Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan

Rating:
Summary: I was crushed!
Review: I read this book on Hirohito and found it to be one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. Note: this book is not too easy to get into however for students of Japan it's well worth the investment. It took me about 300 pages of book before I started getting really interested in this story.

For me, the most interesting thing was that this book changed my ideas of Japan and Hirohito in WWII. I believed previously that Hirohito was mislead by a military junta of men that controlled and somewhat threatened him. I had believed that Hirohito had little influence over the Japanese military. I used to explain to my friends how Hirohito was a great hero of mine because, when Japan was getting destroyed by the United States, he, at great personal risk to himself, stepped up from the shadows and told Japan to surrender. I believed that he was a brave man for taking the risk that his military generals and admirals would have him killed over such a surrender and that he was surrendering to avoid the complete destruction of the Japanese people.

This book however showed me what was a very different story. It seems to say that Hirohito wanted to emulate the greatness and glory of Japan's defeat of Russia. The book explains that Hirohito was very much involved and in control as Japan tried to make her place in the world of the 20th century. And the book puts a big part of the blame for Japan's WWII role and atrocities on Hirohito himself. For example, the book says, if I remember correctly, that Hirohito's relatives in the military were telling him of the atrocities in China and that Hirohito did little to nothing to stop them. Next, the book says, as Japan's defeat was nigh and American bombers were destroying all of Japan's cities with abandon, Hirohito cut a deal with McArthur to save the throne for himself and Japan. Hirohito agreed to tell the Japanese military to surrender to the Americans if McArthur would, in turn, agree to help arrange a coverup for the Emperor. Hirohito agreed to this because he knew the U.S. would immediately depose him as Emperor and probably rid the country of the position of Emperor. The coverup involved re-telling the story of how the war came about. It named the military junta as the guilty party and spared the Emperor for his complicity in the American occupation of Japan and also saved the Japanese royal family. The Americans, as part of the agreement, told the Japanese people and the rest of the world that the Emperor was actually a victim of this Japanese military "coup de etat".

I was quite crushed that Hirohito's decision to surrender to the Americans was not a magnanimous gesture to save his people, but rather a self-interested decision to save his own skin and his royal family. All things considered, this book told me a story that I will never forget.

Rating:
Summary: a brief comments on Marvin weatherly's review
Review: For the book itself I have only a few lines to say for now - contrary to what the book cover says, most of the Bix' arguments based on "facts" are not entirely new and rather similar, though not identical, to what the left in Japan had argued long time ago. Maybe this is why Bix was able to rely on so many "facts" i.e., previous works by his Japanese counterparts who are native thus have better access to the original sources.

Regarding marvin's review, I cannot help pointing out an outright misperception (or a simply lie for his argument's sake).

"Japanese in many quarters, including the schools, still maintain the Rape-of-Nanking is but a vicious lie by those who are jealous of Japan."

As a onetime English teacher at a high school in the country, I can attest to the contrary. The fact is that all mainstream textbooks and teaching instructions there obligates teachers to devote a significant amount of time to teaching the wartime atrocities and their devastating consequences, including Nanking. I doubt if marvin or other critics who often make a similar (false) claim have any clue what they are talking about. I find it rather troublesome that they use such an unfounded claim to generalize about a certain people (Japanese in this case) with no careful assessment of the inherent diversity of their views and opinions.

Rating:
Summary: Hirohito had two positions.
Review: I was utterly disappointed with the this book. First of all, the title is misleading. Modern Japan was created during the Meiji Emperor and Hirohito inherited it.

Also, the book does not really talk about how Japan is becoming "modern", but just tells the life story - in a very boring way - of Hirohito.

Rating:
Summary: The making of modern Japan...and Hirohito
Review: I think the author of this book got the title a little backwards. Although a re-defining of Hirohito is a point of the book, it is not the main point when it comes to sheer volume of text. Much more is devoted to the shaping of Japan as a country, from the Meiji roots, through the militarization of WWII and back out again, under the US occupation, and finally independent again till the death of Hirohito.

What is there of Hirohito is maybe 95% intelligent speculation, strung together from official texts and guarded and unguarded moments of his confidants. Being the Emperor of Japan, almost every public face of Hirohito is tightly controlled, and as the author admits, there is little to no access to the private thoughts or personal convictions of the Showa Emperor.

Bix does an excellent job with the available material, however, and makes a good case for a considerably stronger role for Hirohito during WWII than was sold to the world. I am sure that he is closer to the truth than the official position, and "closer to the truth" is probably the best we will ever get, unless the Imperial Family releases his private diaries, which is an unlikely move.

"Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan" does make for an excellent history book for those like me, who are largely ignorant of this period of Japanese history. I certainly am more well-informed than I was before, and interested enough to continue learning. Bix's writing style is academic, and not really there to capture the imagination and make history "come alive," so reading the book is a commitment.

Of special interest is the growth of military power from the Japanese point-of-view, and the understanding how fear of economically and militarily powerful countries like the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union can cause less wealthy, less developed countries to take steps to protect themselves from assimilation. There is a definite lesson to be learned here, with what happened in Japan and what is happening now with the Middle Eastern countries. An eye-opener, to say the least.