Emperor Showa's View of Basic Science as Seen in the "Haieki-ki"

2023/04/10

Image: Michiji Tajima

My grandfather, Michiji Tajima, served as the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency for approximately five and a half years starting in 1948, following Japan's defeat in the Pacific War. During his tenure, he reformed the Imperial Household to align with the new Constitution. Except for the very beginning of his term, Tajima left behind detailed records of his conversations with Emperor Showa in what is known as the "Haieki-ki" (Records of Audiences). Additionally, Tajima's diaries, which briefly record private matters from the post-war period until his death in 1968, still exist today.

Tajima*1 was born in Nagoya in 1885. During his university years, he was mentored by Inazo Nitobe, and after graduation, he worked for Aichi Bank. He briefly paused his banking career for about two years to serve as the secretary and head of the personnel department for Shimpei Goto, the President of the Railway Board, and was influenced by Goto as well. When the financial crisis occurred in the early Showa era, he moved from Aichi Bank to Showa Bank at the request of Junnosuke Inoue, Governor of the Bank of Japan, to handle the liquidation of failed small and medium-sized banks. I have heard that his work was so energetic and strict that he even received threatening letters at his home.

He remained at Showa Bank until three years before the outbreak of the Pacific War, serving as president for the final few years. I believe that when difficult reforms of the Imperial Household became necessary after the war, he was appointed Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency in the expectation that he would demonstrate the same leadership skills he showed during his time at Showa Bank. After taking office, while reforming the court, he also devoted himself to the education of the Crown Prince (the current Emperor Emeritus), pleading with Shinzo Koizumi to become the de facto head of education (Permanent Advisor to the Education of the Crown Prince). After retiring as Grand Steward, he served as an auditor and chairman of Sony, but remained involved in Imperial Household issues, such as the selection of the Crown Princess, until the end.

The materials left by Tajima, including the Haieki-ki, diaries, and letters addressed to him, are currently being published by Iwanami Shoten as "The Records of Audiences with Emperor Showa" (7 volumes total) under expert editorship. Many have already expressed surprise at the content, which includes the Emperor's "raw voice" and matters that "far exceed the scope of administrative dialogue." While reviewing the galley proofs, I encountered for the first time the Emperor's "raw voice" emphasizing and encouraging basic science. As a specialist in physics myself, this left a very strong impression on me.

Here, I would like to introduce Emperor Showa's stance toward basic science as seen in the Haieki-ki, Tajima's diaries, and letters, considering it one facet of the "image of Emperor Showa" that we envision.

Emperor Showa had an interest in biology, and although he described his biological research in the Haieki-ki as being "at the level of a hobby" (entry for July 5, 1950), he was a dedicated researcher of basic science. There was a "Biological Laboratory" within the Imperial Palace, and while official duties naturally took priority, he set aside specific days of the week to engage in research (entry for April 2, 1953). Undoubtedly, the time he spent immersed in research must have been the most enjoyable for him. Because of this, he had an understanding of basic science and spoke to Tajima in various places throughout the Haieki-ki about his recognition that its encouragement was important.

(Regarding the report from the President of the Science Council the previous day) "There was talk of encouraging applied science but not basic science, but I think the opposite. I believe applied science naturally receives stimulation and convenience from the side where it is applied; therefore, encouragement must be given to things that do not receive such support and do not lead to immediate profit." (Entry for January 17, 1950)

(Regarding the evaluation of researchers, such as for the Order of Culture) "I question the tendency to relatively neglect pure science and value applied science. Of course, I have no objection to encouraging things that are useful for practical purposes, but at the same time, I believe weight should be placed on basic academic research." (Entry for May 2 of the same year)

On this occasion, he even cited examples of how the basic research of Faraday (electromagnetism) and Mendel (genetics) later brought about useful results to emphasize his point. Even so, I am surprised that the President of the Science Council at the time went out of his way to report the sentiment of "encouraging applied science and not basic science." While there may have been various post-war circumstances, I find myself doubting my ears (or eyes) as to what the President of the Science Council was there for.

Furthermore, when the physicist Yoshio Nishina passed away, Emperor Showa remarked to Tajima, "We have lost a great man" (entry for January 11, 1951). In the Haieki-ki, I find no other description of the Emperor mourning the death of a private individual other than Nishina. Nishina was not only an outstanding physicist but also a figure who preached the necessity of emphasizing and encouraging basic science even during the Pacific War, despite the watchful eyes of the military*2. It appears that Emperor Showa shared Nishina's views on the importance of basic science and mourned his death particularly in light of Nishina's great contributions to the world of physics. Immediately after Nishina's death, likely reflecting some intention of the Emperor, Nishina's name appears in Tajima's diary (entries for January 12 and 13, 1951), and Tajima attended the funeral service (January 14, 1951).

In 1949, when Hideki Yukawa became the first Japanese person to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics for his meson theory, Tajima, who witnessed the Emperor's joy, wrote to Yukawa—who was then staying at Columbia University in New York—sending words of congratulation along with a description of the Emperor's reaction.

Dear Dr. Yukawa, Although I have not yet had the honor of meeting you in person, I have long known of your distinguished name. I am overjoyed to hear that you have received this immense honor. After the announcement, I clearly heard the broadcast of your conversation with Dr. Ogawa and others, and I am deeply impressed by your continued health and activity. Last year, I was appointed Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency, succeeding Viscount Matsudaira. On the day you saw the announcement in the newspapers—November 3rd, Culture Day—during my audience with His Majesty the Emperor, I not only witnessed his great joy, but I also heard from the Grand Chamberlain that His Majesty repeatedly expressed his delight. Furthermore, on the following day, the 4th, at a tea party for people involved in sports, His Majesty remarked, "People often speak of 'good news,' but Dr. Yukawa's award is the truly good news," which brought great laughter and deep emotion to all present. I have already mentioned this to our old friend Tamon Maeda, and I believe he may have already informed you, but as someone who witnessed His Majesty's satisfaction firsthand, I felt it a great privilege to inform you myself, and thus I am writing this letter. I pray that you will continue to devote yourself to the path of scholarship and that your achievements will shine even more brightly as a testament to the culture of Japan. I look forward to and pray for the day when you return to Japan and can provide a lecture on the recent state of the academic world. As the weather turns cold, please take care of yourself. Sincerely, November 11, Michiji Tajima To Dr. Yukawa

To your desk

(Original is written in ink. Held by the Yukawa Memorial Museum, Research Institute for Fundamental Physics, Kyoto University, s03-21-037. Transcription: Kuniyo Goto, Toshiyoshi Goto)

In response, Yukawa's reply to Tajima expressed his gratitude and stated that Emperor Showa's deep knowledge of science was encouraging for the reconstruction of Japan as a peaceful, cultural nation after the war.

Dear Grand Steward Tajima, I have received your kind words of congratulation regarding my receipt of the Nobel Prize in Physics, and I am truly grateful. As a scholar, this award is an unexpected honor, and nothing could make me happier. However, I am even more moved by the fact that the people of Japan are as sincerely happy as if it were their own success. In particular, according to your letter, His Majesty the Emperor was also very satisfied with the announcement, which fills me with deep emotion as a Japanese citizen. As someone who is himself a scientist with deep knowledge of biological research, it is natural that His Majesty has a profound understanding of science. This is truly encouraging for Japan as it moves toward rebuilding itself as a peaceful, cultural nation. My research is still far from completion, and I must continue to make efforts for many years to come, whether in America or Japan. However, if this announcement provides even a small positive stimulus to Japanese scientists and the general public, I would be extremely happy. I am scheduled to depart for Stockholm on December 7th to attend the award ceremony on the 10th, and I am extremely busy with both public and private matters, but I am writing this airmail letter to express my deep gratitude. November 21 At Columbia University, New York, Hideki Yukawa To Grand Steward Tajima

Yukawa, like Nishina, argued that applied science would wither without the soil of solid basic science*3. While Japan was devastated by its defeat, as seen in Tajima's letter to Yukawa, Emperor Showa expressed immense joy that a Nobel Prize was awarded to a Japanese person—and a researcher of basic science at that. The Emperor's "near-exultant feelings" are conveyed through the formal epistolary style. The Haieki-ki further records that Emperor Showa personally concerned himself even with the manner of commendation and the gifts for Yukawa after his return to Japan (entries for April 19 and August 10, 1950).

The need to encourage science that "does not lead to immediate profit," in Emperor Showa's words, remains an issue today. For example, because there are remarkably few places where young researchers aiming for basic science can conduct research in a stable environment, even talented individuals are often forced to change direction toward applied research in corporations, unable to follow through on their original intentions. This is far from the "encouragement" of basic science, and there is a frequently voiced sense of crisis that Nobel Prize winners will disappear from Japan in the near future. Nevertheless, immediate profit is prioritized, and the movement of politicians and bureaucrats toward encouraging things that are not immediately useful remains slow. The fact that there seems to be little social interest is regrettable for the development of "Japanese culture," a phrase common to both of these letters.

昭和天皇の言葉で言えば「直ちに利益にならぬやうな」科学を奨励しなければ、ということは現在でも問題になっている。例えば基礎科学を目指す若手の研究者が、落ち着いた環境で研究出来る場所が著しく少ないので、優秀な人材であっても初志を貫徹できず企業などの応用研究に方向転換せざるを得ない状況がしばしば起こっている。このようなことでは基礎科学の「奨励」というには程遠く、近い将来日本からノーベル賞受賞者がいなくなるという危機感もよく言われている。だが、やはりそれでも目先の利益が優先され、すぐには役立たないものを奨励することに対しては政治家や官僚の動きも鈍く、社会的にもあまり関心がないように見えるのは、この2つの書簡に共通にある文言である「日本の文化」発展のためにも残念なことである。

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