According to the official site, Tokyo Port was opened on the 20th May in 1941. I'm startled to know that. It's 7 months before Perl Harbor Attack. It was for not a military port but a trading port. How did Japanese people feel at that time? What countries would trade with Japan? Even though Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact was signed in April 1941, it was not for trading. First of all, the purpose was to stop going communism in Japan. Soviet was more of a threat than the USA. The second purpose was to refuse to open war against Soviet if Nazi Germany demanded. All East Asia was already colonized by England, France, Netherlands and the USA which recognized Japan as an enemy. I'm not sure how tough the sanction "ABCD line" was. Oil, steel and war materials embargo was imposed on Japan. That drove Japan into Pacific War. I'd like to read books by not only Japanese but non-Japanese. Especially, I think "Freedom Betrayed" is a must-read book which seems that President Herbert Hoover criticized President Franklin Roosevelt: "He had a desire for a war against Germany. It's his conspiracy. He lured Japan into attacking the USA." (I'm not sure the exact quotation by President Hoover. I just translate his translated words in Japanese.) Ironically, President Roosevelt didn't have no way to know not only defeat of Japan but Hitler's death and conflict against Soviet afterward. That's why the fact is more interesting than fiction.
Umitaka-maru(海鷹丸). This is a research and training ship owned by Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology(東京海洋大学). |
URLOfficial Site(Japanese): http://www.tokyoport.or.jp/minato66/ When Every 4th Sat&Sun of May Access Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line(有楽町線): 30 minutes walk from Tsukishima Station(月島駅) | |