Hirohito – Behind the Myth

Hirohito – Behind the Myth – by Edward Behr

It should be immediately be pointed out that this book really isn’t, in the strictest sense, a biography.  How does one write a biography of a Japanese emperor anyway?  These figureheads were in many ways similar to royalty, yet the Japanese legend argued that the lineage of their emperor could be traced all the way back to the Sun God (whoever that was).  So the Emperor and his family were treated with the utmost reverence and although they may have been rarely seen by their adoring populous, they certainly were never heard.  There was very strict protocol when dealing with the gods. 

So someone as protected as an emperor really doesn’t warrant too many details that can be weaved into something resembling a biography. This book is actually a challenge to the common myth of Emperor Hirohito’s role during World War II; the time that clearly served as the biggest blemish in the entire history of the nation.  

The common understanding of the nation of Japan during the first half of the twentieth century is that the small somewhat isolated Asiatic nation decided it was time to flex its muscle and compete with the big boys in neighboring Europe.  These nations were carving up the rest of the world and colonizing those whom they perceived as weaker, and Japan certainly wanted a seat at the table.  Japan brutally turned on its neighbor China in the 1930s which indirectly caused the U.S. to get involved in World War II.  Japan wasn’t any kinder to its Western rivals.  This is all background, understand. None of these presumptions are challenged in this book.

What IS challenged in this book, again, is the role of Hirohito behind the scenes.  Most historians tell us that Hirohito was so guarded behind his palace walls, that he wasn’t at all instrumental in Japan’s jingoistic land grabs, raping, and murdering. It was the fault of Japan’s nationalist and military leaders, we’re told. Actually, Hirohito is credited for aiding in the ending of World War II after the annihilations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  So in a land of tyrants, history tells us that at least Hirohito had a somewhat decent head on his shoulders in finally achieving some sort of peace. 

So author Edward Behr makes a very convincing argument that Emperor Hirohito was much more conniving than the world gave him credit.  He details many events, conversations, and rare second-hand tales that show that the supposed peace-loving godhead was actually all in favor of his nation achieving power and glory even if it was tantamount to ruthless butchering and conquering.  Sometime around 1943, though, many in the know in the nation of Japan realized that they were fighting a losing effort. What made this particular conflict more brutal than normal was that the Japanese culture simply couldn’t fathom the concept of ‘surrender’.  This is a nation that would gladly throw their children and elderly into the path of the enemy rather than admit defeat.  Even after the two atomic bombs are dropped, some diehards in power simply couldn’t fathom the notion of giving up.  Here is where the author does agree with most in that Hirohito does realize that it’s best to lay down weapons and face whatever atrocities their conquerors may inflict upon them.

Enter Douglas MacArthur who proves to be one of the most magnanimous conquers in the history of civilization.  Much of what is commonly known of Emperor Hirohito can be traced to MacArthur.  Some speculate that the general was aware that Hirohito wasn’t as squeaky as most perceived, but with the geopolitics of the world already radically shifting in the late 1940s, the argument could be made that MacArthur realized he needed a strong ally so close to communist Russia. So the Emperor is quickly forgiven by the western world, MacArthur begins a friendly occupation, and within a span of only a few years, Japan begins to rebuild from out of the ashes.  Could this have happened if Hirohito been thrown in front of a firing squad like many of the other Japanese war criminals?  Who knows? Hindsight tells us that things did, in fact, work out for the best.  The author probably agrees with this, but that still doesn’t mean that the truth prior to and during the war deserves to be hidden away.

This book was written in 1989, and I honestly don’t know how much of an impact that it had on how many people thought of Japan during World War II.  Sadly, my guess is many people in 1989 (and definitely 30 years later) really don’t know, nor do they care.  I doubt most people under 60 years of age could even identify who Emperor Hirohito was, nor his significance.  I really enjoyed the book.  It’s a tad on the ‘scholarly’ side – lots of big words and rambling pontifications.  There were many times when I wished I had a dictionary handy.  This book reminds me of one of those books that is required reading for a world history class one might take in college.  I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s mainly an observation.

A good alternate look at a key figure during the most calamitous conflict in history that makes one ask some hard, necessary questions.