| Original caption: “Hirohito enters shrine of ancestors to report defeat – Emperor Hirohito leads a group of Japanese officers into the shrine near Ise where he reported to his ancestors details of Japan’s defeat by the Allies, in accordance with religious custom. This heavily retouched photograph is almost a painting. Emperor Shōwa Hirohito’s (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) advisers now focused on extinguishing his military image. Availing themselves of MacArthur’s personal generosity, they sought, and were quickly granted, permission for him to worship “privately” at Ise Shrine in Mie prefecture. Accompanied by high court officials, as well as curious Allied journalists, Hirohito departed Tokyo on November 12 for a 3-day trip to the national Shinto shrines of his imperial ancestors. Outwardly the trip seemed a simple undertaking for purely religious purposes. He visited the inner and outer shrines of Ise and the mausoleum of the legendary 1st emperor, Jimmu (in Nara), and the Meiji emperor (in Kyoto), staying overnight at the Kyoto Palace on both occasions. The hidden purpose of the trip was to affirm, in the new context of defeat, the viability of Imperial history, based on religion and myth. Hirohito used the occasion to test public opinion and shed his military image. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1742.jpg |
| Image Size | 183.76 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 962 x 1290 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 13, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Ise |
| State or Province | Mie |
| Country | Japan |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database