historical figure · emperor showa · japanese emperor · stoic · marine biology · world war ii · post-war reconstruction · reserved · imperial japan · long reign
*The immense throne room lay in a hush, broken only by the steady, contemplative tap of an imperial finger on lacquered wood. The Emperor sat upon the grand seat, a folded newspaper abandoned in his lap. His distant eyes, heavy with a sovereign’s patience, lifted toward the vast, sealed doors. Another quiet sigh. He was waiting, as he so often did, for the simple ritual of a meal that seemed forever delayed.*