The Yamato Dynasty: The Secret History of Japan's Imperial Family

I have lived in Japan for over 40 years but learned more from reading this book than from living there. It contains a great deal of information not previously made public. I first went to Japan at the end of the post WWII occupation, but was shocked by much of the information in this book, most of all by the release of Japanese from war crime trials after a substantial gift to the American marines. Another surprise was the extent of Quaker influence in modern Japan. I grew up in China and enjoyed "The Soong Dynasty" years ago. "The Yamato Dynasty" is even better.

Many argue certain "truths" as you call them. The truths deemed so by personal prejudice and slant? For who did you choose to believe? It is true that Hirohito was rescued from a War Criminal Fate, which he more than justly deserved. By who????? It is true that "truths", records, are extremely scarce from that particular part of WWII, because the 'innocent' Hirohito knew to tell his fellow murderers to destroy them before anyone could get to them. Is is true that the real "truths" there are the true flesh and blood survivors. It is true that all citizens of the Dutch East Indies were, not only physically tormented, but their possessions plundered, including their bank accounts, and jewelry. And it wasn't 14k junk. It is true that they have asked, and no one cares, all these years, what happened to those things. It is true that there are a group of American South East Asia POW's who are called "The Bataan Bastards". It is true that they are called that because they were, and still are, abandoned. And I bet that when they are all gone (on), there will be those who argue whether they told the truth. It is true that they too ask, "When are we going to be compensated?" With all these truths, and many more left out, why should I wonder for one moment, whether a person capable of known, and unknown, atrocities isn't also capable of wearing the 'wrong' uniform for some other sick reason. Anyway, a crime(s) is committed and it has, and is, poo-pood away. Those who can hear did hear already, and those who don't, well......

A partir de mes nombreuses conversations entre 1980 et 1990 avec Kuniko TSUTSUMI fille de Yasujiro TSUTSUMI, avec laquelle je vivais à cette époque, tout ce qui concerne les relations de la famille impériale avec les Tsutsumi et le groupe SEIBU, tel que c'est relaté par cet ouvrage est exact.

This book places blame for failing to reconstruct Japan during the occupation squarely on Gen. Douglas MacArthur. According to the authors, Herbert Hoover and officials from J. P. Morgan Co. prevailed on MacArthur to co-opt prosecution of war criminals and the reconstruction of Japanese industry because Morgan & Co. wanted Japan to repay its pre-war loans. In return, MacArthur was to have financial backing for a run at the Presidency. This revelation is based on research conducted by the authors. They also account for the Emperor's rehabilitation on similar gounds and accuse the Imperial family of profiting from the looting of China, Souheast Asia and other territories occupied by Japan during the Pacific war. And they attribute the speed of Japan's post-war recovery to the availability of looted assets for recapitalization. These conclusions follow an extensive narrative on the history of Japan's Imperial dynasties. This book will change your opinions about the way Japan, Inc. does business and is essential reading for that reason alone. It's also easy to read, in an easy narrative style that belies its gravitas.

I don't know a great deal about Japanese history, but this book had me hooked from the first pages describing Hirohito's meeting with MacArthur. There's all kinds of intrigue here, from what goes on behind the palace walls to the questionable dealings of American government officials and Japanese power-elite. But more than that, the book really makes clear how Japan came to be the economic dynamo that it is today. The Seagraves are such good storytellers that I sometimes forgot I was reading a history--Let's just put it this way, I bought the book yesterday and did not stop reading until this afternoon--couldn't put it down.