Emperor Showa's words saved Japan from a postwar food crisis that caused １０ million people to starve to death - MacArthur was moved

Photo by Associated Press (AP) (licensed under CC0 1.0)

The threat of 10 million people starving to death after the war

At a dinner hosted by former President Ford during his first state visit to the United States, Emperor Showa stated that he had longed to express his gratitude to the people of Japan in person. What does this mean? In 1945, the Pacific War ended, but by December, the year the war ended, Japan was in an extreme food shortage. As the year turned and the following year came, it was whispered that "10 million people will starve to death." Emperor Showa told Kenzo Matsumura, the Minister of Education, the following:

Emperor Showa's proposal

"It is said that if the deterioration of food supplies continues, many people will starve to death, but I cannot bear the idea of ??even more people starving to death, especially to our people who have suffered so much during the war."
"The government has requested the United States to provide food, but it seems that the United States will not agree to this, but when you think about it, we have nothing to offer in return for food, so it is unavoidable. "
"And so, I have heard that among the Imperial possessions there are a considerable number of items that are of international value.
I have therefore ordered the director of the Imperial Museum to investigate and prepare a catalogue, which is shown here.
"I would like to give these to America as compensation, in exchange for food, to help stave off hunger for at least one day. I ask that you see to it."
"

MacArthur accepts food aid

Matsumura was perplexed, but when he conveyed Emperor Showa's feelings to General MacArthur and presented him with a list of the Emperor's possessions, General MacArthur, who had already been touched by the Emperor's words in their first meeting, "I want you to help the people no matter what happens to me," said the following. "I understand very well what the Emperor is thinking, but neither I nor the United States can take away the Imperial possessions and provide food in return, even though it is a very kind request."
"I would like to return this list to His Majesty. However, I fully understand the Emperor's feelings about the people. As long as I am in my current position, I will never allow any Japanese people to starve to death. I will definitely take measures to import food from the United States. I would like to ask His Majesty to rest assured." After returning the list, I told him that I would take measures to provide food aid from the United States.

Avoiding food crisis

GHQ stands for General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, and the GHQ headquarters was established in a building that was formerly the Daiichi Seimei Building in Yurakucho, Tokyo. The end of the war was declared on August 15th with the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, and the GHQ headquarters was established on September 15th. Emperor Showa visited MacArthur at the United States Embassy in Japan on September 27th. At this time, MacArthur thought that Emperor Showa had come to beg for his life or to discuss defection. However, it is well known that Emperor Showa said that he didn't care what happened to him and asked MacArthur to help the people, which surprised MacArthur greatly. It is said that Emperor Showa's words had a great influence on the GHQ's later occupation governance policy. Emperor Showa later moved MacArthur's heart again, and the crisis of many Japanese people dying of starvation was averted.

MacArthur testifies that it was a war of self-defense

GHQ had the role of investigating and verifying the history, causes, and purposes of Japan's war, as well as implementing occupation policies. Many people who were found to be war criminals in the Tokyo Trials served their sentences, and Japan was returned to the international community when the San Francisco Peace Treaty, signed on September 8, 1951, was issued the following year. On May 3 of the same year, MacArthur testified before the US Senate Joint Committee on Armed Services and Foreign Relations that Japan's purpose in starting the war was mostly for security. In other words, it was a war of self-defense.

Preserving the Emperor's status was deleted

It is known that the Potsdam Declaration originally included a provision to preserve the Emperor's status, but this was later deleted. At one point, America hoped for the Soviet Union to enter the war, but after Roosevelt's death, Truman, who would later become president, learned of the existence of the atomic bomb research, which was top secret, and it is said that he reworked the document to one that would not allow Japan to surrender. The preservation of the Emperor's status and the maintenance of the national polity were areas of concern for Japan, and America was well aware of this, so initially included the preservation of the Emperor's status. After that, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Emperor decided to accept the Potsdam Declaration. At this point, there was no guarantee that his life would be protected.

Emperor Showa stops at Alaska airport

On September 26, 1971, Emperor Showa and Empress Showa stopped at Anchorage Airport in Alaska on a Japan Airlines plane to refuel during an official visit to Europe. This was Emperor Showa's first overseas trip after ascending to the throne, and the first place in history where an Emperor landed on foreign soil was Alaska in the United States. At that time, President Richard Nixon and his wife Patricia Nixon welcomed the Emperor and Empress to the runway. After the welcome speech and reply speech were exchanged in the hangar, the meeting took place at the residence of the Alaska District Commander, which was designated as a temporary guest house. This was the first meeting between an emperor and a US head of state, even before the war.

First state visit

In 1975, Emperor Showa was invited by former President Ford as a state guest to the White House, and was there as a formal visitor to the US. Prior to this, the first state visit to Japan by a US president was made by former President Ford from November 18 to 22, 1974, the year before Emperor Showa's visit to the US. American public opinion had little interest in the visit of the Japanese emperor to the US, and it was never reported, but every American imagined that Emperor Showa would naturally harbor resentment towards the US. And at the White House dinner, the emperor gave the following speech:

Emperor Showa's speech

"I have longed to visit your country for many years, and if that visit were to come true, I would like to convey the following to your people. That is, I would like to personally express my gratitude to your people for the warm kindness and assistance you extended to our country for the reconstruction immediately after that unfortunate war, which I deeply regret," he said. He then concluded by saying, "More than half of the people in both countries do not know about the last war. However, even if times change in the future, I believe that the generosity and goodwill of your people will be passed down among the Japanese people for a long time." The hall erupted in applause. In other words, he conveyed to the American people at this first state visit dinner as a sign of his gratitude for the time when he presented the Imperial family's gifts and requested food aid from MacArthur.

After that, this story was quickly spread across the United States, and the Japanese Emperor's visit to the United States was reported on the front page of newspapers for six consecutive days. This event took place 30 years after the end of the war.

The period from Meiji to Showa was a turbulent time

Emperor Showa was born on April 29, 1901, and in 1941, Japan entered the Great War with the declaration of war. Even after the defeat, Japan experienced high economic growth during the Showa era, becoming the second largest economic power in the world. With the death of Emperor Showa on January 7, 1989, the Showa era was succeeded by the Heisei era.

The Meiji era began with the Boshin War, and after the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, Japan annexed Korea. During the Taisho era, Japan participated in World War I, and as a permanent member of the League of Nations, it sat at the center of the world table. The Showa era was the longest reign of an emperor, lasting 62 years, and it can be said to have been a turbulent era that saw the Great War, high economic growth, and the country's rise to become an economic superpower.