NHK General's "The Century of Images: The Butterfly Effect" (Mondays at 10 PM) will air "Emperor Showa, Part 2" on April 6th. This is the second part of a two-part series depicting the life of Emperor Showa. After the war, he went from being a living god to a symbol, walking the path to peace with the people, but until the very end, the Emperor could not escape the question of his responsibility for the war.
When the Tokyo Trials, which tried the leaders of the war, began, former subjects continued to protect the Emperor from being held responsible for the war. On the day of the executions of Hideki Tojo and others, the Emperor confided his intention to abdicate to his close associates. However, GHQ believed that the Emperor's presence was indispensable for the smooth progress of the occupation. As prosperity spread, the symbolic image of the Emperor became established, but overseas, he faced harsh criticism as a leader who had spearheaded a war of aggression. His reign lasted 62 years and 14 days, the longest in Japanese history. This program looks back on his life with plenty of valuable footage. Narrated by announcer Toshie Ito.
