Hirohito cytaty
Hirohito
Data urodzenia: 29. Kwiecień 1901
Data zgonu: 7. Styczeń 1989
Hirohito – 124. cesarz Japonii, panujący w latach 1926–1989. Zgodnie ze zwyczajem, cesarz Japonii po śmierci otrzymuje imię epoki, w czasie której panował. Z tego powodu obecnie nazywany jest cesarzem Shōwa .
Hirohito został regentem w 1921, gdy jego ojciec, Yoshihito, wycofał się z życia publicznego z powodu choroby umysłowej. 25 grudnia 1926, po śmierci Yoshihito, został cesarzem. Jako nazwę okresu jego panowania przyjęto Shōwa . Był najdłużej panującym cesarzem w historii Japonii.
W początkowych latach rządów Hirohito w Japonii narastały tendencje militarystyczno-nacjonalistyczne, które doprowadziły do działań mających na celu podbój Azji. W 1940 Japonia zawarła pakt z Niemcami i Włochami i zmilitaryzowała gospodarkę. Hirohito był temu przeciwny, ale realnie nie posiadał dostatecznej władzy, aby przeciwstawić się działaniom kolejnych rządów.
Po kapitulacji Japonii w 1945 zachował godność cesarza, utracił jednak przysługujący mu wcześniej status boski, a jego rola została ograniczona do reprezentacyjnej. Zmarł 7 stycznia 1989 w wieku 88 lat, po 62 latach i 13 dniach panowania.
Cytaty Hirohito
„Podjąłem starania, by połykać łzy i chronić gatunku Narodu Japońskiego.“
— Hirohito
w dniu podpisania kapitulacji Japonii, 2 września 1945 r.
„To najbardziej niefortunna wojna, nad którą trzeba głęboko ubolewać.“
— Hirohito
po zaatakowaniu bazy US Navy w Pearl Harbor, 8 grudnia 1941 r.
„Czy trzeba sięgać do takiej skrajności?“
— Hirohito
niespodziewana, sceptyczna reakcja Cesarza Japonii na informację o pierwszej akcji pilotów kamikaze, 25 października 1944 r.
Źródło: Z. Flisowski, Burza nad Pacyfikiem; cz. 2, str. 553.
„Beware most strictly of any outbursts of emotion which may engender needless complications, or any fraternal contention and strike which may create confusion, lead you astray and cause you to lose the confidence of the world.
Let the entire nation continue as one family from generation to generation, ever firm in its faith in the imperishability of its sacred land, and mindful of its heavy burden of responsibility and of the long road before it.“
— Hirohito, Jewel Voice Broadcast
Gyokuon-hōsō (1945)
„Unite your total strength, to be devoted to construction for the future.“
— Hirohito, Jewel Voice Broadcast
Gyokuon-hōsō (1945)
Kontekst: Unite your total strength, to be devoted to construction for the future. Cultivate the ways of rectitude, foster nobility of spirit, and work with resolution — so that you may enhance the innate glory of the Imperial State and keep pace with the progress of the world.
„After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining in Our Empire today, We have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting to an extraordinary measure.“
— Hirohito, Jewel Voice Broadcast
Gyokuon-hōsō (1945)
Kontekst: After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining in Our Empire today, We have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting to an extraordinary measure.
We have ordered Our Government to communicate to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that Our Empire accepts the provisions of their Joint Declaration.
„We declared war on America and Britain out of Our sincere desire to ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from Our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement.
But now the war has lasted for nearly four years. Despite the best that has been done by everyone — the gallant fighting of the military and naval forces, the diligence and assiduity of Our servants of the State, and the devoted service of Our one hundred million people — the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage, while the general trends of the world have all turned against her interest.“
— Hirohito, Jewel Voice Broadcast
Gyokuon-hōsō (1945)
Kontekst: We declared war on America and Britain out of Our sincere desire to ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from Our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement.
But now the war has lasted for nearly four years. Despite the best that has been done by everyone — the gallant fighting of the military and naval forces, the diligence and assiduity of Our servants of the State, and the devoted service of Our one hundred million people — the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage, while the general trends of the world have all turned against her interest.
Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should We continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.
Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers.
„When I calmly consider this, the flame of anxiety burns my body. Towards the public, I am deeply ashamed of my lack of discretion… I would like to apologise to successive emperors and people by doing my best for reconstruction of the nation and people's happiness.“
— Hirohito
Draft of undelivered speech (1948); published in the magazine Bungeishunju as quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald (11 June 2003).
„When I consider the dead and their families, I cannot repress my mental agony.“
— Hirohito
Draft of undelivered speech (1948); published in the magazine Bungeishunju as quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald (11 June 2003) http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/10/1055220599574.html.
„The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all of you. Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictates of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable.“
— Hirohito, Jewel Voice Broadcast
Gyokuon-hōsō (1945)
