Overview
Few institutions are as well suited as the monarchy to provide a window on modern Japan. Since the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japanese supporters as well as opponents of the throne have used it to define themselves and their nation. After Japan's defeat in 1945, the American occupation authorities forced the Japanese to re-examine the relationship between the monarchy and the nation by imposing a new, "democratic" constitution on Japan that stripped the emperor of his powers and redefined the institution as a symbol. Despite the many changes, however, the monarchy, which is also a family, remains significant both as a political and as a cultural institution.In this, the first full-length English-language study of the monarchy in Postwar Japan, Kenneth J. Ruoff examines not only its reform during the Occupation (1945-52), but also, more important, its evolution in the decades since the Japanese regained the power to shape their monarchy and polity. In order to understand the monarchy's function in contemporary Japan, the author analyzes the role of individual emperors in shaping the institution; interpretations of the emperor's new constitutional position as symbol; the emperor's intersection with politics; the issue of the emperor's and the nation's responsibility for the war; nationalistic movements in support of cultural symbols of the monarchy; and the remaking of the once-sacrosanct throne into a "monarchy of the masses" that is embedded in the postwar culture of democracy.
For many Japanese, the monarchy represents Japan's "timeless" culture and "traditional" customs and beliefs. The author, in contrast, demonstrates the monarchy's "postwarness" and calls into question claims of traditionality.
Editorials
Choice
Ruoff argues that the myth of the Japanese monarch was invented to preserve the imperial system in the postwar era after the WW II defeat...Ruoff argues that Hirohito was more actively involved in the decision making in the wartime military government than has been thought. What is new is that Ruoff describes the evolution of the monarch in the postwar period—the monarchy's efforts to transform itself from a once-sacrosanct throne into a "monarchy of the masses," especially by Hirohito's son, Emperor Akihito...[This is] a fine study of the Japanese postwar imperial system.
— M. Itoh
Far Eastern Economic Review
[A] remarkable book...An even-handed, astute and often entertaining account of the Japanese monarchy in the latter half of the 20th century.
— Velisarios Kattoulas
Le Monde (Paris)
A stimulating analysis of the contemporary Japanese monarchy.
— Philippe Pons
Le Monde (Paris)<br>
A stimulating analysis of the contemporary Japanese monarchy.— Philippe Pons
New Statesman
Ruoff is a clear-eyed observer of the post-occupation battle for Japan's soul that pitted left against right over issues such as constitutional revision, the reign-names system and the authenticity of the national foundation myth. In doing so, he breaks down the all-too-prevalent tendency to view Japanese politics, of the immediate postwar and present, as monolithic and staunchly conservative.
— Victoria James
Oregonian
Ruoff's book is a fine study with appeal well beyond academe.
— Richard Read
South China Morning Post
Kenneth J. Ruoff's scholarly yet lucid account of the emperor's role in post-war Japanese society is a timely addition to the literature on this intriguing institution. It also provides a fascinating insight into post-war Japan's political struggles...This is an excellent work of accessible history. Sensitive to the nuances of an enigmatic political culture, it is perhaps best recommended for those already with an interest in Japan.
— Ed Wright
The International Herald Tribute/Asahi News Service (Japan)
The People's Emperor is certain to be one of the most-discussed books of the coming year.
The Japan Times
This intriguing and rewarding monograph examines the manner in which the Emperor system has been reinvented in postwar Japan to reflect and reinforce democratic values. Kenneth Ruoff successfully challenges some prevailing myths and stereotypes about modern Japan and helpfully unravels distorting monolithic images about rightwing politics. His interesting discussion of constitutional controversies and key issues that expose cross-cutting political cleavages provocatively recasts the political landscape, clarifies some of the paradoxes of the polity and demonstrates that civil society is neither as anemic or stagnant as some writers suggest.
— Jeff Kingston