Chapter III, Part 3: A Senryu
Tyr Anazasi
Well-known member
Tokyo, Imperial Palace, June 1st, 04:26:
The Tenno stood in the palace garden. Yesterday had been a long day and night even longer. Since the Event he hadn't slept. He felt tired, but still was unable to sleep. So he went to the gardens. The Event seemed to be divine intervention. He knew Japan was losing the war. He had been against the war, but was unable to act against it. Even if he was considered a God, even the Tenno of Japan had some rules to follow.
He knew, the only chance to go on was with the Germans, present and "future". Would they be trustworthy? Would they honour the alliance? What would their price be? Would it be that the price would be too high?
The fears, that the Germans could throw them under the bus, were exaggerated, at least for the moment. The Allies had rejected negotiations and declared the German government illegal, a Nazi smokescreen. It would be amusing to call a foreign government illegal by the US and British, as they did so too often. Although it would be considered treachery to overthrow one's own government, there is one single excuse. That they succeeded. And they did so. No, for the time being that fear had no facts to be based upon. And in the future? Well, one had to see.
In this moment the Germans had to continue the fight. Luckily these gaijin allied fools continued attacking without checking if the Germans' claims were true. The air strikes was perhaps the best what could have happened. The best for Japan, of course. If the Germans would honour the alliance, Japan would not suffer the fate it did. Nuclear bombed twice and forced into a humiliating surrender.
But what would be the price to pay? Manchukuo? Chōsen? Holding on to both would be impossible. It would be possible to hold on to Chōsen. Considering what Tenno Hirohito had learned about Korea in the time that would now never be, Chōsen had a hard time after the Japanese left. Among the Germans there were factions who would have few problems if Chōsen stayed Japanese, in the short and midterm.
Formosa and the islands gained in 1919? Could definitely be held onto. One had to see. However, it would be a good idea to keep the Germans in the boat. If pro-German and pro-Japanese governments were to be installed in Manchukuo and Chōsen, one could keep some influence. As far as domestic matters were concerned? Before the army got too much power, Japan had been a democracy. It would not be a bad choice to reintroduce it. One would have to see, what the legal experts would say.
That would lead to new possibilities. New chances. But also great changes. And not everybody will like them. The most obvious changes were not concerning. From the information received from Ambassador Werthern wooden houses would prove to be a problem both in terms of longetivity and durability. The US bombardments would have done much to speed the process up. The cities have to be rebuilt with more caution and with materials less vulnerable to firebombing. This time signficant bloodshed would be avoided. The rebuilding process will not be a problem as there will be no opposition to it.
But the loss of territories? The loss of so many privileges? So much power? There will be many who will dislike that. And some of them will fear the courts as well, as they were a bit too, well, ambitious. Some officers were sent to places where they could do no damage. But there were others, who might make stupid decisions. He needed loyal men. Yamashita was such a man. But he wouldn't be here for some days. With a little luck the opposition would be scattered and uncoordinated until then and unable to act.
He looked at the rising sun.
"Through darkness sunrise
Fights the mists of the night
To enlighten day."
This senryu, which would become a famous and an often quoted one, the Tenno wrote, shortly before going into the palace to sleep a bit. The coming day would be as busy as the last one.
The Tenno stood in the palace garden. Yesterday had been a long day and night even longer. Since the Event he hadn't slept. He felt tired, but still was unable to sleep. So he went to the gardens. The Event seemed to be divine intervention. He knew Japan was losing the war. He had been against the war, but was unable to act against it. Even if he was considered a God, even the Tenno of Japan had some rules to follow.
He knew, the only chance to go on was with the Germans, present and "future". Would they be trustworthy? Would they honour the alliance? What would their price be? Would it be that the price would be too high?
The fears, that the Germans could throw them under the bus, were exaggerated, at least for the moment. The Allies had rejected negotiations and declared the German government illegal, a Nazi smokescreen. It would be amusing to call a foreign government illegal by the US and British, as they did so too often. Although it would be considered treachery to overthrow one's own government, there is one single excuse. That they succeeded. And they did so. No, for the time being that fear had no facts to be based upon. And in the future? Well, one had to see.
In this moment the Germans had to continue the fight. Luckily these gaijin allied fools continued attacking without checking if the Germans' claims were true. The air strikes was perhaps the best what could have happened. The best for Japan, of course. If the Germans would honour the alliance, Japan would not suffer the fate it did. Nuclear bombed twice and forced into a humiliating surrender.
But what would be the price to pay? Manchukuo? Chōsen? Holding on to both would be impossible. It would be possible to hold on to Chōsen. Considering what Tenno Hirohito had learned about Korea in the time that would now never be, Chōsen had a hard time after the Japanese left. Among the Germans there were factions who would have few problems if Chōsen stayed Japanese, in the short and midterm.
Formosa and the islands gained in 1919? Could definitely be held onto. One had to see. However, it would be a good idea to keep the Germans in the boat. If pro-German and pro-Japanese governments were to be installed in Manchukuo and Chōsen, one could keep some influence. As far as domestic matters were concerned? Before the army got too much power, Japan had been a democracy. It would not be a bad choice to reintroduce it. One would have to see, what the legal experts would say.
That would lead to new possibilities. New chances. But also great changes. And not everybody will like them. The most obvious changes were not concerning. From the information received from Ambassador Werthern wooden houses would prove to be a problem both in terms of longetivity and durability. The US bombardments would have done much to speed the process up. The cities have to be rebuilt with more caution and with materials less vulnerable to firebombing. This time signficant bloodshed would be avoided. The rebuilding process will not be a problem as there will be no opposition to it.
But the loss of territories? The loss of so many privileges? So much power? There will be many who will dislike that. And some of them will fear the courts as well, as they were a bit too, well, ambitious. Some officers were sent to places where they could do no damage. But there were others, who might make stupid decisions. He needed loyal men. Yamashita was such a man. But he wouldn't be here for some days. With a little luck the opposition would be scattered and uncoordinated until then and unable to act.
He looked at the rising sun.
"Through darkness sunrise
Fights the mists of the night
To enlighten day."
This senryu, which would become a famous and an often quoted one, the Tenno wrote, shortly before going into the palace to sleep a bit. The coming day would be as busy as the last one.