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lifestyle SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015 Features Original sound of Japan emperor’s war-end speech released he 4 1/2-minute speech that has reverberated insufferable,” a phrase repeatedly used in news and throughout Japan’s modern history since it dramas about the war. When people heard that Twas delivered by Emperor Hirohito at the end part 70 years ago, they understood the situation, of World War II has come back to life in digital form. Kondo says. But the rest is little known, largely Hirohito’s “jewel voice” - muffled and nearly inaudi- because the text Hirohito read was deliberately ble due to poor sound quality - was broadcast on written in arcane language making him sound Aug 15, 1945, announcing Japan’s surrender. authoritative and convincing as he sought people’s On Saturday, the Imperial Household Agency understanding about Japan’s surrender. released the digital version of the original sound Amid growing concern among many Japanese ahead of the 70th anniversary of the speech and over nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push the war’s end. In it, the emperor’s voice appears to expand Japan’s military role, the current clearer, slightly higher and more intense, but, Emperor Akihito is increasingly seen as liberal and Japanese today would still have trouble under- pacifist, and the effort by his father, Hirohito, to end the war has captured national attention. Speaking in unique intonation that drops at the end of sentences, Hirohito opens his 1945 address with Japan’s decision to accept the condition of surrender. He also expresses “the deepest sense of regret” to Asian countries that cooperated with Japan to gain “emancipation” from Western colo- This undated handout picture released on July 31, 2015 by the Austrian National Library (ONB) shows nization. the farewell letter of Baroness Mary Vetsera to her mother. “Please forgive me for what I’ve done, I could Hirohito also laments devastation caused by “a not resist love” — these are the final dramatic words of Baroness Mary Vetsera, whose farewell letters new and most cruel bomb” dropped in Hiroshima were discovered in a bank vault in Vienna 126 years after she famously committed suicide with Crown and Nagasaki, and asks everyone to stay calm while Prince Rudolf of Austria, experts announced. — AFP helping to reconstruct the country. Its significance is that Hirohito, who at the time was considered a living deity, made the address, said Takahisa Furukawa, a historian at Nihon ‘Sensational find’ reveals passion University in Tokyo. “What’s most important is the emperor reached out to the people to tell them that they had to surrender and end the war,” he said. “The speech is a reminder of what it took to of one of history’s great affairs end the wrong war.” On the eve of the announcement, Hirohito met lease forgive me for what I’ve done, I could The exact circumstances of their suicide-pact, with top government officials to approve Japan’s not resist love”-these are the final dramatic commonly referred to as the “Mayerling incident”, still surrender inside a bunker dug at the palace com- “Pwords of Baroness Mary Vetsera, whose remain unclear. The prince is thought to have shot his pound. Amid fear of violent protest by army offi- farewell letters were discovered in a bank vault in lover before turning the gun on himself. Their deaths cials refusing to end the war, the recording of Vienna 126 years after she famously committed sui- sparked international headlines and became a source Hirohito’s announcement was made secretly. NHK cide with Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, experts of speculation. With the exception of a farewell letter technicians were quietly called in for the recording. announced Friday. Hailing the find as “sensational”, from Rudolf to his wife, Stephanie, no other original At almost midnight, Hirohito appeared in his for- the Austrian National Library (ONB) said bank employ- documents related to the incident were believed to mal military uniform, and read the statement into ees had stumbled across the precious documents have survived. the microphone, twice. during a clear-out of the archives. “Until now it had been assumed that the letters A group of young army officers stormed into the They had been there since 1926, according to the had been destroyed after the mother’s death,” the palace in a failed attempt to steal the records and library. “An unknown person deposited a leather- ONB said. Scientific research on the letters would standing the arcane language used by Hirohito. block the surrender speech, but palace officials bound folder containing numerous personal docu- begin in August, it added. The letters, addressed to Japanese people lower “The language was extremely difficult,” said desperately protected the records, which were ments, letters and photographs of the Vetsera family, the baroness’s mother, sister and brother, had been their head toward the Tomie Kondo, 92, who listened to the 1945 broad- safely delivered to NHK for radio transmission the including the farewell letters of Mary Vetsera from kept inside a closed envelope sealed with the crown Imperial Palace in Tokyo, as cast in a monitoring room at NHK public broadcast- next day. The drama of the last two days of the war 1889,” the ONB said in a statement. prince’s insignia. The historical documents will go on Emperor Hirohito er, where she worked as a newscaster. “It’s well writ- leading to Hirohito’s radio address was made into a “Dear Mother/ Please forgive me for what I’ve public display at the library in 2016, as part of celebra- announced on radio that ten if you read it, but I’m afraid not many people film, “Japan’s Longest Day,” in 1967, and its remake done/ I could not resist love/ In accordance with Him, tions to mark the centenary of Emperor Franz Joseph’s Japan was defeated in the understood what he said,” she said. Poor reception will hit Japanese theaters on Aug. 8. I want to be buried next to Him in the Cemetery of death. — AP World War II. The original and sound quality of the radio made it even worse. Alland/ I am happier in death than life,” the letter to recording of Japan’s “I heard some people even thought they were sup- Helen Vetsera read. Emperor Hirohito’s war- posed to fight even more,” she said. “I think the The ONB said it hoped the discovery would help ending speech has come speech would be incomprehensive to young peo- shed light on one of the world’s great romances, back to life in digital ple today.” which has inspired numerous movies, novels, ballets form.— AP and plays. The bodies of Mary Vetsera, two months Arcane language shy of turning 18, and the 30-year-old crown prince Every Japanese knows a part of the speech were discovered in January 1889 at a hunting lodge in where Hirohito refers to his resolve for peace by the Viennese woods near the town of Mayerling. “enduring the unendurable and suffering what is Amazon India Couture Week Models display the creations of Indian design- ers Anju Modi, Reynu Taandon and Monisha Jaising at the Amazon India Couture Week Actress Aditi Rao Hydari 2015 in New Delhi. Actress Chitrangada Singh Chitrangada Actress Indian Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, center, displays a creation by Indian designer Harpreet Narula, foreground right, at the Amazon India Couture Week 2015. — AP photos .

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