Dear General MacArthur: Letters from the Japanese During the American OccupationRowman & Littlefield, 2006 - 336 pages This unique book compiles some 120 remarkable letters from Japanese citizens to General Douglas MacArthur during the postwar occupation of Japan (1945-1952). Painstakingly culled from a vast collection, these letters evoke the unfiltered voices of people of all classes and occupations during the tremendous upheaval of the early postwar period, when the Japanese were coming to terms with the devastating losses of the war, adjusting to a new political system, and creating the framework for economic and social recovery. Written by people of all ages and walks of life, the letters raise issues ranging from Japanese war crimes to the future of the emperor system, from the behavior of American occupation troops to pleas for the United States to annex Japan. Some writers offered to serve as spies for the occupation forces; others appealed for help in solving individual problems, protested allegedly unfair treatment by the occupation, or made detailed recommendations for the reform of Japanese society. Sodei's running commentary places the letters in their historical context, and the substantive foreword by John W. Dower, who drew upon Sodei's research for his Pulitzer Prize-winning Embracing Defeat, further assesses the significance of the letters in understanding Japan's occupation experience. |
Table des matières
COZYING UP TO THE VICTOR | 15 |
INVITATIONS | 31 |
I DARE SAY | 47 |
PLEASE PROTECT THE EMPEROR | 63 |
DEPOSE THE EMPEROR | 85 |
MACARTHUR AS FATHER FIGURE | 103 |
GIFTS OF THANKS | 123 |
CRAFTED FROM THE HEART | 147 |
TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT? | 201 |
GRAND PLANS | 217 |
FAVORS TO ASK | 245 |
FERVENT REQUESTS | 269 |
FAREWELL | 289 |
NOTES | 301 |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | |
UNSOLICITED ADVICE | 175 |
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
Dear General MacArthur: Letters from the Japanese During the American Occupation Rinjirō Sodei Affichage d'extraits - 2001 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
addressed Allied Powers American Asahi shimbun believe Chiba Prefecture CI&E citizens Communist Party criminals culture dated Dear General MacArthur Dear Sir defeat democracy democratic Diet Douglas MacArthur election emperor system English Excellency's express father feel files former Fukushima prefecture Fuse general's gift Government Section gratitude Hachioji happiness Headquarters heart Honorable General MacArthur hope imperial family imperial system Japa Japan Communist Party Japanese Korean Kyūshū leaders lese majesty letter was written letters to MacArthur liberation living MacArthur Memorial archives Mainichi shimbun militarists military National Archives nese newspapers occupation forces occupation policies occupied Japan offer painting people's person Photo political postwar Potsdam Declaration pray Prefecture present prime minister purged reform request respectfully responsibility sincerely Sodei soldiers Soviet Union Supreme Commander tion Tokyo translation troops U.S. Army United village war criminals world peace writer Yoshida Yoshimoto
Fréquemment cités
Page 4 - I had to be an economist, a political scientist, an engineer, a manufacturing executive, a teacher, even a theologian of sorts.
Page xxiv - ... me to speak. Now, I would like to tell you that never before has it been so difficult for me to speak as today. The only thing which gave me strength in these days were you, our people, the Czechs and Slovaks, and all others who in this...