Recently, Japan and much of the rest of the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. For each country, the sentiments were different. For Japan, the memories tend to be of a lost war. My country, the United States, views it as a victory over Japan and against Nazi Germany and its other allies. For many of the nations of South and Southeast Asia, however, they see it as the start or completion of their independence journey. This book explores the story of one such country, India.
Ayyappapillai Madhavan (AM) Nair, the author of the memoirs being reviewed, hailed from India. Nair was born in Kerala in September 1905, the tenth and last child of an "intercaste marriage" (p 29).
His father, a high Brahmin, was an engineer, responsible for several major building projects in the region. They included Trivandrum's Museum of Fine Arts, general museum, and public library, roads and networks, and the Varkala backwater canal (p 30).
AM credits his mother, however, "a person of extraordinary courage and poise" as having "the greatest influence on me" with "my mental makeup and character [being] shaped almost entirely by her" (p 32). "Our home," he wrote, "was a venue for frequent philosophical and religious discussions" (p 33).
It is easy to understand in these early pages of the highly detailed and dense memoirs where AM got his intellectual honesty and moral courage to become one of the leaders (in self-exile) of the Indian independence movement.
Journey Leading to Japan
He badly chafed under the British imperial system and colonization of India. While in school, AM had already gotten himself on "the wrong side of the authorities." He would have likely ended up in jail as an agitator if he continued to do political work in his own country (p 58).
His family was worried for him. One of his older brothers, who had studied at Hokkaido Imperial University, took it upon himself to help AM secure a spot to study engineering at Kyoto Imperial University, thus getting him out of the country.
AM arrived in Japan in March 1928 having befriended the captain and a famous doctor on the ship. His ability to easily make friends and gain their trust and respect was an important factor in his later successes in Japan and the region.
The book focuses on AM's life and sometimes dangerous political activities in Japan, Manchukuo, and China. It is a massive, but highly interesting read.
He diligently learned the language and culture of Japan and attended to his studies. However, as the only Indian student in Japan, he was regularly asked to speak about the situation in India. As a result, he was able to develop a massive network of friends, allies, and supporters, especially within the Imperial Japanese Army.
These relationships helped him in his courtship and marriage too. His future father-in-law was initially opposed to the international marriage. However, he "recognized [AM]'s character and sympathized with his cause" (p 13) eventually giving his consent. AM's bride, Iku, from a prominent family in Saitama, provided "steadfast support" throughout their life together (p 13).
Promoting Indian Freedom
Nair's activities eventually led British intelligence officials in Japan to place him under surveillance. Knowing he would be in danger of arrest or worse if he returned to India, he did not travel there until well after its independence.
AM was careful to distinguish his efforts to promote Indian freedom and any cooperation he may have given or received from Japan. He worked closely with Japanese intelligence officials and military commands. On many matters, such as anti-British activities and Pan-Asia efforts, their interests overlapped. Meanwhile, on others, he was able to keep a distance and criticize when he felt Japanese policies were mistaken.
His work at promoting Indo-Japan relations did not end with the start of the Allied Occupation in 1945. "Sooner or later," he wrote, "there would be a peace treaty between the defeated country and the 'Allies.' I somehow felt that I had a duty to perform in that connection" (pp 270-271).
AM would later become an adviser to the Indian mission in Japan and help prepare the June 1952 India-Japan Peace Treaty (pp 305-309). India had decided not to join the San Francisco Peace Treaty as a signatory. Nair had also developed a close relationship with Justice Radhabinod Pal, the Indian representative to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, who gave a scathing dissent of the proceedings and judgment (pp 291-300).
A Different Path from the Allies
Nair passed away in 1990, but he began working on the nearly 350 page book in 1980 when he was hospitalized. It was a time when he finally had the time to reflect on his life. He dictated his memoirs into a tape recorder, which was later transcribed. The original version of the book was published in 1982 and was reissued earlier in 2025, with a foreword by his son. It is available in Japanese as well.
The contents are as follows:
Foreword: In Loving Memory
Preface
1. My Home State / 2. Early Years / 3. A Turning Point / 4. Social Reforms Movement / 5. At the Crossroads / 6. Departure for Japan / 7. At Kyoto University / 8. Meeting Rash Behari Bose / 9. The Emperor's Coronation Day / 10. Students Days in Kyoto / 11. 1932–33, A New Turning Point / 12. In Manchukuo / 13. In Mongolia and Sinkiang / 14. Visit to Tokyo / 15. To Mongolia Again: My "Economic War" with Britain / 16. Manchukuo Again / 17. My Marriage / 18. Last Spell in Manchukuo / 19. Second World War and the IIL in Southeast Asia /
20. Tokyo Conference of the IIL / 21. Bangkok Conference / 22. Indian National Army / 23. IIL's Move from Bangkok to Singapore / 24. Subhas Era and the Second INA / 25. Imphal Campaign / 26. Close of the Subhas Era / 27. Surrender of Japan / 28. Disappearance of Subhas Chandra Bose / 29. India and Postwar Japan / 30. India-Japan Peace Treaty
Epilogue
Appendices
About the Author
Spreading Friendship and Indian Cuisine
In 1949, AM established his own company and opened Nair's Restaurant in the Ginza area of Tokyo. I recently ate there to get a sense of their family history and the regional cuisine. His books are prominently displayed inside.
I learned a great deal from this book — particularly regarding Indian affairs and prewar and wartime Japan. Both countries were lucky to have this uniquely talented and qualified person building that bridge. It is highly likely their relationship would be different, or not as strong, if it had not been for AM Nair.
About the Book
Title: An Indian Freedom Fighter in Japan, Memoirs of AM Nair
Author: AM Nair
Publisher (English): Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture
ISBN: 9784866582610
For more information or to acquire the book: See the publisher's website
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Reviewed by: Robert D Eldridge, PhD
Dr Eldridge is a former political advisor to the US Marine Corps in Japan and author of numerous books on Japanese political and diplomatic history.
