The Words of Emperor Showa: Records of Imperial Audiences

Overview

A series of records kept by a top aide to Emperor Showa (Hirohito) in the postwar years have come to light. "Records of Imperial Audiences" by Michiji Tajima, the first commoner to lead the Imperial Household Agency, captures dialogues between the Emperor and himself spanning almost 5 years. After a devastating war carried out in his name, how did the Emperor reflect on the war? The records provide rare insight into the processes that shaped the Emperor's new symbolic role, including the crafting of a key 1952 speech.