"Adventures of Superman" Japanese Opening

 

Some years ago, I posted that Emperor Hirohito (now referred to as Emperor Showa) was a big fan of the Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. The Emperor was such a fan of Adventures of Superman that he sent actor George Reeves a fan letter in 1958.

The above video is the Japanese version of the opening of the show.

According to The Vintage News:

The Adventures of Superman was such a smash hit with audiences that it transcended territorial boundaries. The series became a hit in Japan, with the program being dubbed over. It’s no surprise, then, that Emperor Hirohito, the 124th Emperor of Japan, was a big fan of the series.

Emperor Hirohito In Anguish During Final Years Over War

Above, Emperor Hirohito and President Nixon in Alaska in 1971.

Before the Japanese surrendered in 1945, they were worried that a surrender would cause the arrest and possible execution of Emperor Hirohito.

But, part of the surrender agreement between the U.S. and Japan included allowing Hirohito to stay on as Emperor, but his role would be drastically changed.

It has been revealed that Hirohito, during his final years, was in anguish over being blamed for his role in World War II.

Kyodo News reported:

Emperor Hirohito said during his final years that he did not wish to live much longer as he would only experience more anguish at sad events and being blamed for his role in war, the diary of a close aide obtained by Kyodo News for the first time showed Wednesday. 

The diary kept by late chamberlain Shinobu Kobayashi revealed the aging emperor was haunted by talk of his wartime responsibility following the Sino-Japanese War and World War II. 

"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 agonizing," according to the diary entry dated April 7, 1987. The emperor, who died in 1989, was 85 at the time.

To read more, go here. 

Hirohito "Powerless" To Stop The War

Above, Emperor Hirohito and President Nixon meet in Alaska.

It is interesting when documents that deal with historical events and personalities turn up. Such is the case involving Emperor Hirohito (now known as Emperor Showa) and World War II.

The Asahi Shimbun has an article on Hirohito.

It begins with:

LONDON--A newly released letter written by the British ambassador to Japan after the Jan. 7, 1989, death of Emperor Hirohito absolved him of responsibility for taking Japan to war, saying "he was ultimately powerless to stop" the nation's drift to militarism. 

The bitter memories held by many British veterans about their treatment at the hands of the Imperial Japanese military led to strong calls about the responsibility held by Hirohito, known posthumously as Emperor Showa.

It was Hirohito who broadcast the message to the the Japanese people telling them that Japan will surrender to the Allies. It was the first time that the Japanese ever heard him speak.

To read more, go here. 

Hirohito's Surrender Speech Released In Digital Form

Above, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito.

An item of great historical value, the broadcast recording of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), has been released in digital form to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

According to The Japan Times:

A recording of Emperor Hirohito’s voice declaring Japan’s surrender in World War II has been brought back to life after 70 years, in a previously unavailable, higher quality recording of the historic broadcast that was made available to the public Sunday.

The Imperial Household Agency had earlier posted on its website the audio recording of the Emperor, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.

For more, including a YouTube audio, go here.

"Adventures of Superman" In Japanese

Below are the Japanese openings of the Adventures of Superman, one during the black & white seasons and the other during the color seasons.

The show was imported to Japan and dubbed in Japanese. Emperor Hirohito was a fan of the show and had even sent George Reeves a fan letter.

Above, Toru Ohira, Superman's Japanese voice.

Papers That Pushed The Pacific War Found In Safe

Above, the Hario Wireless Towers near Sasebo City.  It is said that the message to the Japanese
fleet giving the go-ahead for the December 12, 1941 attack on Pear Harbor, Hawaii was transmitted
from these towers.  One of them is now open to tours.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This is interesting. Papers that pushed for the Pacific War have been found in a safe.

According to The Japan Times:

The key was lost and the safe remained locked for 22 years after the 1989 death of its owner, former Lt. Gen. Teiichi Suzuki of the Imperial Japanese Army, who had been the last surviving Class-A war criminal of World War II. 

Suzuki, who died at the age of 100 in Shibayama, Chiba Prefecture, was among key Cabinet members when Japan started the Pacific War with the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. 

Two years ago, Suzuki’s relatives had NHK open the safe. Inside were diaries, notebooks and other documents, including a 16-page typed manuscript that the general had read out in front of Emperor Hirohito and national leaders at an Imperial Conference on Nov. 5, 1941, to detail Japan’s logistical strengths. 

Suzuki, who headed the Planning Board, a government body in charge of allocating resources for the army, navy and civilians, concluded that Japan, which was already at war in China, would be able to still wage war against the United States, Britain and the Netherlands.

The contents were known, but the manuscript that was used in the Imperial Conference is a new discovery.

Above, U.S. sailors pose in front of the Nijubashi Bridge at
 the Imperial Palace in 1945 during the occupation of Japan.

To read the full article, go here.

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.

"Emperor"

Above, Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

One movie opening (today) I am looking forward to seeing is Emperor, starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur.   Jones is one of my favorite actors and never fails sink his teeth into great material and deliver a great performance.

Emperor is a Japanese American co-production that involves the post-World War II dilemma of Gen. MacArthur on what to do about Emperor Hirohito (Emperor Showa).  The dilemma that MacArthur had to face was whether or not Hirohito should stand trial for war crimes, which would mean certain execution.  If he were to stand trial and convicted, Hirohito's execution (who was still considered by the Japanese as their "Divine Leader") would enrage the Japanese and if he were not to stand trial, it would enrage America.

His problem was (more or less) settled for him as the Japanese surrendered with only one condition: they could keep their emperor. 

Americans were rankled in 1945 when MacArthur didn't put Hirohito on trial.  But the decision not to paved the way for the now-close relations between the United States and Japan.  Japan is now an important ally to America.

I am reminded that the 1977 release, MacArthur (with Gregory Peck in the title role) glossed over this part of MacArthur's story.  Its focus was more on MacArthur's disputes with President Harry Truman during the Korean War.  It was Truman who gave the task of heading up the occupation forces in Japan to MacArthur following Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945.

Today, the role of the Japanese emperor is more ceremonial (like the monarchy in the United Kingdom) as part of the surrender agreement has the condition that the emperor had to renounce his divinity.  

This part of post-World War II history has not been discussed much.  Generally speaking, it has pretty much been swept under the rug. 

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

It is interesting to note that some parts of the movie were filmed on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo as well as in New Zealand.

According to an article on the movie in the Los Angeles Times, since Hirohito's death in 1989, some historians have come to believe that Hirohito's role in World War II was not as blameless as was once thought.  It was thought previously that Hirohito was a pawn of the Japanese militarists.  It will be interesting to see how the movie treats this.

This movie will likely stir emotions in Japan and the U.S.  It has already stirred emotions in Japan as a recent screening had many leaving the theater in tears.  

Superman's Japanese Voice

David Stewart posted this at The Adventures Continue Facebook page:

JUL 19 1959 Toru Ohira, the Japanese voice of "Superman," watches the late George Reeves as he supplies the Japanese dialogue. Credit: AP Newsfeatures Photo.

The Adventures of Superman was said to be the number one television show in Japan at the time.  Emperor Hirohito was a fan and sent George Reeves a fan letter.

Kudos to David Stewart for the find!

Emperor Announces Surrender August 15, 1945

Above, General Douglas MacArthur with the Emperor.

It is now August 15 in Japan.

On this date:

In 1945: The people of Japan heard their emperor's voice for the 1st time as he announced the nation's surrender, ending World War II.

To read the text of the speech (broadcast from a phonograph record), go here.

Special thanks to Andrew Nguyen for reminding me of this date in history.

Superman's No. 1 Fan In Japan

Superman's No. 1 Fan In Japan

by Armand Vaquer

Following World War II and during the Golden Age of television, after the end of the American occupation of Japan, a little Asian man with a mustache would park himself in front of a television set to watch his favorite television program.

The little man was Emperor Showa (in life, he was known as Emperor Hirohito) (1901-1989). His favorite television program: the Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves.



American television programs were imported to Japan where they were dubbed into Japanese. These were referred to as "TV movies" due to their high production values. Besides Adventures of Superman, other American TV shows included I Love Lucy, Route 66 and Combat.

Click on photo to see full image.

Adventures of Superman was the most popular American television show and it was followed in popularity by I Love Lucy in Japan. The Emperor was such a fan of Adventures of Superman that he sent actor George Reeves a fan letter in 1958. Reeves's voice was dubbed by Toru Ohira (see Oakland Tribune article, above).

Before his death on June 16, 1959, Reeves contemplated making a tour of Japan, noting his popularity there. Too bad he didn't get the chance to go, I'm sure that had Reeves gone to Japan, he might have been invited to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to meet his number one fan there.