviction that Christian principles were incompatible with warfare and that moral progress required the development of peaceful means of resolving international conflicts.
Tolstoy's letter specifically acknowledged Abe's "creed" and discussed their shared religious and moral foundations. This theological dimension was crucial to their correspondence, as both men understood pacifism not as a political strategy but as a moral imperative derived from their Christian faith.
Continued Antiwar Activities
When the antiwar newspaper Heimin Shimbun was subsequently banned by the Japanese government, Abe started his own magazine, Shinkigen (A New Era), as a platform to promote parliamentary socialism and continue his advocacy for peaceful approaches to social and political change.
The correspondence with Tolstoy thus represented both a personal connection between two like-minded individuals and a broader pattern of international intellectual exchange that sustained antiwar and socialist movements during periods of nationalist fervor. The preservation of the original letter at Waseda University and its continued study by scholars demonstrates the lasting significance of this exchange for understanding both Japanese intellectual history and the international dimensions of early twentieth-century pacifist movements.
The fact that Abe initiated the correspondence and then publicized Tolstoy's response reveals his understanding of the importance of international validation for domestic opposition movements. By demonstrating that respected international figures shared Japanese pacifists' concerns about the war, Abe helped legitimize antiwar sentiment among Japanese intellectuals who might otherwise have felt isolated in their opposition to popular nationalism.