1921 (Taisho 10) Monday, June 6: Crown Prince Hirohito, on a visit to Europe, watched Macbeth at the Odeon Theatre in Paris. The orchestra performed Kimigayo, Japan’s national anthem, to the applause of the audience. Along with President Alexandre Millerand, British Ambassador to France Harding, U.S. Ambassador to France Herrick and Japanese Ambassador to France Kikujiro Ishii, Prince Hirohito watched Macbeth’s first performance in Paris, played by American actor James Hackett. This performance seems to have attracted a lot of attention, and the admission fee for S seat was 2500 francs, which was the highest price ever at that time. Hirohito left with President Millerand late at 11:30 PM.

At 11 AM on Thursday, June 2, 1921 (Taisho 10), Crown Prince Hirohito, on a trip to Europe, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris and recited a eulogy. After meeting with Japanese residents in France, he ascended the Eiffel Tower at 3 PM under the guidance of Gustave Eiffel. At the observatory, Imperial Prince Hirohito was interested in souvenir photos and postcards, but none of the Imperial Prince and his attendants had any extra money with him. So Hachiro SAIONJI, an attendant and a reporter of ‘Jiji Shinpo,’ borrowed 2750 francs from Mr. Goto and bought souvenirs. Although the money was repaid before Imperial...

1921 (Taisho 10) Tuesday, May 31 Prime Minister Takashi HARA visited Aritomo Yamagata. Yamagata came to Tokyo from his home in Odawara on the 28th and stayed at the Chinzan-so villa in Tokyo. In February, Army Minister Giichi TANAKA received angina pectoris and submitted his resignation, but Prime Minister Takashi HARA did not accept his resignation. Hara consulted with Yamagata about the appointment of Tanaka’s successor. Hanzo YAMANASHI, who was recommended by Tanaka, was tentatively appointed as his successor. Yamanashi carried out the first disarmament in the Army’s history the following year. This famous disarmament is called Yamanashi Disarmament. Takashi Hara visited Aritomo Yamagata and said as follows. As for...

1921 (Taisho 10) The 1st Eastern Conference was held on Monday, May 16. At that time, it was also called a colonial conference. For five days, officials in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of War, and the Department of the Navy were gathered to discuss policies related to East Asian diplomacy. Prime Minister Takashi Hara and Army Minister Giichi Tanaka will officially decide on their plan to withdraw troops from Siberia. The “Expedition to Siberia” was the last war before World War II when the government succeeded in withdrawing its troops from the military, and the government lost control over the military after that. April 8...

1921 (Taisho 10) Sunday, May 15 Crown Prince Hirohito visits British Prime Minister Lloyd George during his visit to the UK. In the same year, I visited Chequers, which had just become the prime minister’s villa. Crown Prince Hirohito was the first to take the road to the entranceway. At that time, there was talk in Britain that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance should be scrapped, but on the surface the two countries were very friendly allies. Crown Prince Hirohito’s visit to the British prime minister’s villa Chequers was filmed by a film crew prepared by Prime Minister Lloyd George. It is a valuable material to show the appearance of Imperial Prince...

1921 (Taisho 10) Monday, May 9: Crown Prince Hirohito arrived in London. The group left Yokohama for Europe on March 3 at the Osetsukan Katori port and finally arrived in London in more than two months. During the voyage, he enjoyed judo, bridge, poker, and other sports with fellow sailors Hachiro Saionji and Yoshinori Futara. Prince Hirohito, who had not acquired enough Western manners by that time, received a special lesson in manners on board the ship from his companions, Kaninnomiya and Sutemi CHINDA. On the same day I arrived in London for a state dinner at Buckingham Palace, I met for the first time with King George V, and...

1921 (Taisho 10) Friday, May 6: Toshitsune KAWAKAMI assumed the post of the first Polish Minister in Warsaw. Poland was an emerging country that gained independence the year before. Kawakami was born as the first son of Sentaro KAWAKAMI, a feudal retainer of the Murakami Domain with a stipend of 150 koku, in Iino, Uehommachi, Niigata Village. He studied at hanko “Kajukan” and graduated from the Department of Russian language at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in 1884 (Meiji 17). He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a trade official, and while he was stationed in Vladivostok, he commanded Japanese residents in Russia to escape when the Russo-Japanese War...

1921 (Taisho 10) Saturday, April 23 The first general meeting of the League of Nations Association will be held at Tsukiji Seiyoken. Iesato TOKUGAWA President, Eiichi SHIBUSAWA Chairman, Juichi SOEDA and Yoshiro SAKATANI Vice Chairmen, Junnosuke INOUE as accounting director and other prominent members. 70 people attended, including Foreign Minister Yasuya Uchida, a guest of honor. There were voices calling for the Association to make proposals on specific issues such as disarmament, the withdrawal of troops from Shandong, the anti-Japanese movement in the United States, and the Yap Island issue, which were the diplomatic issues of Japan at that time. However, Eichi SHIBUSAWA and others avoided leaving these issues to...

1921 (Taisho 10) Thursday, April 21 It is reported that the health of Aritomo Yamagata is better than in recent years, he drinks wine with his own hands and has a good appetite. “From the ordinary to the clear mind is more clear.” he said. However, Yamagata, who was devastated by the certain serious incident of the Imperial Court, confined himself at Kokian in Odawara and gave up his annual visit to Murinan in Kyoto. He fell ill from autumn of the same year and died on February 1 of the following year. According to the latest research by Dr. Yukio Ito, Yamagata, who is at the top of the...

1921 (Taisho 10) Thursday, April 21 Japan’s first women’s socialist organization “Sekirankai (Red Wave)” was established. “We are resolute in declaring war against all our oppression, our lack, our ignorance and our slavery.” he declared. The foundation was established with Kikuei Yamakawa (30) and Noe Ito (26) as advisors, and was led by Fusako Kuzumi (30), the wife of anarchists Myo Nakano and Kori, and Shizue Akizuki, who belonged to the May Society; a painter of the proletarian art movement Haruko Hashiura (22) and a younger sister Yasuo Hashiura, who belonged to the Proletarian Art Movement; and Magara Sakai (18), a daughter of socialist Toshihiko Sakai. It made a spectacular...