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Wen 丨Wen Shimingjin
Editor丨Wen Shimingjin
Preface:
The past of famous people in history will always make people think. After the end of World War II, American five-star general MacArthur controlled Japan for several years, and many of the stories that happened during this time are still talked about today.
Did MacArthur and the "Showa Goddess" Setsuko Hara, who was popular in the Japanese film industry at the time, really have a relationship between the two? One is a legend of the US Army, the other is a superstar of Japanese movies, and the emotional intersection of the two is probably beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
In turbulent times, personal destinies are often dictated by the times. As a loyal admirer of the emperor, Setsuko Hara dedicated her life to the interests of the country, and her spirit was awe-inspiring to future generations. When we discuss the past of the two of them, we should also think about the circumstances and choices of human beings when they face difficulties. History is not simple, it requires us to understand it with a broad mind.
A spectacular encounter: Emperor Hirohito and Setsuko Hara
In times of war, when artillery is full of fire, it is by no means a smooth exchange of gifts between enemies and us. However, the most famous Japanese goddess Setsuko Hara during the Showa period became a "national gift" presented by Emperor Hirohito, who ruled the Empire of Japan, to US military commander Douglas MacArthur.
Setsuko Hara, originally surnamed Aida, was born into a large and not so wealthy family. She has eight siblings in her family, and it is difficult for her parents to support so many children.
Setsuko Hara's parents dropped her out of school when she was just 15 years old to ease the burden on the family. While Setsuko Hara is worried about the future, her brother-in-law Kumagai Hisatora takes a fancy to this beautiful girl, believing that she has the talent to be an actress. So under his recommendation, Setsuko Hara entered the film industry and began her acting career.
With superb acting skills and moving appearance, Setsuko Hara quickly rose to prominence in the film industry and became recognized as the first beauty in Japan. In her first film, she used the stage name "Setsuko", and she has been famous for it ever since.
Setsuko Hara not only had a smooth personal career, but also attracted the attention and use of Emperor Hirohito. Many of her works were tinged with fascism and militarism, and these works won popular support for the aggressive actions of the Empire of Japan. In order to enlist Setsuko Hara, Emperor Hirohito gave the green light to her film.
At the same time, MacArthur, who was born into a military family, aspired to be an excellent soldier since he was a child. Under the influence of his father, he showed his yearning for military life from an early age, and even learned to shoot earlier than literacy.
In 1899, MacArthur entered West Point. Four years later, he graduated with nearly perfect marks, the highest in the school's nearly 25 years. After graduating from West Point, MacArthur began his military career, where he achieved great success on the battlefield and achieved rapid promotion. When MacArthur was only 38 years old, he was already the youngest general in the U.S. military. He suffered defeats in the Philippines and briefly gave himself up, but then regained his fighting spirit and led his troops to turn defeat into victory.
After Japan's unconditional surrender, MacArthur was appointed Supreme Allied Commander in Japan as a five-star general in the U.S. Army, overseeing Japan's military occupation and national reconstruction.
At this time, Emperor Hirohito was under great pressure and feared reprisals from MacArthur. In order to encircle the other party, he chose to send a special "national gift" - the popular actress Setsuko Hara. Let this beautiful and moving actress please MacArthur in exchange for her own safety.
This seemingly absurd national gift opened a magnificent story. A soldier who pursues justice, a used actress, and a fearful ruler, what kind of twists and turns will be staged when the fates of the three meet? The answer, we'll see.
The embarrassing "confidante of red face"
Setsuko Hara was born into an ordinary family, thin and dark as a child, and did not grow beautiful until she was 16 years old. With the encouragement of her second brother-in-law, she entered the film industry to develop. Setsuko Hara's acting skills are superb and she soon became a popular star in Japan. She starred in a number of films promoting Japanese militarism, which shows her inner support for Japanese aggression.
During World War II, the United States had planned to try Emperor Hirohito as a war criminal. In order to maintain his position, Emperor Hirohito contacted the young and beautiful Setsuko Hara, hoping that she would approach and influence MacArthur. MacArthur was initially dissatisfied with Emperor Hirohito, but was immediately fascinated when he met Setsuko Hara. Setsuko Hara successfully becomes MacArthur's confidant in Japan.
In order to win MacArthur's favor, Emperor Hirohito did not hesitate to curry favor with MacArthur with various benefits. Under the influence of Setsuko Hara, MacArthur spared Emperor Hirohito, returned some notorious war criminals, and gave Japan many preferential policies. This has undoubtedly helped Japan's recovery.
However, when MacArthur returned home, he did not take Setsuko Hara, leaving her alone in Japan. It turned out that MacArthur had always treated Hara Setsuko as a plaything and had never really loved her. Sadly, Setsuko Hara has always adored MacArthur, even if he was abandoned, he did not complain.
Setsuko Hara was born in 1926 into a poor family with many siblings, and her father was just a public official with a small income, making it difficult to support the extended family. Setsuko Hara worked very hard from an early age, helping the family with housework and taking care of her younger siblings. Her big bright eyes revealed a strong will.
At the age of 16, Setsuko Hara dropped out of school and began to develop in the film industry. With her beautiful appearance and dedicated acting skills, she quickly became famous and was regarded as the pride of the nation.
However, Setsuko Hara's heart is not as sunny and cheerful as she seems, and she is actually eager for money and status. In order to pursue success, she did not hesitate to appear in films promoting aggressive ideas, which also laid the groundwork for her later approach to MacArthur.
After Japan's surrender in 1945, MacArthur was tasked with overseeing Japan. He was angry with the emperor and the militarists and wanted to bring them to justice. But the Emperor found Setsuko Hara and approached MacArthur, which moved him to compassion. The 26-year-old Setsuko Hara was in a gorgeous and moving year, and she charmed MacArthur in her old age.
In order to fight for the interests of Japan, Setsuko Hara did not hesitate to woo MacArthur, she used her coquettish voice, gentleness and thoughtfulness to please MacArthur, and finally succeeded in winning his love. MacArthur was obedient to her and made her get carried away. Setsuko Hara believes that she has firmly controlled the heart of this old Western man, and even dreams of marrying him and becoming a wife.
However, the good times did not last long, and in 1951 MacArthur was recalled to the United States, and Setsuko Hara's dream was shattered. She then realized that she was just being used and was nothing more than a plaything in MacArthur's mind. Despite this hurt, Setsuko Hara still loves MacArthur deeply and will not complain even if she is abandoned.
After Japan's defeat and surrender, MacArthur had the power to shoot the emperor and completely transform Japan. But under the persuasion of Setsuko Hara, he eventually let Hirohito go, and even maintained Japan's emperor system. This undoubtedly gave the decadent Japanese regime a chance to rise again. Setsuko Hara also became a national hero in the hearts of the Japanese people.
In 1951, with the outbreak of the Korean War, MacArthur and Truman disagreed over policy toward Japan and were dismissed by the latter. MacArthur left Japan in a hurry to return to the United States, without even saying goodbye to Setsuko Hara. Hara Setsuko who lost strong support also gradually faded out of the entertainment industry.
When Setsuko Hara's close friend and partner Yasujiro Ozu died in 1963, she announced her official retirement and lived in seclusion next to a quiet temple in Kanagawa. After nearly 50 years in seclusion, 95-year-old Setsuko Hara died in hospital in 2015.
Setsuko Hara said in an interview with the media that she did not regret the past with MacArthur. But for the countless Asian countries and peoples who suffered greatly from Japanese aggression, she undoubtedly helped the Japanese war criminals who should have been tried to escape justice, making it difficult to show justice.
This is how a generation of goddesses came to an end, and her life is legendary and sad. Setsuko Hara cannot escape her fate as a political tool, but history will eventually be fair, and the truth will eventually come out. We should remember the ordinary people who died in the war and bring justice to them.
epilogue
Setsuko Hara's life was controversial, and she sacrificed her life for Japan, but also helped war criminals who deserved to be punished escape sanctions. We cannot simply label her hero or accomplice, but reflect on the relationship between the individual and the collective, justice and love.