Remember the Showa Era by Strengthening Unity Within Japan
Today we find ourselves facing severe domestic and international situations. The world economy is in turmoil and concerns about a Taiwan contingency and other crises are ever present. At a time like this, it makes sense to look back on the turbulent Showa era.
April 29 marked Showa Day (Showa no Hi). This national holiday celebrates the birthday of Emperor Showa (Emperor Hirohito). It is defined by the National Holidays Act as a day to "look back on the Showa era, which saw the country recover after turbulent times, and to consider the nation's future." Television sets on display at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, November 18, 1953. NHK began broadcasting that February, followed by the launch of Nippon Television in August.
Next year, 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of the advent of the Showa era (1926-89). At present, almost one in three Japanese were born during or after the Heisei era, which lasted from 1989 to 2019, and are unfamiliar with what things were like during Showa.
But why not ask your grandparents, parents, and other relatives about what it was like back then in the Showa period? We would like to see people who lived through those turbulent times pass on their experiences to younger generations. The Osaka Expo bustling with crowds on its opening day on March 15, 1970.
The Showa era was marked by hardships from the start, with the Showa Depression beginning in 1927 and the Great Depression following two years later.
The Japanese economy did recover fairly quickly and began to experience economic growth in the prewar Showa period. But this growth was stymied by economic blocs created by the United States, Great Britain, and other Western countries, which established high tariff walls around their colonies. Japan also became mired down in military conflicts, including the Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. A kamishibai (paper theater) scene from the early Showa period. Stories like "Golden Bat" (one of Japan's first superhero characters) were popular.
The Japanese people fought with all their might under the banner of "self-preservation and self-defense and the liberation of Asia from Western colonialism." But the nation ended up losing 3.1 million people before its ultimate defeat in August 1945.
The government found itself at an impasse as to whether Japan should accept the terms of unconditional surrender demanded by the Allied Powers in the Potsdam Declaration. It was a dramatic decision by the Showa Emperor that broke the deadlock and settled the matter.
Japan then had to suffer occupation by a foreign power for the first time in its long history, with full sovereignty being restored in April 1952.
Dedicating itself to pursuing a path of peace, Japan achieved a period of rapid growth lauded as an "economic miracle." Indeed, by 1968 the nation's gross national product reached ¥51 trillion JPY (around $355 billion USD), making it the second-largest Western economic power. And in 1975 Japan became the only Asian member of the summit of the richest industrialized nations (at the time referred to as "the G6").
There have been various assessments of the wars and economic growth experienced during the Showa era. However, the role they played in the elimination of racial discrimination around the world has surely been underappreciated. Ueno Station crowded with large numbers of junior high school graduates arriving from rural areas on mass employment trains. Scenes like this continued into the 1960s.
Emperor Showa always shared the joys and sorrows of his subjects. In the immediate postwar years from 1946 to 1954, the emperor toured the nation to personally encourage the public. Emperor Showa was enthusiastically welcomed by the common people throughout Japan while these imperial visits served to bind the nation closer together. During a postwar tour, Emperor Showa visits Shonai Village in Fukuoka Prefecture (now Iizuka City). The woman beside him appears to be searching for him, possibly expecting him to be in military uniform. May 1949.
Our national character of being able to weather crises, thanks to the people being united under the Emperor and the Imperial Family, was very apparent during the Showa era, and it continues to this day.
The government is planning to hold a ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Showa era in 2026. We hope preparations for this event will proceed in such a way that this ceremony will serve to commemorate the benevolence and other virtues of Emperor Showa, express gratitude to our ancestors, and strengthen unity within Japan.
( Read the editorial in Japanese . )
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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