Early in the 20th century, the Japanese emperor still conferred with lower-ranked officials from behind a bamboo or rattan blind called a misu (御簾). With the primary light source outside the screen, it essentially functioned as a one-way mirror.


It was General MacArthur and SCAP that turned Emperor Hirohito into a public figure, after which the emperor's handlers proved themselves masters of public relations.

The modern Imperial Household Agency prefers bulletproof glass to bamboo blinds. This year, the annual New Year Greeting (which lasts about a minute) attracted almost 100,000 visitors to the Imperial Palace (not all at once but in five appearances).

Labels: 12 kingdoms, hisho, japanese culture, politics, translations