| The trip to Ise Shrine in Mie prefecture was Emperor Shōwa Hirohito’s (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) 1st opportunity to display a new, postwar royal uniform. It closely resembled the duty garb of a railroad conductor, the collar closed and stiffly stand-up. Understandably he never wore this outfit again, but went completely civilian in a plain, poorly fitting business suit. The manufacture of the imperial railwayman-like uniform may have signaled an intention to impress the public, at home and abroad, with his determination to remain on the throne rather than to abdicate. The signal Hirohito received from his subjects, however, was clear. When the imperial train stopped for 6 minutes at Numazu Station on October 12, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Kido was anxious, wondering whether people living in the burnt-out area around the station “might throw stones or something.” Wherever the emperor appeared in Ise and Kyoto, however, he was warmly welcomed, thus putting to rest Kido’s fear. Even though the mystique of the throne had been punctured by defeat, his subjects remained loyal, and many still regarded him as “sacred and inviolable.” The Ise-Kyoto tour thus contributed to the emperor’s later decision to go out among the people, something he disliked doing and had always kept to a necessary minimum. A month after returning to Tokyo, Hirohito visited the tomb of his father, the Taishō emperor. His October train trip and this visit were his 1st announced postwar tours. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1740.jpg |
| Image Size | 891.57 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2527 x 3450 |
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| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 11, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Tokyo |
| State or Province | Tokyo |
| Country | Japan |
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| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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