自一九八七年東史郎公開戰地日記之後，他個人的戰爭記憶就成為一個爭議性符號。在日本歷任政府對於二次世界大戰侵略中國態度持續曖昧的情況下，東史郎公開日記與謝罪等舉動被賦予各種不同的政治解讀：中國人把重點放在印證日軍在華暴行史實的部分，在日本國內，他雖然有一批支持者，卻也是右翼團體眼中的叛徒，他的戰爭記憶不斷受到挑戰與質疑。本文試圖從近代西方政治哲學家漢娜‧鄂蘭 (Hannah Arendt) 對惡的分析角度，討論東史郎一個人的戰爭記憶如何衝擊有關侵華日軍暴行的集體記憶。除了剖析東史郎日記產生的背景，比較它與其他陣中日記的異同，並探討東史郎對戰爭的反省以及促使他公開懺悔謝罪的原因。

Ever since Azuma Shiro made public his wartime diaries in 1987, he has become a symbolic figure associated with the memories of war atrocities committed by the Japanese troops in China between 1931 and 1945. Given the post-war Japanese authorities’ continuous reluctance to confront the issue of war crimes, it is little wonder Azuma Shiro’s diaries have been subjected to diverse interpretations both in China and in Japan. Taking Hannah Arendt's analysis of the banality of evil as a starting point, this essay deals with various ethical implications involved. Examining how one man's wartime remembrances can impact the collective memories of a nation, it argues that despite all the external limitations, there is nevertheless room for an individual to make his or her own decisions. It is hoped that a more detailed analysis of Azuma Shiro’s diaries will facilitate our understanding of the extensive violence unleashed during the Sino-Japanese war.