Читать книгу Trust and Deception - Hannah K - Страница 17

As I mentioned before, the role of the Emperor had become like that of Qing Emperors after the Meiji Restoration (1868). The role of the Emperor Meiji became different from that of former Tenno before him. After the Emperor Meiji passed away, the Emperor Taisho succeeded to the throne. The Emperor Taisho (1879-1926) experienced serious brain disease when he was very young. In fact, he could not carry out his role as a ruler. As a result, his son, Hirohito, became the Prince Regent when he was 20 years old (1921). However, the military came to seize the actual political power.

Seemingly, the role of the Emperor Taisho (1912-1926) and the Emperor Showa (1926-1989) until the end of the Pacific War (1941-1945) had the same power as that of the Emperor Meiji. However, during this period, the actual political power started to be held by the military. Therefore, you could assume that the environment of the “puppet” government was already established during Taisho Period.

Going back to Origuchi’s theory about “Tama,” his theory is completely contradictory. According to his theory, the enthronement ceremony was about inheriting the first Tenno, Jinmu’s “Tama, or soul.” If Origuchi’s theory were to be squarely accepted, should the crown prince’s Tama itself be gotton rid of him? Then, what would become of the crown prince’s soul which he has had since he was born? Origuchi did not touch on this part at all.

He meant, should the crown prince experience pseudo death?

Contrary to Origuchi’s theory, Nihon-Sho-Ki told the story about one Tenno, who was killed by a messenger of Amaterasu-Oh-Mi-Kami, the greatest deity in the Firmament, who controls law, reason and order of the world of Shinto. According to this story, Tenno’s wife became a medium of Amaterasu’s messenger and she told Amaterasu’s order to the Tenno. The Tenno doubted the authenticity of the messenger. Amaterasu-Oh-Mi-Kami was furious at his doubt, and instantly killed the Tenno. The Tenno who was killed was Chuai Tenno, who was the 14^th Emperor in Japanese history. If Tama, as Origuchi pointed out, were the Tama of Tenno, it would be impossible for Amaterasu’s messenger to kill him because Amaterasu-Oh-Mi-Kami bestowed Tenno with her Tama. There was no story that Amaterasu gave her Tama to Tenno.

From the story above, anyone could assume that Origuchi’s thesis contradicted the story in Nihon-Shoo-Ki. In spite of this contradiction, Dr. Origuchi gained popularity among Shinto researchers as well as the Military Regime of the Japanese Empire. I wonder why almost no Shinto researchers at major universities have had any doubt or questions about Origuchi’s theory.