The Japan Times' "From Hollywood To Hirohito"

Above, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An interesting article came to my attention from The Japan Times.  It is "From Hollywood To Hirohito."

It starts with:

From “Empire of the Sun” to “The Last Samurai,” and from “Memoirs of a Geisha” to “Babel” — when Hollywood film directors have turned their cameras to the Land of the Rising Sun, there is one person they have insisted on having by their side: Yoko Narahashi, a casting agent, producer, sometimes director and, in recent years, all-round interpreter of Japan for U.S. movies.

One of the most interesting things is that Narahashi is the granddaughter of a one-time steward to Emperor Hirohito (Emperor Showa) and was recently involved in the production of Emperor, starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur.  The movie is about "the process by which the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers during the postwar Occupation of Japan, and his staff — notably Brigadier General Bonner Fellers — came to the decision not to put Emperor Hirohito on trial for war crimes."

Above, U.S. sailors at the Nijubashi Bridge during the occupation.

According to the article, Narahashi's grandfather played a role in shaping Gen. Fellers's decision on the Emperor.

The article includes an interview with Narahashi. To read it, go here.