デモクラシーと「国体」は両立するか-戦後日本のデモクラシーと天皇制

• Authors: Takeshi Hara

Title variants

EN

Are Democracy and the National Character (Kokutai) Compatible? Postwar Japanese Democracy and the Imperial System

Abstracts

EN

Soviet Communism or American Democracy will plunge people into darkness. Emperor Shōwa’s mother (Lady Sadako, Empress Teimei) recited the above waka poem in 1944. It was her belief that both American Democracy and Soviet Communism were in discord with the Japanese national character (kokutai). As the Allies offensive progressed, the Empress, who had been convinced that victory was immanent, gave in to doubt, and the fear of defeat began to creep into her heart. The Chronicle of Emperor Shōwa shows the Emperor as a devoted advocate of “American Democracy”. According to him, the Meiji Constitution did not require any essential changes. On the 7th of February, 1946, he asked Matsumoto Jōji, the head of the committee for the research on the Constitution, to consider a stylistic change that involved combining two Articles that contained overlapping elements. Article 1 (The Empire of Japan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of Emperors unbroken for ages eternal.) and Article 4 (The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty, and exercises them according to the provisions of the present Constitution.) were to be merged into one, retaining the statement that the line of Emperors is unbroken – therefore preserving the fundamental concept. Meanwhile in the Occupation’s General Headquarters a new constitution was being drafted. The Emperor complemented the efforts towards outlining the new constitution, but simultaneously, immediately following the promulgation, ordered a rite to be conducted at Ise Shrine in a plea on behalf of “the vast protection by the kami for eternal peace and the prosperity of the nation”. As far as the postwar Constitution is concerned, the kokutai – national identity, was preserved. In an interview in 1977, the Emperor stated that democracy did not come to Japan from America. It was already predicted in Emperor Meiji’s “Emperor’s oath in five articles” (Gokajō no goseimon) in which the Emperor announced the creation of the National Assembly. This statement reflects Emperor Shōwa’s attitude towards democracy. The Imperial family was even more significant in this regard. Prince Takamatsu claimed that the project of the new Constitution was hard to accept due to the stress it put on the sovereignty of the nation being too pronounced. Prince Chibu also criticized General Headquarters for, in their eagerness to protect the freedom of speech, they allowed the Communists to join the process. For Prince Chibu this rendered the new Constitution a “direct import from America”, unsuitable for Japanese circumstances. The Empress Mother became involved with promotion of the domestic silk industry. A decisive factor in her decision to enter the field was most likely in order to oppose American competition. The critical attitude towards American Democracy, characteristic of Hirohito’s possible successors, can be seen as one of the reasons why the Occupation forces abandoned the idea of urging Hirohito to abdicate.

Keywords

EN

democracy; national character (kokutai); Emperor Shōwa; Prince Takamatsu; Prince Chichibu; Empress Teimei

• Publisher: Polskie Stowarzyszenie Badań Japonistycznych
• Journal: Analecta Nipponica
• Year: 2017
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 37-57

Dates

published

2017

Contributors

author

Takeshi Hara

• Open University of Japan

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Identifiers

Biblioteka Nauki

1810777