Twilight of Gutenberg

by Hitoshi Goto

  I arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. When the waitress showed me through to the private room, I was taken aback to find the Commander-in-Chief already sitting there. As I entered nervously, he made the waitress leave the room and indicated I should take the seat in front of him.

  “Don’t worry. This restaurant is deep in Army territory, but they only cater to one group of customers per day. Anyway, please make yourself comfortable.”

  He then poured me a drink. He was not one to drink much alcohol, so he was being extra solicitous to me and naturally this made me nervous. And when I downed the drink my nervousness only increased.

  “Well, Yagyu. I have always done my darndest to avoid going to war, but look what’s happened. War started and I found myself at the forefront of the fight. It’s ironic, isn’t it? If Prime Minister Konoe ever summons me and asks to hear my thoughts on our prospects for the war, I would have to answer that I would put up a good fight for half a year or a year, but after that I wouldn’t be confident.”

  I never allowed my feelings to show on my face, but I couldn’t stop my jaw muscles from twitching. Along with Admirals Yonai and Inoue, Yamamoto was famous for advocating for peace. As an admiral and vice minister of the navy, however, being any more outspokenly opposed to the war could even put his life in danger. When Admiral Yonai was minister for the navy he was transferred to Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. Even so, why was he suddenly coming out with talk like this now, even as we were gearing up for war with America? I could not understand this.

  Yamamoto began explaining what he meant in simple terms. “Some young officers in the army as well as the navy insist on a hardline approach. They rushed into the Tripartite Alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan, and now they’re plunging into war with America and Britain. They’re dazzled by Germany’s current success, but really they should be more circumspect. Look at last year’s Battle of Britain, in which Germany tried to force Britain to surrender and outnumbered their forces by three to one, yet still ended up losing. And now they’re already going after the Soviets. They’ve started a war on two fronts before having finished disposing of Britain.”

  “But I heard it was an irresistible advance?”

  “Russia is big. It’s on a different scale to Poland or France. I predict the war will inevitably be long and drawn-out,” he said, draining his glass, somewhat unusually for him. “You were with me at the Disarmament Conference in London, so you must understand. I really learned my lesson when I was stationed in the US. America is a huge country. Think about Japan’s national strength. We still have a lot of troops in China and Manchuria, and we’re not big enough to start a war just with our navy alone. Our ships are made with materials imported from the US, and they are powered by American oil. How are we going to war with a country like that?”

  I said nothing and focused on listening.

  “In Konoe’s third term as prime minister, Admiral Toyoda became Foreign Minister, which gave me some hope for Japan to negotiate, but…”

  “But just at that point, Japanese assets in the US were frozen.”

  Yamamoto nodded, his face hard.

  “It might be happy go lucky to think that America would do nothing if we sent troops to the French Indochina. But Admiral Nomura has known President Roosevelt for a long time. I believe that even now he wants to avoid war…”

  He went on in a slightly different tone, “Unfortunately, if we go to war with America, the navy will take the brunt of it. As Commander in Chief of the Combined Forces and member of Japan’s Imperial Navy—no, even before that, a child of Japan and a Japanese citizen under His Imperial Majesty—I intend to fight to the utmost of my capacity. It’s an ironic fate, but it’s the natural thing to do.”

  I nodded my agreement.

  “Given what a weak position we are in, there is only one strategy we can take. At the same time as the war starts, we must ambush the US Pacific Fleet and annihilate the main enemy force. That is all. That’s why I’m focused on trying to override opposition to executing the Hawaii strategy. The US is not the sort of country to concede the war itself just after losing one or two battles. However, if we continually force them into successive showdowns and continue to defeat their navy, we might just eventually wear them down. There is a faint chance of victory. But…”

  “But?”

  “We need someone to bring it to an end.”

  I paled. “I’m absolutely not strong enough for that.”

  However, Yamamoto was calm. “I would like you to consider two points. First, that I want you to create an excuse as best you can to put an end to the war. As long as both Yonai and Inoue are in the navy, they will certainly steer the country in the right direction when the time comes. Second, I am going to give you the tools to make your job easier.

  “Tools?”

  Yamamoto reached out for his suit jacket that was folded at his side and took an envelope out of the inside pocket.

  “This contains a certain letter. I want you to put it to good use.”

  “What is in the letter? How should I use it?”

  “It is a private message from me personally. Please consider that once the war starts, from their point of view I am their biggest enemy. I don’t mind, I’m ready for it.” He gave a lonely smile. “In the case of emergency, I want you to be the messenger that delivers this letter.”

  “Who should I deliver it to?”

  “Prime Minister Churchill of Britain.”

  I leaned forward and slammed my hands down on the table. “Why not to Roosevelt?”

  “I have considered that,” he said calmly. “It might be more natural to negotiate with our principle enemy, which is America, but given the national character and historical background, I believe that Britain would be the most appropriate party to approach.

  I hadn’t quite grasped his meaning. He looked at me and continued, “Like us it’s an island nation with a strong navy, and we used to be allies. Also, it is a country with a long history. Its power is declining, but mentally America is Britain’s little brother. In a certain sense Britain has more influence. As a party for talks, Britain is most appropriate.”

  Put like this, he’d clearly reached this conclusion through calm, logical thought, and he was quite convincing.

  “I see. I understand your reasons for choosing Britain.”

  “However, you must only carry out this strategy under one condition. I don’t want you to make any move until then.”

  “Until you tell me the condition?”

  “It has to be after I die in action.”

  “But how…? That doesn’t bode well!”

  “I suppose you are surprised. But logically it can happen. While Japan is winning, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet is directing operations from headquarters and is unlikely to be killed in battle, but what if the war takes a turn for the worse? In other words, our headquarters will be pulled into the frontline. It could possibly happen that I will have to lead the entire Combined Fleet command to the front. Of course the chances of me dying in action will be greater.”

  “But that—”

  “As General Oshima in Berlin says, if Germany really does defeat the Soviets within this year, my fears will probably end up being groundless. The problem arises if the war between Germany and Russia drags on for a long time. A long war would be disadvantageous to German in terms of manpower, and they will face ongoing tough battles with Russia as their the main enemy. If at such a time the negotiations break down and Japan goes to war with America, what will happen? Japan’s main enemy is America, and the stage will be the Pacific, but most of our land force is already tied up, with the Kwantung Army in Manchuria and the China Expeditionary Army in China, meaning we will have to fight the US with our navy alone. In the meantime, our ally Germany will be evenly balanced with the Soviet Union. If we’re fighting different enemies, w
hy are we allies? And if we go to war with America, I can only think that after one or two years, the war will be increasingly tougher for us. We can’t win with our indomitable spirit alone. And given this scenario, it is not at all unrealistic to imagine that I will lose my life. It is in the history of China, too: a man can probably do greater things dead than alive.”

  He smiled sadly and was silent for a while. Then he looked me in the eye. “So how about it. Can I rely on you to deliver my letter?” he asked, and bowed deeply.

  I was dumbfounded. “Commander, there’s no need for that, please stop! I’ve fully understood your purpose.”

  He raised his head and looked at me. “Will you accept?”

  Seeing the commander I revered bow to me like this, I did not hesitate.

  “Of course I will,” I said immediately. “If you request it of me, I should be delighted to accept it. But may I make a request of my own?”

  Yamamoto smiled broadly and said, “By all means. Please say whatever you like. Is it to do with your family?”

  “No. Since my wife married me, I have had her prepare herself to take whatever happens in her stride.”

  “I see.”

  “My request is to be allowed to leave the navy when the opportunity arises.”

  “But why would you do that? There’s no need to do so.”

  “The navy is my life. I long to achieve either an honourable death in battle, or otherwise continue to serve until my retirement. In this alone I am no less than you, Commander. However, the mission you have requested of me may be seen as treason. I probably will not be able to fulfil the mission unless I prepare myself for that eventuality.”

  “I suppose so, but…”

  “In order to be absolutely certain of success, I will have to take the letter to England myself. Travelling to an enemy country in wartime will be extremely difficult, and if by chance I’m exposed it will cause a lot of problems not just for myself but for the navy. Far from being an opportunity for peace, it will likely lead to hostilities with the army. I think there will be fewer dangers if I go as a private individual. Britain is on the other side of the world, and I don’t know what might happen along the way.”

  “Ah.”

  “And one more thing. Please excuse me for saying this, but if this strategy is to be implemented only after your demise, if I stay in the navy and remain at your side, isn’t there a high probability that we will be exposed to the danger together?”

  “Well, yes, I suppose so…”

  “The more aggressive the campaign you follow, the more I have to value my life. This is very painful for me, but in order to fulfil this mission I think it is necessary.”

  Yamamoto again bowed deeply to me upon hearing this.

  He appeared to be much relieved now that things were settled. He called the waitress, who came in started pouring some sake for us, chatting deliberately cheerfully with him. Yamamoto rarely drank alcohol, but tonight he was drinking hard and became very drunk. He talked enthusiastically about old times, like when we’d gone to the London conference together and played shogi in the hotel room whenever we had free time.

  That is how I came to accept this mission. After the defeat at Midway, I resigned from the Navy on the pretext of ill health. The war was showing signs of dragging on for a long time.

  In the end, the war was developing in the way Yamamoto had feared. It had become a war of attrition, with the battles of Savo Island, Eastern Solomons and Guadalcanal, and the difference in our military capabilities grew daily more evident.

  And then the letter came announcing Yamamoto’s death, while also suggesting that I. myself should go to the frontline in order to restore the course of the war.

  Commander-in-Chief Yamamoto, who I had respected to the utmost, had died an honourable death in action. This was in April, and I heard about it in confidence from an acquaintance in the Navy Ministry. The details were unclear, but he was said to have been shot down by an American plane while inspecting the battlefield in Rabaul. But how could such an encounter happen when he had escort places? According to my intuition, and also some leaked, it was most likely an ambush.

  While praying in earnest for his soul, I also knew intuitively that the day had come for me to set in motion his wishes. I will not record any names here, but a high-ranking officer in the navy confided Yamamoto’s fate to me. With his assistance, I was able to resign my post due to ill health, then arrange to travel via Japanese-occupied Singapore to Burma, where I would be able to make contact with an agent from British intelligence.

  I don’t know to what extent Yamamoto foresaw this, but since the start of the war the respect and affection the Japanese people held for him became very strong. When the news of his death broke, there was widespread grief. I believed this letter written in his own hand would wield far more influence than if Prime Minister Tojo himself had sought peace negotiations.

  I was born in Fukui, and grew up by the sea. I loved the Japan Sea in winter. It was bitterly cold, but even this was a nostalgic part of my hometown. There was little chance I would ever see it again, being unlikely to return alive to Japan. Nevertheless, I also had a hunch that my life would end in the sea of my hometown. These conflicting feelings will remain in my heart.

  I did something terrible to my wife, Tomoko. That is my only regret, and I am begging her forgiveness. If in the future someone reads this letter, I don’t know who it will be, but if possible I would like them to say a kind word to her. I’m sure she’s had a terrible time of it.

  Yamamoto’s funeral is tomorrow. Once I’ve seen his coffin off, I will depart. I am praying for Japan’s victory—no, for peace to arrive as soon as possible. Long live His Imperial Majesty.

  Yoshikuni Yagyu

  4 June 1943

  †

  The letter ended there. I took off my glasses, and quietly wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. I handed the letter to his wife and waited patiently for her to finish.

  Averting my eyes from her tears, I told her everything without holding anything back. She listened intently, now and then dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.

  “So in the end you and that Frenchwoman delivered the letter my husband was trying to deliver.”

  “It’s not anything exceptional. We only did what we had to do as human beings. That’s all.”

  “But it’s not something that any ordinary person could do, you know. And I wonder, did you happen to end up marring her?”

  “Yes, I did. Later, in England. We also have a daughter.”

  “I’m so pleased to hear it. I don’t have children of my own. If you have a photo of them, would you mind showing it to me?”

  “I took a photo out of my inside pocket and showed it to her. It had been taken when we were living in seclusion in the Alsace countryside. Catherine and I were smiling at the camera, and I was holding Erika who had her arms stretched up to the heavens.

  “My, your wife and daughter are beautiful,” she said, peering at the photograph.

  She then put a recording of Chopin that Commander Yagyu had loved so much on the gramophone. It was his Etude Tristesse. That was over ten years ago, although it feels like yesterday.

  As I listened to the music, I felt my heart grow calm and refreshed.

  †

  On my way home I stopped in Shinjuku for something to eat. I came across a rather shabby but busy soba noodles restaurant. They must have been grinding buckwheat, for an inviting light fragrance reached me outside. I went in.

  As I sat down, I happened to meet the eye of the man next to me, and we struck up a conversation.

  He was a writer, and during the war he had been kept under surveillance by the army for leftwing activities and was treated harshly. He was about the same age as me, and we got along strangely well. In the end he never told me his name, but he was from Fukui and I once aga
in recalled Commander Yagyu.

  When I told him I’d just returned to Japan after being away for a long time, he asked, “Were you not lonely when you left Japan?”

  “Indeed I was.”

  “But the fact you can enjoy the feeling of loneliness while travelling is because sometime you will return home, is it not? Ah, one day I want to capture this emotion in a poem,” he said feelingly.

  “Travelling is enjoyable because you return…” I pondered his words many times since then.

  After saying goodbye to that nameless man, I continued to ponder things as I wandered through the charred area around the station.

  I had fortunately been able to return home. My long journey lasting over ten years really had come to an end. Peace had returned to Japan.

  However, the fact I had been able to return at all was thanks to everyone who had sacrificed their lives in that war, not least Commander Yagyu. Japanese people weren’t the only victims. We must never forget that many people in Asia fellvictim to our invasions. The fact that I hadn’t been in Japan during that time did not let me off the hook. From now on, it was something I would always be burdened with as a Japanese person. However, there is no point in only lamenting the past. The type of country we would build on the foundations of our soul-searching remained in the future.

  Weren’t we stepping out into a better future, without wasting the sacrifices of our predecessors?

  Chapter 5

  Professor Tomii’s Final Deduction

  I closed the Memorandum in silence.

  “Wow,” I said after a few moments. “May I speak honestly?”

  “Please do.”

  “If this is true—well, I suppose it is true, but all I can say is that your father is really quite astonishing.”