Hirohito was haunted by his war role, aide’s diary reveals
HIROHITO, Japan’s wartime emperor, had given up the will to live towards the end of his life, desperate to avoid the anguish of being blamed for his role in the conflict, his aide’s diary has revealed.
The journal of Shinobu Kobayashi, the late chamberlain, revealed that the ageing emperor was haunted by talk of his responsibility after the Second World War, according to Kyodo News.
“There is no point in living a longer life by reducing my workload. It would only increase my chances of seeing or hearing things that are agonising,” a diary entry dated April 7 1987 read. The emperor died two years later, aged 85.
His remarks had reportedly been made to Mr Kobayashi while he was staying at the royal residence in the capital, Tokyo, at a time when the Imperial Household Agency was trying to reduce the scope of his official duties.
“I have experienced the deaths of my brother and relatives and have been told about my war responsibility,” the emperor, who had supreme control of the army and navy, added.
Hirohito’s sense of guilt appears to have passed to Akihito, his eldest son and successor. Emperor Akihito, now 84, and preparing to abdicate, used a memorial service last week to express “deep remorse” for the war.