Emperor Hirohito (1901–1989) began his reign on December 25th, 1926. It was the beginning of a new era in Japanese history, an era that was named Shōwa (1926–1989; The Illuminated Peace). In all of Japanese history, it was the longest, and yet a very diverse, reign by a single emperor. Japan was undergoing democratization and modernization, then, due to internal crisis opposed to Western influences, led wars. After the wars Japan once again turned towards democratization and development, finally becoming the third largest economic power in the world. The Shōwa period can be divided into three main sub-periods: 1926–1945: democratization, nationalism and war; 1945–1952: occupation; 1952–1989: peace, democratization and economic growth. In a nutshell, the author presents the life and works of Emperor Hirohito along with the main events that took place during his reign.
Bronisław Piłsudski (1866–1918), the oustanding Polish ethnologist, who conducted very important research on the aboriginal population of Sakhalin and adjacent areas, particulary on the language and folklore of Ainu ethnic group, which inhabited Sakhalin and the Japanese island Hokkaido, is not the subject of my detailed studies. For years I have been explore the history of Polish-Japanese relations and I have realized that Bronisław Piłsudski is very important for these relations, important for Poland and Japan, and also for the whole world and its cultural heritage. The aim of this article is to present the most important events from the Polish-Japanese relations in the context of Piłsudski’s life and activities in the Far East and Japan. I describe also the historical background because it is necessary for beter understanding of these relations and the role Piłsudski played in them. The article is based on a lecture I gave during the symposium „The Achievements of Bronisław Piłsudski — a Polish Ainu Researcher: On the Occasion of Unveiling His Monument in Shiraoi, Hokkaido” (19 September 2013). The symposium was organized by Slavic Research Center of Hokkaido University and Hokkaido–Poland Cultural Association.