In August 1945, Japan surrendered after years of war. The final months of 1945 were a cataclysmic break with the past as the Japanese people were
called upon to "endure the unendurable": defeat, occupation, and the first difficult steps of rebuilding directed by the United States, Japan's wartime
enemy. This series considers pivotal events and policies that set Japan's course of
reconstruction and redefinition to become a peaceful post-war nation. Our final module looks at the background and announcement of Emperor Hirohito's "humanity." This controversial document initiated a collaborative campaign to reinvent the emperor and set the stage for a constitutional democracy. At the same time, it set the foundation for decades of controversy over wartime responsibility, memory, and amnesia within Japan.
- Teacher: Lynn Parisi
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Pivotal events of that year contour to be studied, contested, and retold in new scholarship and public memory. In this anniversary year, NCTA at TEA is offering a program of three linked online workshops that explore memories, narratives, historiography, and the contemporary significance of critical events in the final months of Japan's war, through Japanese civilian experiences and primary sources.
- Teacher: Lynn Parisi