Quote Japan
Interesting, odd, outrageous or informative quotes about JapanEmperor- Quotes about the Japanese royal family and palace (Meiji, Taisho, Showa/ Hirohito, Heisei)
“At least one woman fled the country to escape the unwanted attention; others hurriedly arranged marriages to other men to forestall a proposal from the prince [Naruhito]; and a few threatened to have tattoos or body-piercings, believing that such ‘mutilation’ would make them ineligible for marriage to a royal” Princess Masako pg 125
“the idea of ‘romantic love’ [has] unpleasant overtones of something ‘lax, loose, untidy and negligent’ to older, traditional Japanese. Indeed, when [Prince] Akihito’s engagement to Michiko was reluctantly approved, the then head of the Kunaicho felt obliged to stand up in parliament and indignantly deny that it was a love-match” Princess Masako pg 127
“in 50 years his biggest published scoop, [Toshiya Matsuzaki] boasts proudly, was spotting that the Emperor Hirohito had acquired a Mickey Mouse watch after a visit to Disneyland” pg 129
“The supreme commander is therefore ordered to assist secretly in popularizing and humanizing the emperor. This will not be known to the Japanese people” an official post-war American directive, quoted by Patrick Smith in Japan, A Reinterpretation
“One or two Shinohata houses had formal pictures of the Crown Prince and his bride, but the Imperial family aroused little interest” A typical Japanese attitude to a figurehead that has no real power, Ronald P Dore
“It would be: ‘Everyone face towards the Imperial Palace! Deepest bow!’ Funny, we hardly think about the Emperor nowadays from one year’s end to another, but we did then, that’s for sure. We were always bowing to the Emperor for one thing or the other” Someone who was a school child during WWII, quoted by Ronald P. Dore
“The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s advantage”- a translation of the clearest reference to surrender in the speech on Japanese radio ending WWII, quoted by George Mikes
