Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeIn this groundbreaking biography of the Japanese emperor Hirohito; Herbert P. Bix offers the first complete; unvarnished look at the enigmatic leader whose sixty-three-year reign ushered Japan into the modern world. Never before has the full life of this controversial figure been revealed with such clarity and vividness. Bix shows what it was like to be trained from birth for a lone position at the apex of the nation's political hierarchy and as a revered symbol of divine status. Influenced by an unusual combination of the Japanese imperial tradition and a modern scientific worldview; the young emperor gradually evolves into his preeminent role; aligning himself with the growing ultranationalist movement; perpetuating a cult of religious emperor worship; resisting attempts to curb his power; and all the while burnishing his image as a reluctant; passive monarch. Here we see Hirohito as he truly was: a man of strong will and real authority.Supported by a vast array of previously untapped primary documents; Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan is perhaps most illuminating in lifting the veil on the mythology surrounding the emperor's impact on the world stage. Focusing closely on Hirohito's interactions with his advisers and successive Japanese governments; Bix sheds new light on the causes of the China War in 1937 and the start of the Asia-Pacific War in 1941. And while conventional wisdom has had it that the nation's increasing foreign aggression was driven and maintained not by the emperor but by an elite group of Japanese militarists; the reality; as witnessed here; is quite different. Bix documents in detail the strong; decisive role Hirohito played in wartime operations; from the takeover of Manchuria in 1931 through the attack on Pearl Harbor and ultimately the fateful decision in 1945 to accede to an unconditional surrender. In fact; the emperor stubbornly prolonged the war effort and then used the horrifying bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; together with the Soviet entrance into the war; as his exit strategy from a no-win situation. From the moment of capitulation; we see how American and Japanese leaders moved to justify the retention of Hirohito as emperor by whitewashing his wartime role and reshaping the historical consciousness of the Japanese people. The key to this strategy was Hirohito's alliance with General MacArthur; who helped him maintain his stature and shed his militaristic image; while MacArthur used the emperor as a figurehead to assist him in converting Japan into a peaceful nation. Their partnership ensured that the emperor's image would loom large over the postwar years and later decades; as Japan began to make its way in the modern age and struggled -- as it still does -- to come to terms with its past.Until the very end of a career that embodied the conflicting aims of Japan's development as a nation; Hirohito remained preoccupied with politics and with his place in history. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan provides the definitive account of his rich life and legacy. Meticulously researched and utterly engaging; this book is proof that the history of twentieth-century Japan cannot be understood apart from the life of its most remarkable and enduring leader.
#272942 in Books Huston Smith 1992-10-09 1992-10-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .43 x 5.31l; .33 #File Name: 0062507877192 pagesUniversal BeliefWorld ReligionJusticeTruthProsperity
Review
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. What You See Is Not ALL There isBy John A. Van DevenderSmith's book is a refreshing non-Christian assessment of the irrational consensus stretching across the various segments of American culture; at least as far as I can see it. Over the past 50 years; with greater or lesser intensity; Americans have grown cynical and suspicious of any claims to truth other than that which their senses can validate and their perceptions confirm.This is not an entirely new phenomenon in absolute essence. From the arrival of the Puritans right up throgh the classical enlightenment of Colonial times and extending even; though significantly lessened; through the Romantic 19th century; and certainly in the early Modernist 20th century; Americans have always prided themselves on being "practical." Our approach to religion; politics; art and literature has been influenced; if not conditioned; by the screening grid of "what works?"But within that prevailing practicality Americans had certain values; misplaced perhaps but real; that limited that practicality. Though not a philosophical community; Americans were yet disposed toward the idea of "the beautiful"; the pursuit of "quality"; the social imperative of the American "Dream"; the unquestioned assumption that we had "hit" upon that blend of freedom/responsibility/encouragement which was the key to human development and future prosperity. We were unabashedly evangelistic. Promoting our ways and our ideas; with some success and with too much arrogance; and exporting our institutions throughout the world.In other words; we had a "world view" that formed a central unifying idea. Immigrants were "assimilated" into this view. Cultural distinctives were precious but subordinate. To be "Southern" was to embrace secondary ideas about life in these United States that were never-the-less absolutely subordinate to the higher claim of being an "American." I submit that even the shameful issue of race relations was characterized by this approach and I would submit the evidence of the proud performance of non-white Americans in ALL the wars of the period.But that changed. The common embrace of intangibles dissolved under the influence of vicious political power plays; the dedicated strategy of radical elitist academics and intellectuals; and the rise of "selfish me-ism" sensuality that characterized the masses of the post-1960's populace.Something had to fill the void created by the dismissal of abstract "values." That which was confidently advanced was "scientism" - the belief that the only true "truth" is that which can be established by the principles of formulaic validation and predictive behavior. It showed up across the board. Education theory became the subject of endless; repetitive; and often contradictory "studies." "Studies prove..." became the unquestioned warrant for whatever hare-brained agenda some demagogue wanted to advance. "Prove it" was the underlying demand that opened the door for the idea that everyone's opinion is of equal value no matter what their qualifications on the subject being discussed.Consensus dissolved; intellectual and moral anarchy has prevailed and now; simply; there is no dream. All we have left is the sterile imbecility of moral license and the reductionist straight-jacket of impressionist thinking. In a social structue where in "quality" is not recognized; where "advancement" in personal virtue is not celebrated; and where transcendent goals are not pursued; there is and must be a corresponding despair - the sense that "something is missing" - and the resultant flattening of human existence.Smith is on to something. He is too much a product of those same trends to be able to critique his own observations. He cannot find a measure (scientism) to be able to distinguish; among the commonly held values of the world's various religions; any which are to be elevated as the repository of "truth." He still treats the facts of human religions as the data from which conclusions are to be drawn.But he says and sees many good things. All that is lacking is the insight; that what you "see" is not ALL there is. Among the world religions; only Christianity can claim the priority of "truth." That statement is not proved by the data of the Christian religion itself... it is furnished by the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit... a Person who is not contained in human equations nor constrained by human conceptions. He is the validation of all that is transcendent for in Him is beauty; peace; joy; life and truth.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Universal spiritual wisdom...By Art SeveranceUniversal spiritual wisdom...0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. For "seekers" this is a good read. Huston Smith has an open mind when ...By nanci corzineFor "seekers" this is a good read. Huston Smith has an open mind when it comes to the world's religions. He'll make you think if you're ready to take religious blinders down.
