Manchukuo Grand Hotel

2022/07/18

I was told, "Is this another tourist guidebook for Manchuria?" This is likely because the image of the Yamato Hotels operated by Mantetsu in Dalian and Mukden is so strong. The title "Manchukuo Grand Hotel" is certainly misleading.

"Grand Hotel" is a film format in which characters appear one after another, and there is no specific protagonist. Everyone appears and disappears like hotel guests. Manchukuo, which was established following the Manchurian Incident, collapsed in just 13 and a half years due to Japan's defeat. I infused the title with the meaning that all Japanese people who visited Manchuria—whether they were prepared to settle there permanently or were just travelers—were nothing more than "sojourners."

I selected 36 of these "sojourners" and depicted the weight of Manchuria in their lives, focusing on episodes to understand what "Manchuria" meant to Showa-era Japan and the Japanese people. For me, it is a book of strolling through and reconsidering Showa history.

Taking the opportunity of an invitation to write for Mita-hyoron (official monthly journal published by Keio University Press), I looked into the alma maters of the 36 individuals. It turned out there was only one person associated with Keio: Kenkichi Ishiyama, the founder of Diamond, Inc. Since there were many military personnel, bureaucrats, journalists, and filmmakers, it is natural that the University of Tokyo and the Imperial Japanese Army Academy were overwhelmingly numerous, but even so, one was a surprising number.

Among the supporting characters, there was an alumnus from Mita who caught my interest: Hidekichi Wada, who appears as the husband of actress Michiyo Kogure. He performed spectacular investigative reporting at Jiji Shimpo, managed by Sanji Muto, and was sent to Manchuria due to an overstep. He was one of the "second chance, background laundering" group permitted by Manchukuo, and remained close until the end with Masahiko Amakasu (Chairman of Manyei), who could be called their leader.

Tokuzo Komai, the first Director-General of the General Affairs State Council of Manchukuo (the top Japanese bureaucrat), wrote "The Founding of Great Manchukuo," which was a bestseller at the time. Megumi Nakamura of Chuokoron-sha, who was the editor and writer for that book, was also an alumnus from Mita. After the war, Mr. Nakamura became the Director and Editor-in-Chief of Keio Tsushin (now Keio University Press).

Books I purchased while writing my previous work, "Jun Eto is Reborn," also proved unexpectedly useful. Rokuzo Takebe, the boss of Mr. Eto's father-in-law, was the last top Japanese bureaucrat, but he chose the path of "willingly becoming a victim." There were such Japanese people in Manchuria as well.

Manchukuo Grand Hotel

Shukichi Hirayama

Geijutsu Shinbunsha

568 pages, 3,850 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.