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The Story of Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito Shinnō [秩父宮雍仁親王]

3/19/2019

1 Comment

 
Nickii Wantakan Arcado 
The Story of Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito Shinnō [秩父宮雍仁親王]
Born on June 25, 1902, Prince Chichibu was the second son of Emperor Taisho making him the younger brother of Emperor Hirohito. When he was 20, Emperor Taisho granted Prince Chichibu the title of Chichibu no miya (秩父宮), a gesture meaning that the Prince now had the approval to start a new branch of the imperial family line.

Pre-War

(continued) When he turned 23, he flew to Great Britain to study at the Magdalen College, Oxford, one of the wealthiest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. During this time, we were decorated with the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order by King George. 
​Following the death of his father in 1927, he returned to Japan. While his older brother Hirohito was already the designated heir to the Imperial Crown, until Hirohito’s son’s birth (Crown Prince Akihito) in 1933, Prince Chichibu was next in line for the throne.
Emperor Taishō (31 August 1879 – 25 December 1926)
Emperor Hirohito (29 April 1901 – 7 January 1989)
(Emperor Taishō (31 August 1879 – 25 December 1926) left, Emperor Hirohito (29 April 1901 – 7 January 1989) right
In 1928, he married Matsudaira Setsuko, the daughter of the Japanese ambassador to the U.S. Unfortunately, the couple never had children leaving as Princess Chichibu’s only pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage.
Chichibu no miya married Matsudaira Setsuko, the daughter of the Japanese ambassador to the U.S.
Chichibu no miya married Matsudaira Setsuko, the daughter of the Japanese ambassador to the U.S.

​The Beginning of World War II

Prince Chichibu received his first commission in 1922. As a second lieutenant assigned to the First Imperial Guard Division. By 1925, he was promoted to first lieutenant in 1925 and 5 years later, became a captain after his graduation from the Army War College (陸軍大学校) in Minato, Tokyo. The college goal was to both modernize and Westernize the Imperial Army. By the end of the war, the building was torn down and abandoned.

The Prince and Princess set out on a lengthened tour of Western Europe beginning in 1937. Such trips included the attendance of the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey, representing Japan. They also visited King Gustaf V of Sweden and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, respectively. It was their last destination, in Nuremberg, Germany, that might have sealed their fate. Attending the Nuremberg Rally where Adolf Hitler attacked the credibility of Joseph Stalin and promoted the creation of pure Aryan identity, Prince Chichibu became convinced of his country’s potential alignment with Nazi Germany. Rumors circulated that the Prince and his brother, now Emperor Hirohito, had constant arguments on military alliances between Japan and Germany. ​
The Nuremberg Rally were held annual rally by the Nazi Party in Germany, from 1923 to 1938
The Nuremberg Rally were held annual rally by the Nazi Party in Germany, from 1923 to 1938
Eventually, Prince Chichibu gradually increased in military rank: battalion commander of Thirty-First Infantry Regiment in 1937, a lieutenant colonel in 1938, and colonel in 1939. While involved in many combat operations, some of his most notorious included Manchukuo during the Nomonhan Incident and Nanjing after the Nanjing Massacre.
Nomonhan Incident
Nanjing after the Nanjing Massacre
Nomonhan Incident left, and Nanjing after the Nanjing Massacre right
In other stories, Prince Chichibu was also known to be involved in controversial activities. One example included his support for biological and chemical research within Unit 731 and other inhumane laboratories. Some reports spotted Prince Chichibu at a bacteriological lecture conducted by Shirō Ishii at the War Ministry Grand Conference Hall in 1939. Other note his constant involvement and attendance of vivisection demonstrations conducted by Ishii. While the history of Prince Chichibu involvement with Unit 731 has been constantly debated on, more information of the unit itself and the Prince’s involvement can be read in our publication Unit 731 by Derek Pua You may find it here.

Other historians discuss Prince Chichibu’s grand, treasure hunting initiative; the Golden Lily Operation. The operation, rumored to be led by Prince Chichibu himself, was an invasion and looting of rare items and treasures from various countries conquered by Japan during the war. The booty would then be transported back to Japan via the Philippines, where it was to be loaded onto ships ready to embark their final destination. We explored the Golden Lily Operation in detail per our article here.

​Post-War

Like other members of the royal family, Prince Chichibu was exonerated from persecution by Douglas MacArthur during the Tokyo Tribunal (also known as the International Military Tribunal for the Far East) on April 29, 1946.  Both the Truman Administration and General MacArthur himself believed that for reform to occur, the pardoning of the royal family in war crimes and the legitimization of change under Hirohito was necessary. Others were not as lucky. Those who were persecuted during this tribunal were categorized into three levels; Class A Crime being the joint conspiracy to start and wage war, Class B Crimes being the conventional war crimes, and Class C is the crimes against humanity.
Chichibu no miya: International Military Tribunal Far East
Prince Chichibu passed away due to tuberculosis complication in Fujisawa, Kanagawa on February 4, 1953. After cremation, his body was buried at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery in Tokyo. As he was known as the ‘Sports Prince’ due to his work in securing rugby unions in Japan as well as his honorary positions of the President of both the Japan–British Society and supporter of Scouting, after his death, the Tokyo Rugby Station was renamed to Chichibu-no-miya Rugby Stadium. A real-life statue of the Prince in rugby attire was also erected.
Chichibu-no-miya Rugby Stadium
Chichibu-no-miya Rugby Stadium
References:
  1. Prominent People of Minato City (Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu ), 16 Feb. 2006, www.lib.city.minato.tokyo.jp/yukari/e/man-detail.cgi?id=60.
  2. Lebra, Sugiyama Takie. Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility. University of California Press (1995).
  3. Kanroji, Osanaga. Hirohito: An Intimate Portrait of the Japanese Emperor. Harpercollins, 1975.
  4. “Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Chichibu.” Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Chichibu - The Imperial Household Agency, www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/history/history12.html.

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1 Comment
Victor Arcega
2/8/2020 04:15:36 pm

Other reports claimed that the Japanese gold-looting operation may have been the prime goal of the Japanese war. That this plan was set as early as the Meiji imperial decree of 1917 when Japan declared its enemy on land was Russia and on sea the U.S.A. What do you think?

Reply



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  • Home
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        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
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    • Blog
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    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute