Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II

Hirohito Michinomiya (1901-1979) was the emperor of Japan. He is best known as the leader of Japan during the Second World War. Hirohito’s rule was the longest of any Japanese monarch. The Japanese word for “emperor,” tennō, starts with a kanji script character that means “heaven,” which underscores the emperor’s privileged status.

Since the 1890 Meiji Constitution, Japanese emperors possessed significant political power. Hirohito traveled to Europe in 1921, and by 1926 he ascended the throne. This era was described as Shōwa, the two kanji for which mean “bright” and “peace” or “harmony.” Shōwa was also the name given to Hirohito posthumously. During his reign, Japan carried out radical imperial expansion, starting with China’s Manchuria in 1931, and joined Germany and other Axis Powers during World War II. On August 15, 1945, Hirohito departed from traditional imperial conduct and made a public surrender speech. Dower analyzes this speech and its implications in detail in this book. The socially awkward yet enigmatic figure of Hirohito is one of the central figures in Embracing Defeat; the American occupation leadership transformed his public image from a militarist to a peacemaker and saved him from the war-crime trials, preserving him as a guarantor of social stability.

As Japan became more democratic through its 1947 constitution, the emperor also transformed into a symbol rather than a ruler. The author describes this change as “becoming human.” In this new “human” status, the emperor lacked power, which now lay formally in the hands of the people. Hirohito kept in contact with the media making many public appearances to connect with his former subjects. Today, Japan still greatly values its imperial heritage, and the actions of the imperial family are widely reported in the media. 

Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) was an American General who was responsible for the US military operations in the South Pacific during the Second World War. He was also in charge of the occupation of Japan as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP). Later, MacArthur’s United Nations forces participated in the Korean War (1950-1953) until his removal by President Truman in 1951.

MacArthur followed in the footsteps of his military family and attended West Point graduating in 1903. By 1914, he was already participating in military action such as the 1914 occupation of Veracruz, Mexico. By 1930, MacArthur rose to the rank of general but retired from the Army seven years later. He recommenced active duty in July 1941 during the Second World War, and by March 1942 he led the Allied troops throughout the Pacific. He participated in the offensives in New Guinea and the Philippines including lengthy campaigns such as Luzon in 1945. It was during the course of the war that MacArthur climbed even higher up the military hierarchy, becoming a General of the Army in December 1944 and the Commander of the US Army Forces in the Pacific theater shortly afterward (“Douglas MacArthur.” Britannica, 2022).

Among MacArthur’s most iconic moments was during Japan’s official surrender on September 2, 1945. The author describes the meaning of the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on the USS battleship Missouri. Dower also examines MacArthur’s role during the period of Japan’s postwar American occupation (1945-1952). In particular, the author notes the significant, autocratic power overreach on the part of the General. MacArthur himself believed that his most important contribution to occupation-era Japan was his initiating the creation of a new constitution. Overall, MacArthur oversaw Japan’s demilitarization, public health, the relative liberalization of Japanese politics, as well as economic recovery.

In the 1940s and early 1950s, various Republican organizations unsuccessfully attempted to nominate MacArthur for Presidency. During the Korean War, MacArthur did not want to carry out limited warfare. As a result of his insubordination, President Truman removed MacArthur from command in April 1951. In the 1950s, MacArthur chaired the Remington Rand Corporation. He died in 1964 in Washington, DC (Britannica).