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Before Pearl Harbor, Japan’s Emperor Cautioned Against War With U.S., Documents Show Before Pearl Harbor, Japan’s Emperor Cautioned Against War With U.S., Documents Show
(about 1 hour later)
MATSUE, Japan — Before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Emperor Hirohito criticized plans to go to war with the United States as “self-destructive,” and opposed an alliance with Nazi Germany, though he did little to try to stop the war that Japan waged in his name, according to the long-awaited official history of his reign released on Tuesday. MATSUE, Japan — Before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Emperor Hirohito criticized plans to go to war with the United States as “self-destructive,” and opposed an alliance with Nazi Germany, though he did little to stop the war that Japan waged in his name, according to the long-awaited official history of his reign, released on Tuesday.
The 12,000-page history of Japan’s emperor during World War II, which also shows him exalting at the victories of his armies in China, appears to contain little that will surprise historians, according to Japanese media descriptions of its contents. The most controversial aspect appears to be the fact that it took the Imperial Household Agency almost a quarter of a century to release its official history of Hirohito, who died in 1989 at age 87. The 12,000-page history of Japan’s emperor during World War II, which also shows him exalting at the victories of his armies in China, contains little that will surprise historians, according to the Japanese news media. The most controversial aspect appears to be the fact that it took the Imperial Household Agency almost a quarter of a century to release its official history of Hirohito, who died in 1989 at age 87.
The agency, which manages the affairs of the imperial family, including those of current Emperor Akihito, explained the delay by saying it took time to put together the 61-volume history from 3,152 documents and records, some of them never previously made public. The agency, which manages the affairs of the imperial family, including those of Emperor Akihito today, explained the delay by saying it took time to put together the 61-volume history from 3,152 documents and records, some of them never previously made public.
However, the delay is also widely seen as being due to the sensitivity of the subject matter in a nation that still has not fully come to terms with its actions during the war, or the responsibility of Hirohito for it. Most histories portray Hirohito as a figurehead who was revered as a living god by Japan’s soldiers and citizens, but who had little real power to decide the fate of his nation. However, the delay is also widely attributed to the sensitivity of the subject in Japan, which has not fully come to terms with its actions during the war or with Hirohito’s responsibility for it. Most histories portray Hirohito as a figurehead who was revered as a living god by Japan’s soldiers and citizens, but who had little real power to decide the fate of his nation.
At the same time, he has been criticized for letting himself be used as a spiritual symbol for Japanese militarism, presiding over the meetings of political and military leaders at which decisions to go to war were made, and reviewing military parades atop his white horse. At the same time, the emperor has been criticized for letting himself be used as a spiritual symbol for Japanese militarism, presiding over the meetings of political and military leaders at which decisions to go to war were made, and reviewing military parades atop his white horse.
While the agency’s official history has been long awaited by scholars, it failed to contain some hoped-for material, such as records of the several meetings between the emperor and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the American occupation forces after the war, who decided against putting Hirohito on trial as a war criminal. Instead, it contained only information about the two leaders’ first meeting on Sept. 27, 1945, that had already been made public in the past, according to the news agency Kyodo News. While the agency’s official history was long awaited by scholars, it failed to contain some hoped-for material, such as records of several meetings between the emperor and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the American occupation forces after the war, who decided against putting Hirohito on trial as a war criminal. Instead, it contained only information about the two leaders’ first meeting, on Sept. 27, 1945, that had already been made public in the past, according to the news agency Kyodo News.
The history also shows that Hirohito opposed going to war with the United States in the buildup to the Japanese Navy’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, saying that Japan had no chance of winning such a war, according to Kyodo. “It is nothing less than a self-destructive war,” Kyodo quoted the emperor as saying on July 31, 1941. The history also shows that Hirohito opposed going to war with the United States in the buildup to the Japanese Navy’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, saying that Japan had no chance of winning such a war, Kyodo reported. “It is nothing less than a self-destructive war,” the agency quoted the emperor as saying on July 31, 1941.
Two years earlier, on July 5, 1939, the emperor also criticized the army minister at the time for wanting to strengthen ties with Nazi Germany, according to Kyodo, which said the emperor supported greater cooperation with the United States. Japan eventually joined the Axis alliance with Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. Two years earlier, on July 5, 1939, the emperor also criticized the army minister at the time for wanting to strengthen ties with Nazi Germany, according to Kyodo, which said the emperor favored greater cooperation with the United States. Japan eventually joined the Axis alliance with Germany and Italy.
The official history is currently only available for limited viewing by the public, though the agency plans to start publishing it in stages over the next five years, Kyodo said. The official history is currently only available for limited viewing by the public, though the agency plans to publish it in stages over the next five years, Kyodo said.