Behind the story of the controversial tower goes on...
In 1935, Okada Cabinet (岡田啓介) launched the Committee for the 2600th Imperial EraAnniversary (紀元二千六百年記念行事). The original idea was to reform and expand the Kashihara Jingu (橿原神宮) in which Emperor Jimmu and his wife (Empress), Himetataraisuzu hime (媛蹈鞴五十鈴媛) are enshrined and the tomb of Emperor Jimmu and organize ceremonies in 1940. After the series of changes in the name and constitution of the Committee, the original plan kept swelling to the point of founding brand new shrines overseas such as Nanyoh shrine (南洋神社) in Palau and Kenkoku shrine/mausoleum (建国神廟) in the State of Manchuria. In addition, due to the enthusiastic promotion of the then Miyazaki Governer, Katsuroku Aikawa (相川勝六), the plan to build the monumental tower in Miyazaki was integrated into the initial plan, as well. You may wonder why in Miyazaki?
The so-called Heiwadai highland was opted for the place to build the memorial tower because the Heiwadai is closely located north of the palace (called Kohguh-ya/皇宮屋) where Emperor Jimmu settled until hisEastern Expedition. After all, the start and the end of Jimmu'sEastern Expedition were refurnished by subsidies.
Jitsuzo Hinago (日名子実三), a sculptor famous for designing Yatagarasu, a mythical three-legged crow for the symbol of the Japan Football Association (JFA), designed the Ametsuchi no motohashira tower free of charge. When designing the tower, Hinago was inspired by Gohei (御幣) he saw in Miyazaki Jingu (宮崎神宮). Gohei is one of the offerings to the enshrined deities (Shinsen/神饌). Being Shinto as part of animism, ancient Japanese acknowledged mother nature (divine beings) that made their living on hunter-gathering. Harvested cereals, fruits, vegetables, sake (Japanese wine), and textiles, are offerings in many cases whereas Gohei is a non-edible offering. In many cases, Gohei is made up of wooden wands decorated with two shide (zigzagging paper streamers). Apart from offering purposes, Gohei was considered as "Yorishiro (依り代)", an object that the deity haunts.
At each corner of the tower, statues of four deities made of stoneware in Shigaraki style (信楽焼) are deposited. They are called Aramitama/荒御魂 as a worrier, Nigimitama/和御魂 as a merchant, Sachimitama/幸御魂 as a farmer, and Kushimitama/奇御魂 as a fisherman, respectively.
Aramitama/荒御魂 as a worrier
Nigimitama/和御魂 as a merchant
Sachimitama/幸御魂 as a farmer
Kushimitama/奇御魂 as a fisherman
Governor Aikawa actively contacted newspapers for promoting the concept of a new tower. Aikawa’s ideas of building a new tower were (1) to symbolize Emperor Jimmu’s aspiration of establishing a new country and the prosperity of Imperial Japan in the future and (2) to record the accomplishments of Japan 2600 years after his Eastern Expedition. To come Aikawa's ambitions and concepts to fruition, especially for the purpose of objective (2), founding stones for the tower base were dispatched not only from domestic Japanese territories but also overseas such as Manchuria, South Pacific islands, and European and American continents. Altogether, 1789 stones (most of which were from Miyazaki Prefecture and closer prefectures) were piled-up for building the base of the tower. Of 1789 stones, 349 stones were delivered from overseas.
3 from Canada
2 from the US
1 from Peru
1 from Nazis Germany
4 from Southeast Asia and Pacific Oceania
118 from Korea Peninsula
104 from China (58 of which were plundered by expeditionary forces from the hostile ground)
80 from Manchuria (6 of which were looted by expeditionary forces from the hostile ground)
36 from Taiwan
The largest territory of Imperial Japan (Image from Wiki with modification)
Among stones "donated" from Manchuria, China, and Korea, some were the plunders from historical buildings/monuments by Imperial Japan military forces. Obviously, the intention of the Government was to proudly declare the augmentation of the country that launched from the Kashihara district 2600 years ago and expect further prosperity in the following century, 2700. In fact, the numbers of population, territory size, and how far the reign of the Emperor has augmented overseas were inscribed on the back side of the tower. Stones dispatched from overseas were the smoking gun evidence to prove it. Now we all know that the everlasting expansion policy of Imperial Japan evaporated into a mirage after WWII yet in 1940, the Japanese, especially politicians, were obsessed with mythical and patriotic fairytales.
Due to the occupation by the Allies of WW II, Japanese mass media and politicians made a swift “left” turn. Commanded by Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) in 1946, the worrier statue, “Aramitama”, and the letter “八紘一宇” inscribed on the front were expropriated! The name of the tower changed to "Peace Tower" (平和の塔)" in 1957. The name of the tower remained the same by now. The worrier statue and the inscribed letter were restored in 1962 or 1965, respectively. Till the tower was restored to its original design, the tower has been ruined. It was used for practicing rock climbing. Affirmative, the tower is made of rocks...
Rock climbing the tower (Image from Wiki)
What a terrible change the tower has been through!!!
八紘之基柱 (Ametsuchi no motohashira), located in the Heiwadai Park (平和台公園), Miyazaki, is a monument to celebrate the enthronement of Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇). Around 37-meter tall tower was founded in 1940 to proclaim the imperial edict "Hakkoh-ichiu (八紘一宇), inscribed in the facade of the tower in the 2600th anniversary (inscribed in the back of the tower, as well) of the triumph of Jimmu's Eastern Expedition (神武東征).
From the plaque in front of the tower, the tower is also called "Hakkoh-ichiu-no-toh (八紘一宇の塔)". The meaning of 八紘一宇is translated into "the whole world to be a house" or "all the world under one roof (from English Wiki)", implying the whole nations and people are unified. The word was coined by former Buddhist Nichiren school monk and scholar, Chigaku Tanaka (田中 智學; 1861-1939) in 1903, according to the dictionary, ブリタニカ国際大百科事典-八紘一宇.
At age 10, he enrolled in Nichiren school as an apprentice to become a monk. later on, he secularized and became a social and political activist for enlightening so-called "Nichirenism". Since I know very little about Buddhism, all I want to say here is former Buddhist monk coined the word from the article in Shinto Chronicles of Japan, Nihon shoki, complied in A.D. 720 in Nara period. Soon after Emperor Jimmu subjected indigenous powers dominating Yamato province to Amatsukami's rules, he made a winning statement in the Kashihara. That said.
兼六合以開都，掩八紘而為宇
六合 is an ancient Chinese idiom, meaning a mass/sum (合) of six (六) directions (up and down in the vertical and north, south, east, and west in the horizontal). Collectively, it indicates the universe.Emperor Jimmu and his three older brothers made up their minds to go "East" (Eastern Expedition) from Miyazaki because Miyazaki is too outlying to reign the universe (entire ancient Japan) and Kashihara is the ideal place to be a capital due to geopolitical and agricultural points of view. When he was enthroned as the first Emperor in Kashihara, he proclaimed that Kashihara is the capital of the universe. That is the interpretation of the former part of the sentence, 兼六合以開都.
Inscription of 八紘一宇
In the Chronicle, 八紘而為宇 is the original. 八紘 means "towards the ends of eight (八) corners", indicating the entire world. Note that, as described above, the tower is called "ametsuchi no motohashira". 八紘 (hakkoh) is also pronounced Ametsuchi; Ame and tsuchi mean heaven and ground, respectively, again the combination of two signifies the universe. 為宇 means "regarded (為) as a house (宇)". Altogether, the latter part of the sentence denotes the whole world is regarded as a house. BTW, "而" means "therefore", I guess. Since Tanaka found 八紘為宇 too complicated to make out, he decided to coin the word,八紘一宇, by changing "為" to "一". In 1903, he submitted an article to the newspaper (国柱新聞) issued by the political organization、Kokuchuhkai (国柱会) founded by Tanaka. In this article, he advocated the significance of the establishment of Japan (= Yamato dynasty) achieved by Emperor Jimmu as the ethical ruling of the universe but not by armed forces. All the existing races, nations, religions, cultures, and customs are to fulfill their own unique nature for harmony as a whole, Tanaka insisted.
From left to right; Ten cent bill, 10 cent and 4 cent stamps
Unfortunately, owing to Imperial Japan's conflicting circumstances with the world, 八紘一宇 was highjacked as a slogan to agitate for scurrying impetus to the foundation of the Greater East Asia Prosperity Sphere (大東亜共栄圏). It was 1937 when the 八紘一宇was officially documented for the first time. On the 10th of December 1937, the first Konoe Administration issued the booklet entitled "The spirit of 八紘一宇". Since then the 八紘一宇 as a slogan became so rife that it appeared in 10-cent bills and commemorative stamps. Besides, 八紘一宇appeared in the lyrics of the Patriotic March.
往け八紘を宇となし
Onward, east, west, north, and south. Overland and main. Let us make the world our home
It is such an irony that Tanaka as a former Buddhist monk has always been against war and insisted on banning the death penalty! Nevertheless, his prudent elucidation of Emperor Jimmu's assertion was exploited by the military and administration of Japan Empire (1867-1947), which culminated in a mournful catastrophe in the sizzling summer of 1945...
