Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0161, 1945-12-26.
Date26 December, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0515
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 161
ITEM 1 On the Emperor's Family - Yomiuri-Hochi - 24 Doc 45. Translator: K. TAKAHASHI.
Extracts:
The "YAMATO Lineage" (TN Race to which the Emperor's family belonges) which has been
in existence for more than 3,000 years as
the leading family of the people, is revealed in its true shape by the study of historical
science composed of archaeology,
folk-lore, ethnology, antropology etc. The Science indicates that the Emperor's family
arose from a chieftain who achieved his
rank after the conquest of the YAMATO district. Therefore it is not of our stock but
on contrary, of an enemy and conqueror, a
descendant of other races. The reason for the unbroken succession of the "YAMATO Lineage"
until now is due partly to JAPAN'S
topography. She is an insular country and naturally excluded foreigners. Consequently,
she was hardly affected by influence
from the main lands. This helped the lineage avoid any remarkable reformations.
The Emperors lost their political power and lived wretched lives by means of selling
manuscripts or odes etc, during eras of
MUROMACHI and SENGOKU. In the age of the TOKUGAWA Shogunate, their pittance from SHOGUN
was only 30,000 Kaku of rice a year
and they were restricted severly by "Court Noble Regulations" and other laws. Hence,
the conception of the people about the
idea of the Emperor at that time differed not a little from that after the MEIJI Era
when the absolute system of the Emperor
was promulgated by the MEIJI Government.
Dr. BERTZ, a German physician who stayed in JAPAN for a long time, states in his
diary that there were so few who hoisted the
national flag at the Emperor's birthday in (1877), that constables were compelled
to visit every door to make the people do
so.
Now I will write down uncounted facts in the history of the Emperor System.
The Emperor System in the ancient ages was directly connected with the people as
the absolute monarch and the people's enemy.
The tyranny of Emperors YURAKU and BURETSU, described in NIHON SHOKI (TN old history
book,) was notorious. The former was so
cruel that he dared to rip the stomach of a pregnant woman. Moreover we can cite many
instances of sufferings of the people in
the odes of
EDITORIAL SERIES: 161 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
MANNYOSHU. (TN old anthology).
In the medieval ages, the Emperor System had already become a mere family. However,
men of influence used to exploit the
Emperors in their struggles for power.
In the TOKUGAWA Era, anti-Shogunate forces did not hesitate to make use of the Emperor
as their weapon against the SHOGUN. The
SHOKYU Incident by the ex-Emperor GOTOBA and the KEM[illegible]U Restoration by Emperor GODAIGO were civil
wars caused by and for the sake of the upper class, and inflicted on the people the
destitution of war calamities and heavy
taxes.
After the MEIJI Era, the SATSUMA and CHOSHU clans were successful in completing the
MEIJI Restoration and former an allied
feudalistic government which restored the Emperor's family and organized the absolute
system of the Emperor. They made a cat's
paw of this system, bound themselves up with it, and won success in constructing the
foundations of capitalism. The new
capitalism was built up at the sacrifice of the farmers and workers resulting from
the disguised rationalization of
feudalistic farm-tenancy. The [illegible]peror himself was also successful in taking advantage of the
confusion when clans were abolished and prefectures were established. He, with the
intention of reviving his family from the
privation of long years, deprived the farmers of vast areas of farmlands and forests,
leaving thousands hungry. The incessant
aggressive wars since the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars were undoubtedly brought
about in the nine of the Emperor
System, The Emperor, concurrently, Generalissimo, was always the leader of wars and
people died for the benefit of the limited
leading class thought they believed their death was for the sake of the Emperor.
The Emperor System, which has continued to cheat the people under the excuse of cooperation,
that is" the Emperor is
benevolence itself", must not be permitted to evade the crime of having suppressed
the arguments of the farmers and workers
against the exploting class. The Mistreatment of democratic movements, regarding them
as rebellious, and the merciless
exercise of the peace regulations should not be forgotten because they are all executed
in the name of the Emperor System.
Having exploited the people and crushed co[illegible]onial nations, the Emperor System has gratified its
ambitions with, and as a representative of, the Zaibatsu, the military clique and
the landowners.
While the people have been thrown into the greatest destitution in their history
by the defeat, the Emperor System shows no
intention of striving to settle this problem, and seems even more absorbed in excusing
itself from the war responsibility as
well as in retaining its present status. We are sure that the Emperor System is our
Enemy. (Contributed by a Communist,
[illegible]KI Yu)
ITEM 2 The Government's Responsibility for the Increase in Coal Production Asahi-Shimbun - 24 Dec 45 - Translator: T. UNAYA[illegible]A.
Full Translation:
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 161 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
The coal shortage in JAPAN is becoming more and more severe and General Headquarters
of the Allied Forces has again emphasized
that the Japanese Government should bear the responsibility for coalmining.
The Government has already announced that is has undertaken the necessary distribution
of food for the additional ration for
coalminers, but the distribution to the stores at the coal-mines has not yet increased.
Explosives and lubricating oil which had been supplied by the Allied Forces have
not yet arrived owing to delay in transport.
The mine operators have evaded their responsibilities under the pretext that unless
the price of coal is raised they can not
consider its paying proposition and accordingly the increase in coal production is
hopeless.
After the world panic in 1929, when MANCHISTER goods came into competition with low-priced
Japanese goods, the Prince of Wales
visited the cotton-spinning districts to appeal to the workers for an increase in
production. It is, of course, necessary to
consider whether taking the same measures is suitable to the present circumstances
in JAPAN, but at this time every means
should be taken.
Now that things have come to such a past, such a measure as sending a Chamberlain
to the coal-mining districts will be of no
use. However every means such as those undertaken for the achievement of the war's
end, should be utilized to increase coal
production.
ITEM 3 An Unfortunate Custom Increase of Coal Production & Sincerity - 24 Dec 45 - Mainichi Shimbin. Translator: Y.A.SUZUKI.
Summary:
To strike a man is one of the unfortunate customs which makes Japanese culture so
low and uncivilized. The Japanese themselves
do not think the action as bad, as foreigners, who claim it is an unfor[illegible]giveable outrage upon
personal rights. If it was quite natural for a father to strike his child, a teacher
to slap his student, and a policeman to
hit people, imagine how much more the soldiers have to suffer. Some foolish officers
and non-commissioned officers considered
that striking their men was one way of training them to become tough. For example,
if something wrong was done by one man in a
sound, all the men, guilty or not, would be ordered to line up in two columes and
required to slap each other's face with a
leather shoe until they were bloody. Not only slapping but other brutal tortures were
performed without compunction.
Therefore, the war criminals now being tried for brutal treatment towards war prisoners,
may not have committed these barbaric
acts because of hatred, or to trampel on personal rights, but because of this unfortunate
custom of ours, of course, brutal
treatment of war prisoners is an inexcusable crime, and it cannot be wondered that
the majority of our military are shunned
because of their low and uncivilized acts. Nevertheless, there must be some difference
between acting voluntarily and
committing a crime as the result of, a custom.
If my opinion would help the impartial American court members to judge fairly, nothing
would make mw happier. (From KUIAJIMA,
Take jiro
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 161 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Increasing Coal Output and Sincerity.
Many officers and non-commissioned officers who have struck, kicked, bled, and brutally
trampled the soldiers who sacrifice
themselves for victory, are now coming back as demoblized men. I am positive that
they will excuse themselves by saying that
they acted brutally in order to manifest devotion for their country. It has been said
that the officers who struck the
soldiers had more devotion than the men who were beaten.
There is no way of knowing how much these devoted demoblized officers and non-commissioned
officers think of their country.
Consequently, if they, with their hearts filled with devotion, would charge into the
coal mines, it would not be long before
we would be able to fulfil our aim of increased coal production. (From MIYOSHI)
DISTRIBUTION "X".
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