You probably don’t think about Douglas MacArthur very much, but to the Japanese, he’s quite a figure.

As Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific, he battled the Japanese throughout the region, and his was the hand that officially received the surrender on the USS Missouri, ending the war. But to the Japanese, it was in the postwar period that MacArthur did great things, guiding the rebuilding of Japan as a “kind and loving father” to the nation, not entirely different from the Founding Fathers of the Meiji Restoration 78 years before.

MacArthur brought in many democratic reforms, writing a new anti-war constitution. He broke up the zaibatsu conglomerates and redistributed five million acres of land to individual farmers, which no doubt helped contribute to Japan’s healthy middle class today.

More than anything, I think that MacArthur knew the importance of not “stepping on the face” of the Japanese, to borrow a phrase from their language. They were defeated, but the General took care to protect the Imperial Family from responsibility for the war, which was an important symbol to the people. I can find no evidence of “Abu Ghraib” like events during the Occupation, possibly thanks to the policy of choosing soldiers who had not fought in the Pacific theater, and thus had no special grudges.

A lot of the plans he implemented were undone after the Occupation ended, such as the ban on all forms of martial arts and Kabuki plays, but the important changes stuck. The generation growing up after the war ended has the most reverence for the man. When I asked my wife’s mother what her impression of him was, she practically gushed. “It’s because of MacArthur that Japan is here today.”

Timothy Harada, a musician whose music we have played on the Japan Talk pocast, has written something titled “Contrasting US and Japanese steretypes of each other Before, During and After World War II” for the the Sendai Voice.

Before, during and after World War II, the stereotypes Japanese held of United States (US) citizens and the stereotypes US citizens held of Japanese citizens changed drastically. At a certain time before World War II, some Japanese held a neutral feeling about people from the US, while others held a positive view of US citizens and US culture. In the US, compared to other Asian nationalities, there were many positive feelings about Japanese citizens as well. Leading up to World War II, however, the US government and US writers created myths that all Japanese were despotically ruled, automatons, who would do anything for the glory of their emperor-that they were the new eastern imperialists. In response, Japanese writers began to create myths that all people from the US were evil, barbarous, imperialists as well. Nonetheless, directly after World War II was over, these myths changed drastically. Amazingly, the negative stereotypes held on both sides changed into positive stereotypes almost overnight. Over the last half of a century, the stereotypes on both sides have oscillated back and forth, between good, neutral and bad, due to many varied circumstances. What caused such drastic changes in stereotypes between citizens of the US and of Japan? What can be done to insure that people of different cultures maintain positive images of one another? What can be done to insure that peace is maintained between the US and Japan?

Read the whole thing here.

The following are two vlog blogs on attending the Japanese Emperor’s Birthday celebration. The current Emperor is Akihito and his birthday - December 23 - is a national holiday.

The Imperial Palace area - Koukyo - is normally off limits to visitors except on December 23 and January 2 when the Emperor gives his New Year’s address.

Part I: A Recounting of the Emperor of Japan’s Birthday Celebration

Part II: A (True) Recounting of the Emperor of Japan’s Birthday Celebration

All six of Japan’s major newspapers reported have rejected advertisements for the translation of Ben Hill’s book: Princess Masako - Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Daisan Shokan, Tokyo-based publisher of the Japanese version of “Princess Masako - Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne”, said all the dailies had turned the advertisements down.

“The six major newspapers have rejected the ads for this book completely,” said company president Akira Kitagawa.

“Newspapers … ought to make freedom of speech their basic principle as media independent from the judgment of officials,” Kitagawa said in a statement released at a news conference.

Masako, 43, once a lively career diplomat, has been largely absent from the public eye for the past three years, suffering from a mental disorder palace officials have attributed to the stress of adjusting to life in the imperial palace.

More JAPUNDIT reporting on this book here.

I saw the Japanese trailer for akamikaze survivor documentary movie titled Wings of Defeat. The Japanese title is 特攻 (tokko) which literally translates to “special attack”, but in Japan, when speaking about tokko in the context of WWII, most people will imagine the Kamikaze pilots.

The Japanese on the front of the flier translates roughly as: “I wanted to live.” “I didn’t want to die.”

This movie looks really interesting. I’m going to have to drag myself down to the theater and pay the 1700-ish yen or so to see it! It starts July 21 in Japan.

By the way, a friend brought to my attention a book that is out of print, but available on Amazon called I was a Kamikaze. I have never read it, but it looks interesting.

Surviving suicide missions. . . That’s heavy. Apparently the author, Nagatsuka was a French literature major at Tokyo university, so he originally wrote this book in French, and later it was translated into English.

Even better, John W. Dower is in the movie. Dower wrote the amazing Japanese post-war history book, Embracing Defeat. This book is as fat as a textbook, but is so interesting it reads like a novel. Highly recommended!

- Harvey

As the Japanese Constitution marks its 60th birthday, Japanese media is filled with stories, special reports, and debates about amending or totally rewriting the national charter in order to allow the nation better to cope with the realities of the modern world. Though some of the ideas being put forth are worthwhile, there are some politicians in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who tend to see this as a chance to cut back on some of the freedom currently being enjoyed in Japan.

Some LDP lawmakers say the 60-year-old Constitution gives too many rights and freedoms to the people, and often results in individuals exerting their rights at the cost of society as a whole, thus abusing the system.

Lawmakers often cite the difficulty the government has had since the end of the war in expropriating private land for key public projects, like major expressways and Narita airport. They say that resistance from the public to projects has delayed construction and greatly pushed up government costs.
LDP wants to amend Article 12 to state that the people “shall have freedom and be obliged to exercise their rights in ways that would not go against the public interest and public order.”

Not very liberal or democratic of the Liberal Democratic Party, is it? Of course, the rub always comes in figuring out whose job it is to decide what goes against “public interest” and “public order.”

Still others see constitutional reform as an opportunity to re-implement some of the Meiji Era notions that, depending upon with whom you side, either led Japan down its road to militaristic disaster or made Japan a great international power in a few short decades after it emerged from feudalistic self-isolation.

[A nonpartisan group conservative group of former Diet lawmakers and 190 elected politicians of politicians headed by former Prime Minister Nakasone has] presented their proposed changes to the Constitution’s preamble. The group’s new preamble says “the Emperor is the symbol of the unified public” and Japan shall “protect its independence through the solidarity of the public who love the nation.”

The “love of nation” clause, which is not in the current preamble, is something the ruling Liberal Democratic Party wants to put into the Constitution. Since the LDP’s founding in 1955, the party has made changing the Constitution one of its goals.

So, what to The People think?

Around 51 percent of people recently polled by The Mainichi agreed that the Constitution needs to be revised.

The main reason given by the people who support revision is that the current constitution is too old.

Empress Michiko has apparently fallen ill with symptoms that sounds a lot like what Princess Masako has been suffering from.

The BBC News Service is reporting that the Empress has been suffering from psychological stress which resulted in intestinal bleeding, nose bleeds and mouth ulcers. The Imperial Household Agency, the organization that is responsible for the Imperial household has verified these claims.

Her royal highness Empress Michiko will apparently take a “short break” from her duties to recuperate and get better. At age 72, any kind of sickness is worrisome so hopefully she recovers quickly.

In this photo released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito (L), Crown Princess Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko play with cards at their residence in Togu Palace, Tokyo February 12, 2007.

Naruhito’s 47th birthday takes place on Friday. Picture taken February 12, 2007. REUTERS/The Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout/Pool

I recently wrote an email to Ben Hills, author of Princess Masako–Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne, to tell him about the discussion we are having here. I even invited him to drop in and take part if he felt so inclined. Understandably, he politely declined the invitation, but he sent back the statement below which he had previously issued to various wire services.

In his reply to me, Mr. Hills also had the following to say:

I would invite your subscribers to check on the history of the Chang book, and to note the remarkable similarities to my case. The book was a worldwide bestseller, a Japanese publisher agreed to translate it and publish it in Japan, the Japanese Ambassador in Washington called a Press conference to denounce its “innacuracies” (which no other historians in the world had noticed in their favourable reviews of the book) — and, lo and behold, the Japanese publisher declined to go ahead with the publication, citing “errors.” Sound familiar?

He also said but that he would be happy to reply to resonable questions from JAPUNDIT readers that are sent to him through me, so here is your chance. Please use the comments below this note to ask any questions you might have about the Mr. Hills or the the book, and I will be happy to send them along.

Riders escort the Japanese Imperial carriage through traffic near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo February 6, 2007. The riders tested a new horse carriage route for Imperial guests visiting the palace. Photo courtisy of Reuters.

This is the first time I’ve actually seen an image of the future Emperor of Japan. Has he been photographed in public before?

In the above image Princess Kiko (Left) is holding him as Prince Akishino (the only guy in the image) and Princess Mako and Princess Kako near their imperial villa in Hayama, south of Tokyo February 3, 2007.

Prince Hisahito is the first boy to be born into Japan’s imperial family in nearly 41 years. Hisahito was born on September 6th 2006 I believe. My son was born September 15th. Damn it!! So close!! Would have been kinda cool to have matching birthdays…

My sons unofficial name is Ryoma (after Sakamoto Ryoma) so can you imagine if the future Emperor of Japan and his pal Ryoma cruised the streets of Shibuya? Damn, they’d get chicks… hehe just kidding! (Nervous laughter!)

(Photos are from Reuters)