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Showa Tenno Monologues
Tells Us How Showa Tenno'd Been
Date:06, Mar, 2017
Investigated and Written by Misaka Youhei
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Sir: Today, I'm picking up a biography "Showa Tenno Monologues," with Assistant A.

A: That's a rare biography written by Terasaki Hidenari who'd worked as an interpreter for Showa Tenno and also by his daughter Mariko Terasaki Miller, isn't it? In the book, Showa Tenno talks about the last war.


S: For people in the street, our Emperor's too far to feel close. All the more is Showa Tenno who already passed away. However, these monologues let him bring to us so close.

A: Actual reading tells us the Showa Tenno had almost only seen the center of the military although sometimes discussed with them. It might makes foreigners feel kind of strange. He was not a King, not a Boss.

S: That's true. With this biography, foreigners can know why no Japanese leading figures took ultimate responsibility of the last war and it finally went away into the black hole.

A: What does it mean?

S: Nobody led the war indeed, when the Japan was being involved into the stream. In other words, the "Atmosphere" controlled all of them. In the raging river, Showa Tenno decided to just watch silently.

A: It figures out Japan's attitude?

S: Probably. We Japanese have hardly trusted actual words. On the other hand, we mostly tend to sense the mood which doesn't show really. It might look strange to the Western, but is our conventional habit. They have no right to say anything to us.

A: They don't know that and won't say anything because it's not important to them, sir.

S: Alright is it! Anyway, this biography tells us how the Showa Tenno had acted while the last war was going.


About Showa Tenno Monologues

・Written by Terasaki Hidenari & Mariko Terasaki Miller
・Published by Bungeishunju







 

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