[Special Feature: On "On the Imperial Household"] The Crown Prince as Seen by Shinzo Koizumi: From Koizumi's Letters to Michiji Tajima Not Included in the Collected Works

2019/05/07

Image: Crown Prince Akihito (now Emperor Emeritus) with educational advisors and chamberlains (second from left in the front row is Shinzo Koizumi, the Crown Prince is two seats away). (Collection of the Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies)

Shinzo Koizumi, who served as the President of Keio University for a long period spanning the war years, was appointed as the Full-time Advisor on the Education of the Crown Prince (responsible for the education of Crown Prince Akihito, now Emperor Emeritus) on February 26, 1949. Michiji Tajima, then Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency, is cited as a person with whom Koizumi began exchanging many letters around the time of his appointment.

Many of Koizumi's letters to Tajima convey the Crown Prince's activities in detail. While there are 59 letters to Tajima held by the Tajima family alone, only 20 of them were included in the "Complete Works of Shinzo Koizumi" (published 1967–72). Among the letters not included in the Complete Works, three (one of which was a draft manuscript) were introduced at the "120th Anniversary of Birth: Shinzo Koizumi Exhibition" held at Keio University in 2008 (the exhibits are featured in "Album Shinzo Koizumi" [Keio University Press, 2009]), but many unknown letters exist, particularly those reporting on the Crown Prince's activities during his travels abroad. Here, I would like to introduce six letters (①–⑥) that have not been made public, including in the Complete Works and the previous Koizumi exhibition.

These letters reveal Koizumi's strong expectations for the Crown Prince and his joy at the Prince's growth. In particular, there are many descriptions of how the Prince interacted with people, reporting his attitude of being considerate of others and attempting to communicate proactively. Just as Koizumi wrote "Be a model of good manners" at the end of his "Memorandum on Lectures to the Prince," and as stated in Fukuzawa Yukichi's "On the Imperial Household"—which Koizumi used as teaching material—that "Our Imperial Household is the center for gathering the spirit of the Japanese people," Koizumi devoted his heart to the education of the Emperor for a new era that would enhance the dignity of the citizens. The Crown Prince responded to these expectations of Koizumi and continued his preparations to become the Emperor of a new era.

For ease of reading, sokuon (double consonants) have been changed to small characters, and voiced sound marks, punctuation, and furigana have been added. Missing characters and word notes are indicated by [ ]. Additionally, indentations not present in the original text have been added.

*In the ONLINE version, Chinese numerals have been changed to Arabic numerals for ease of reading.

Dear Sir, I have received your letter.

According to your letter, it seems I possess favorable qualifications, but surely there is a degree of favoritism involved. At this time, false modesty is a foolish thing, and I have no intention of putting anyone through such useless trouble.

I believe that health is the first requirement above all else.

I am in a state where I can read and write at home whenever I wish without any constraints, but regular duty is impossible.

The other day, citing the example of Mrs. Vining, there was a suggestion that special arrangements could be made for me, but that would set a bad precedent. I believe that anyone working for an organization, regardless of rank, should be diligent and hardworking; especially for those in leadership, even in small matters, it is essential to have the mindset of taking on labor before others and enjoying leisure after them. Only in this way can one tighten and inspire the hearts of people. I feel guilty even about receiving a car to take me to Koganei [where the Crown Prince's temporary residence and the Gakushuin Middle School were located] for the monthly advisory meeting. If it is so for someone treated as a guest like an advisor, how much more so for someone in a position who must set an example for those above and below with their own person; I could never be satisfied with a performance where I only give 50% or 70% of my heart and soul, even if others were to permit it. This is what I meant when I wrote in a passage of the letter I sent the other day: "...As for myself, I simply cannot endure performing my duties insufficiently while making adjustments and constantly making excuses." Since the example of Mrs. Vining came up then as well, I actually gave it some thought. It may be because I am timid, but I am particularly nervous about and deeply dislike receiving things like exceptional preferential treatment or exceptional care. Even if you were to recognize that I am worth treating exceptionally, I cannot go around making everyone understand that, and even if people did understand, I personally dislike being placed in such a position more than most. Not only that, but the human spirit truly begins to slacken from unexpected places; if I were to take on a role and receive treatment better or more lenient than what that role naturally receives, I believe the influence would be anything but good. At the very least, I am of a nature to doubt the authority of my own words in such a case. You may think I am being fastidious about small details. However, I suspect that you, in your position at the Imperial Household Office, intend to teach others that even small details should not be neglected in the future. Looking at these points one by one, despite your kind intentions, I believe myself to be unfit for the position.

I feel apologetic that I have not moved forward at all from the letter I sent the other day. However, as I hope you will understand, I thought about it quite a lot before writing that letter.

Please convey what I have said to Professor M and Professor I as the occasion demands. I have not yet spoken much with Professor M, but I believe Professor I may have some degree of understanding regarding my nervousness.

I moved around a bit too much yesterday and felt a little unwell last night, so I am staying quiet today. In short, I believe a convalescent [patient in recovery] is not yet ready to take the stage.

August 20

Shinzo Koizumi

To Mr. Michiji Tajima

(Commentary) A letter of refusal for the appointment as Grand Master of the Crown Prince's Household. The Grand Master is the head of the Board of the Crown Prince's Affairs, the household agency for the Crown Prince's family. Koizumi received the offer from Tajima but repeatedly declined, as he disliked the idea of being unable to fulfill his duties perfectly while not in full health. Two letters politely declining the request remain, and this is one of them. Koizumi eventually accepted the position of Full-time Advisor on the Education of the Crown Prince, which was not a formal government post, as a compromise. It is said that Tajima visited Koizumi at least nine times to persuade him with "soul-stirring persistence" (Michiji Tajima, "Remembering My Friend Koizumi," Shin, Vol. 19, No. 7). Mrs. Vining (Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining) was the Crown Prince's English teacher. Gakushuin Middle School moved from Mejiro to Koganei in 1946, the year the Crown Prince entered, due to damage from the war; the Crown Prince lived in the student dormitory (Seimei-ryo) there from his time in the Senior High School. "Professor M" and "Professor I" are thought to be George Matsumoto, a scholar of commercial law and Koizumi's brother-in-law, and Seihin Ikeda, former Governor of the Bank of Japan who served as the Chair, Keio University Board of Councillors.

I celebrate that your long imperial tour has finally reached its final stage, and I deeply sympathize with your daily mental and physical hardships.

I observe His Majesty the Emperor's daily diligence through newspapers and telegrams, and I find it most awe-inspiring. Regarding the situation of the welcomes in various places, the American magazines seem to be more detailed than the Tokyo newspapers. I enclose a clipping from "Time" (June 6 issue) for your perusal, though you may have already seen it.

There is no change in Tokyo. Today was the scheduled day for me to go to the dormitory in Koganei to dine and converse with His Highness and the other students, but as they are visiting a museum today, we have cancelled the meeting.

Yesterday, I was invited to the Vining residence. This was the scheduled day for His Highness's English lesson, but Mrs. Vining had the idea of inviting two boys she knows well (American and Australian) to play with His Highness and have afternoon tea together. I agreed and attended the gathering.

The game was 'Monopoly,' a game of buying and selling land, mortgaging it, helping the poor, and paying taxes. His Highness played most cheerfully, laughing heartily at Tony's comical behavior, and spoke in English even with his fellow Japanese. When his turn came, he would take the dices and pass them to the next person (John). John would answer "Thank you" and shake them. Depending on the result of the dice, His Highness would sometimes make payments and sometimes receive them; the way he would receive the cards used as currency while answering "Thank you" was extremely natural, and Mrs. Vining nodded frequently with an air of satisfaction. Once, he did not understand the word "mortgage," and when the lady asked me for an explanation and I said "teito," His Highness asked back, "Teito?" I explained further and he finally understood. Later, Mrs. Vining, her sister, and I had a great laugh, saying, "The Crown Prince hasn't had anything with mortgage, has he?"

After the game was over, there was a treat of sweets, sandwiches, and fruit juice downstairs. By Mrs. Vining's design, only the boys were in the dining room. His Highness was at one end of the table, with Tony and John to his left and right, followed by Shiba and Hashimoto. We adults were in the next room, occasionally listening to the conversation in the dining room while drinking fruit juice and Coca-Cola. The conversation in the dining room never ceased, and laughter was heard frequently. His Highness told a story about catching fish in the sea at Numazu by shooting a harpoon with a rubber string, leading the conversation for quite a long time. Mrs. Vining, her sister, and I often looked at each other and nodded with a smile. His Highness's favorite phrase was "Have you ever seen...?" and he asked the two foreign boys various questions. After about two hours in total, he shook hands with everyone, expressed polite thanks to the lady and her sister, and returned home. I left at the same time, so I haven't heard what happened after, but the lady's satisfaction was fully apparent, and there is no doubt the two boys enjoyed themselves greatly.

June 9

To my old friend Tajima

I have duly received your postcard from Kagoshima. I wish you continued good health.

(Commentary) A letter reporting on the Crown Prince's interaction with foreign boys at Mrs. Vining's residence. It conveys the state of the Crown Prince in his first year of Senior High School, proactively attempting to communicate in English.

（解説）ヴァイニング夫人邸における皇太子の外国人少年との交流を報告する書簡。「ブリガディヤア・ジェネラル」（brigadier general）とは准将のこと。積極的に英語でコミュニケーションを図ろうとする高等科一年生時の皇太子の様子を伝える。

It was truly a pleasure to have a pleasant chat after such a long time the other night.

Today was again the scheduled day for the Seimei-ryo students' research reports, so I went out in the evening. There were two presenters, one of whom was His Highness the Crown Prince. His research topic was Montaigne. The summary of my critique is as follows.

His Highness had a poor start to his report (referring to his frequent stuttering and clearing of his throat), and I was momentarily concerned about how it would go. However, after the start, his pace was good, and both his argument and terminology were refined; I believe it was a good report. French thinkers like Montaigne and Pascal differ in flavor from German philosophers; they give the impression of being a "wise man," and it was a pleasure for me to touch upon their intellectual experiences.

It was quite interesting that His Highness described in his report how the problems of reason and faith, and Greek philosophy and Christianity, were considered by Montaigne, and pointed out that he did not arrogantly say "I doubt," but expressed his thought with the words "What do I know?" (Que sais-je?). Incidentally, there is something called "Que sais-je?" literature lately, and I had thought it simply meant "What do I know?", but I learned from the report that the phrase originates from Montaigne.

Next, regarding the manner of the report, his speech was clear, but at times he became a bit fast-talking, making it difficult to catch some parts. I have previously cautioned him that when reading notes, he should not look only at the notes, but should lecture with an attitude of occasionally looking away from the notes to speak to the audience. Although traces of His Highness's efforts to do so were recognized, this point is still insufficient, and I believe he should take care of this in the future. It would be even better if he produced his voice more thickly and strongly. That is all.

I asked His Highness what he had mainly read, and he replied it was the "Essays" and the "Dialogue regarding Epictetus." "Did you read them in the original?" "No, in translation." "I hear Montaigne's French is excellent. It would be good if you read a little of the original as well," etc. It was a pleasant evening again. In haste.

Night of the 1st

To my old friend Tajima

(Commentary) A letter conveying the Crown Prince's research presentation during his Senior High School years. Montaigne was a 16th-century French thinker, and "Que sais-je?" is a phrase that appears in his major work, the "Essays." Koizumi also listened to the research presentation of the Crown Prince's younger brother, Prince Masahito (Prince Hitachi), and wrote his impressions of that in a letter to Tajima as well (January 28 of the same year).

（解説）高等科時代の皇太子の研究発表について伝える書簡。モンテーニュは、16世紀フランスの思想家で、「Que sais-je?」は彼の主著『エセー』の中に登場する言葉である。小泉は皇太子の弟である義宮正仁親王（常陸宮）の研究発表も同様に聞いており、こちらも田島宛書簡で感想を書いている（同年１月28日）。

On the evening of the 17th, His Highness returned to the capital from the North [Northumberland]. I went to King's Cross Station with the Ambassador to meet him, and he did not seem to have changed much since leaving Japan. The change was markedly felt when he entered among foreigners, as noted below.

The next morning, we set out in a line of cars to accompany him on a visit to Oxford. (Chamberlain Mitani also participated, planning a day trip.) There was nothing of particular note regarding the visits to Windsor Castle and Eton College along the way. At Windsor, a detachment of Guards in red coats and bearskin hats lined up before His Highness and saluted at the command "Present your arms!" (Omitted)

His Highness was magnificent at Oxford and behaved perfectly. In the chat with the 50 or 60 students mentioned above, His Highness proactively threw himself into their group and spoke with them as if having fun. Watching this, there was this passage in my conversation with Dr. Goodhart: Since the Crown Prince is usually surrounded only by grown-ups, he seems to enjoy himself immensely when he happens to be among peers of the same age. Indeed, it is like a fish being thrown back into the water, etc. (Omitted)

After [the meal] was over, there was a reception at the Master's [Goodhart's] residence. There were men and women from the university, prominent people from the city of Oxford, officers from nearby regiments, etc.—I would say 60 or 70 people, others said 100. The men were in tuxedos, the women in décolleté; among the women were some who seemed quite young and beautiful. His Highness did not stay in one place, but at times proactively approached and spoke to people, and people said to me things like "wonderful," "so natural," "dignified," or "charming." His Highness's English is not exactly fluent; he speaks while thinking, making "uh-uh" sounds, but he creates topics of conversation freely. While his expressions cannot escape Japanese influence, he is fully able to enjoy the conversation and make others enjoy it. I feel that if he polishes it a little more, it will become the real thing.

The next day, he observed the tutorial system unique to Oxford and Cambridge. The tutor was a man in his late 30s named Alington, said to be the son of a former headmaster of Eton, a blunt but charming person. The instruction takes place in his room. He sits in an easy chair by the electric stove in a posture close to lying down. Two students sit somewhat more formally on a sofa facing the stove. His Highness faces Alington, and Matsui and I listen from slightly behind. When one of the students begins to read a paper he has prepared, Alin immediately interjects, criticizing and lecturing. The topic was the operation of the parliamentary system, and things like the committee system and the neutrality of the Speaker were frequently discussed. He even suddenly asked His Highness a question: "Have you been in the House of Commons?" His Highness may have taken it to mean the Japanese Diet, as he answered "Yes," then corrected it to "No." Of course, it is impossible for him to understand all the exchanges with this student, but it could be seen from his expression that he followed to some extent. After this, the Master invited a brilliant-looking student to lunch and had him sit next to His Highness; His Highness spoke well even during the meal and also complimented the hostess, saying the sweets were excellent. (Omitted)

(Commentary) A report on the Crown Prince's visit to Oxford. From March to October 1953, the Crown Prince visited the UK and other Western countries to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II as the representative of Emperor Showa. Koizumi also conducted a tour of Europe and America at the recommendation of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida to coincide with this trip, meeting the Crown Prince frequently at his destinations. "Goodhart" is A.L. Goodhart (Arthur Lehman Goodhart), a legal philosopher who served as the Master of University College, Oxford. "Matsui" is Akira Matsui, a counselor from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who accompanied the tour.

（解説）皇太子のオックスフォード見学の様子の報告。昭和28（1953）年３月から10月にかけて、皇太子は昭和天皇の名代としてエリザベス女王の戴冠式へ出席するためにイギリスなどの西欧諸国を訪問したが、小泉も吉田茂首相の勧めでこの外遊の時期に合わせる形で欧米視察を行い、訪問先で皇太子に度々面会した。「グッドハアト」は、オックスフォード大学ユニバーシティ・カレッジ学長を務めた法哲学者のＡ．Ｌ．グッドハート（Arthur Lehman Goodhart）。「松井」は外遊に随行した外務省参事官の松井明。

His attendance at the coronation, the banquets before and after, and viewing the horse races all concluded without a hitch. His Highness performed his duties well and also seemed to enjoy himself considerably. I saw him constantly while here, but as the schedule was packed, there was no leisure to talk slowly just the two of us, so we looked forward to another day. Under the leadership of Grand Chamberlain Mitani, the teamwork of all the attendants was excellent, and I felt it was most pleasant. I heard later that there was some initial friction between the close aides and one or two proactive young people in the embassy, but His Highness's cold actually served as a catalyst for reconciliation.

I believe the welcome for His Highness by the British people and the Royal Family should be described as appropriate (..). I believe you have seen the photograph of His Highness viewing the horse races with the Queen; regarding this, when I heard the details, His Highness was initially viewing from a separate box when a court official came and asked if he would like to view the next second race (.....) together with Her Majesty the Queen, and His Highness went in response to that invitation. I felt that a certain limit was placed there. This is something I discussed with Mitani, and I think it is something we should keep in mind. Regarding the aforementioned photograph, I am concerned that the Japanese newspapers might treat the fact that His Highness viewed the races with the Queen as a huge deal, but it will likely turn out exactly as I fear. Is it not unseemly if the British newspapers do not make a fuss over a photo of the Queen and the Japanese Crown Prince, while only the Japanese newspapers make a great uproar? In any case, it is extremely comfortable here, and His Highness seems to agree. I hope Mr. Usami's trip abroad will certainly be realized. I plan to go to Paris around the 10th of next month. Morning of June 9

Shinzo Koizumi

(Commentary) A letter from London conveying the state of the hospitality for the Crown Prince in the UK. "Grand Chamberlain Mitani" is Takanobu Mitani. "Mr. Usami" is Takeshi Usami, the Deputy Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency, who later served as the Grand Steward as Tajima's successor. The Crown Prince viewed the Derby with the British Royal Family on June 6, and as Koizumi noted, it decorated the pages of major Japanese newspapers the following day.

（解説）ロンドンより、イギリスにおける皇太子に対する歓待の様子を伝える書簡。「三谷侍従長」は三谷隆信。「宇佐美君」は宮内庁次長の宇佐美毅で、田島の後任として宮内庁長官を務めた人物である。皇太子は６月６日に英国王室一家と共にダービーを観覧し、小泉が述べる通り翌日にはそのことが日本の主要新聞の紙面を飾った。

His Highness's conduct in the United States was magnificent throughout, and on several occasions, I felt it was truly perfect. The impact of a month of hard work on his health was my greatest concern, but he showed no significant fatigue. I understand well that His Highness is making an effort, but it is a blessing that he has endured it so well. It was fortunate that the intense American heat subsided before his arrival. However, there were days I thought were quite hot.

When he placed a wreath before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, I watched from behind, mingling with the onlookers. It was at this moment that I thought it was truly perfect. The grand banquet in New York was also magnificent throughout. I was absent during the Boston visit, but I suspect New York was perhaps his best performance (though Mrs. Vining also praises His Highness in Boston highly). In New York, facing an audience of over a thousand, the hosts and guests of honor were lined up in a row on the platform; we sat in the second row, and Mrs. Vining sat two seats to my right. When the meeting ended, people approached the lady to shake hands and offered congratulations, saying things like "Congratulations" or "You must be satisfied," from which you can imagine His Highness's performance. That evening, there were also speeches by Ambassador Araki and Secretary Dulles; Mr. Dulles's went too far into politics and had parts that were better left unsaid, and while the main point of Mr. Araki's was very good, there were parts that were difficult to hear. The following night, Mrs. Vining came to my hotel room for dinner. The three of us, including my wife, spoke without reserve, and when I said that His Highness's English had better pronunciation than the Ambassador's, the lady affirmed this with her usual gentle but clear words and expression. Two or three days later, I was invited to lunch by John Rockefeller and we spoke just the two of us over the table; during the conversation, Mr. Rockefeller, with his usual habit of blinking his eyes, prefaced by saying "I'm sorry to say this to Mr. Araki," and said the same thing as I did. As you can imagine, I affirmed this just as Mrs. Vining had. (Strictly between us) Naturally, Americans have no reason to go out of their way to say things to me that we would not like, and I am not so complacent as to be counting only such compliments, but in any case, he gave a good impression to people, and I think it is fair to recognize the psychology of Americans wanting to receive a good impression. One day, at a lunch where I was invited by professors from Columbia University, one professor asked me what His Highness might have been most surprised by in America. I replied that since His Highness had been taught by Mrs. Vining and knew American history and systems generally, nothing in that regard came to mind. If I had to say, it might be the overwhelming nature of the escort, with motorcycle police leading and flanking His Highness's car and blowing sirens to stop the flow of traffic; the people laughed.

This is the situation for now. If there are items among the above that are acceptable to be reported to the Emperor, I would be grateful if you would translate them into appropriate words and speak of them accordingly.

I fly to San Francisco tomorrow, and if possible, I plan to decline guests for four days, read documents, write letters, and organize my thoughts a little, then take the Pan American on October 1 and return to the capital on the 3rd. To be honest, I was reluctant to leave Japan, and I am also reluctant to return.

I pray for your health. Morning of September 26, in my hotel room

Shinzo

To my old friend Michiji

(Commentary) A letter reporting on the Crown Prince's activities in various parts of America. It details particularly the state of the welcome dinner for the Crown Prince in New York. "Ambassador Araki" is Eikichi Araki, the Ambassador to the United States. Mrs. Vining had already returned to America, and Koizumi reunited with her for the first time in three years during this tour. "John Rockefeller" is John D. Rockefeller III, who served as the President of the Rockefeller Foundation.

（解説）アメリカ各地での皇太子の様子を報告する書簡。特にニューヨークにおける皇太子歓迎晩餐会での様子を詳述している。「新木大使」は新木栄吉駐米大使。ヴァイニング夫人は既にアメリカに帰国しており、小泉はこの外遊で３年ぶりの再会を果たした。「ジョンロックフェラア」はロックフェラー財団理事長を務めたジョン・ロックフェラー３世（John Davison Rockefeller III）。