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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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 Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Eva Pilot wrote: |
| But it is my strong and unwavering belief that the duration of the Greater East Asian War (for lack of a more correct term) was not the work simply of an Emperor commanding a nation, but the control of the few, the Militarist influence in the Diet, that was the driving force behind the entire conflict in China, Manchuria and then the entire Pacific theatre. |
Well, I agree with you that it was not the work of the emperor alone, but I disagree that he had no control. The surrender itself shows that he must have had some or his words would have carried no authority. The reasons for the surrender are rather irrelevant.
According to Herbert Bix:
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The problem of accountability gradually became a central theme of the book because I have been concerned with that problem for a long time. I knew too that the issue of the emperor's role in the war had been raised right at the end of World War II, and that some Americans on the left understood that Hirohito was absolutely central to the Japanese war effort. Mainstream scholars in the academy paid them no heed though. The Cold War really had a distorting effect on the kinds of histories of Japan that were written. First the anthropologists, next the political scientists and finally the historians uncritically accepted the official American Occupation view of Hirohito as a figurehead emperor who had played no meaningful role during the war.
I learned otherwise. Hirohito had interacted with his governments and his Imperial Headquarters; seldom had he allowed his generals and admirals to fight the war just as they wished. Of course, this did not mean that he was dictating policy or calling all the shots. He wasn't a conqueror by nature, and war certainly wasn't essential to his personality. But he was, in ways that I document, an active, essential participant in the events that unfolded around him, including the bombing of Chinese cities and the attack on Pearl Harbor. |
http://www.harpercollins.com/author/authorExtra.aspx?authorID=13941&isbn13=9780060931308&displayType=bookinterview
He believes that the US occupation had required the belief that the emperor had nothing to do with the war itself.
At the Tokyo war crimes tribunal Tojo Hideki had said that what they did had been for the emperor and that they wouldn't have disobeyed him. Tojo was forced to revise his statement to read that the emperor had always favoured peace and was against war. Then Tojo himself was hanged for war crimes. |
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Eva Pilot
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Far West of the Far East
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| Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:01 am Post subject: |
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The institution of a modern Parliament system and the formation of the original Constitution, although designed and put into action by men who had every wish to see the Emperor regain his Divine Right of rule, still put the decision making capabilities into the hands of more that just one.
The Emperor must have been used as a rubber stamp of approval through the war, but rather than deciding the courses of action, I have come to understand that the military forces were making decisions for him.
You are probably correct in spotting an error when I said the Emperor had no say in the matter, I revise my initial statement accordingly with the belief that he was part of a fairly large committee of people involved in the effort in Manchukuo and the Pacific. |
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osakajojo
Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 229
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| Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:28 am Post subject: |
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| I too agree that Borat was a great movie and the scene where he wrestles with his manager deserves an Oscar. |
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sallycat
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Posts: 303
Location: behind you. BOO!
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| Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Eva Pilot wrote: |
The Emperor must have been used as a rubber stamp of approval through the war, |
that must have been uncomfortable, surely? how did he ever get the ink off? |
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sushi
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 145
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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Macarthur could have thrown Hirohito into prison, but didn't want a martyr on his hands. He let a lot of Japanese war criminals go free as well.
The most hated and rutheless of all the Japanese generals in Malaysia, was not imprisoned. He eventually became the top Yakuza don, and got to present a speciall gift to Jimmy Carter on one of his state visits.
One of Tojo's sons became Head of mitsubishi.
Last edited by sushi on Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Venti
Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Posts: 171
Location: Kanto, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:58 am Post subject: |
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| Congrats to Eastwood on the Golden Globe win and the Oscar nominations. "Letters" should take best pic. |
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nawlinsgurl
Joined: 01 May 2004
Posts: 363
Location: Kanagawa and feeling Ok....
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:25 am Post subject: |
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| I know! I'm so happy that "Iwo Jima" was noticed. It is really a great film if anyone hasn't seen it. Oh "Blood Diamonds" was also suprisingly good. |
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anh
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 22
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| nawlinsgurl wrote: |
| I know! I'm so happy that "Iwo Jima" was noticed. It is really a great film if anyone hasn't seen it. Oh "Blood Diamonds" was also suprisingly good. |
Could anyone rate how much gore/blood/scenes of soldiers w/ missing limbs & the like is in the movie? I'd like to see it, but I always feel queasy when I watch movies like that... |
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Venti
Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Posts: 171
Location: Kanto, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| As for "Iwo Jima", there's plenty of graphic violence. I guess you could cover your eyes during those scenes. It's pretty obvious when it'll happen. |
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