August 15, this year is the 60^th anniversary of the end of the War Memorial Day.

It is the Independence Day in South Korea and Victory over Japan Day in the U.S

Recently the voice of criticism on the Yasukuni Shrine worshiping of Japanese Prime Minister

is rising just from 2 countries, Korea and China.

At this time of the year I always listen to "Emperor HIROHITO's Broadcast"

(The Imperial Message on the end of the war)

 

Talking about "Emperor HIROHITO's Broadcast" , the lines, “Enduring the unavoidable and

suffering what is insufferable…” has become so famous that listening to the whole speech is very rare.
About 20 years ago, I was blessed to receive a copy of the tape of this broadcast from someone

I met in the meeting of cross-industrial association, which gave me the opportunity to listen to the

whole speech at the first time.

 

On August 15, 1945, on the radio, the NHK announcer informed us that

"Now, we have a very important information" and after the Japanese national anthem was played,

the "Emperor HIROHITO's Broadcast" was put on air.

    "After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining 

      in our empire today, I have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting

      to an extraordinary measure. I have ordered our Government to communicate to the Governments

      of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that our empire accepts the

      provisions of their joint declaration."

   "To strive for the common prosperity and happiness of all nations as well as the security and

     well-being of my subjects is the solemn obligation which has been handed down by my imperial

     ancestors and which we lay close to the heart.

     Indeed, We declared war on America and Britain out of our sincere desire to insure Japan's

     self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from our thought either to infringe

     upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement. ......"

 

Because of the strong radio noise, many people did not understand well what ｔhe emperor was telling.

If you listen to it carefully again, you can get a glimpse the great sorrow, regrets and mortification 

that the Emperor was experiencing.

My heart becomes too full for words by just thinking how the Emperor felt when he made a speech

in the center of the burning fields of Tokyo in 1945.

The prosperity of Japan today, 60 years later, may have never been imagined.

   "Let the entire nation continue as one family from generation to generation, ever firm in its faith

    of the imperishableness of its divine land, and mindful of its heavy burden of responsibilities, and

    the long road before it. Unite your total strength to be devoted to the construction for the future.

    Cultivate the ways of rectitude, nobility of spirit, and work with resolution so that you may enhance

    the innate glory of the Imperial State and keep pace with the progress of the world."

At the end of the imperial speech, the policy in which Japan will embark on from then was clearly shown.

Certainly during postwar Japanese people make efforts to “keep pace with the progress of the world" 

and Japan has become one of the great economies in the world.

However, the virtue/mind of Japanese that has been inherited more from ancient times is not recovering

sufficiently yet.
Japan today is not Japan which Emperor Showa and many spirits of the war dead entrusted to us.

It is still not late now.

Japanese people must “Cultivate the ways of rectitude, nobility of spirit” and “Enhance the innate

glory of the Imperial State”.

Needless to say, just only with “The Nobility of Spirit” you can do nothing, but Japanese people must

not forget “The Nobility of Japanese Spirit”.

Yamashin is a Japanese enterprise that will try to contribute to customers through the filtration business.

With pride, Confidence and “The Nobility of Japanese Spirit”, we would take up the challenge to

contribute fully to our customers worldwide.

I hope for your continued patronage and support for the Yamashin Filter Group.

Atsuhiko Yamazaki

President

Yamashin Filter Manufacturing Corporation