This is a part of the web-site of Ryokan Yoyokaku, Karatsu, Kyushu, Japan. A Note to Roosevelt
	Please be notified that this is a translation attached to the note originally written in Japanese by Navy Commander Rinosuke Ichimaru a few days before the last battle of  Iwo-jima in 1945. The note and the translation were found together by the American side after the battle.They were archived at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis.
	Rear Admiral R. Ichimaru of the Japanese Navy sends this note to Roosevelt. I have one word to give you upon the termination of this battle.  Approximately a century has elapsed since Nippon, after Commodore Perry's entry to Shimoda, became widely affiliated with the countries of the world. During this period of intercourse Nippon has met with many national crises as well as the undesired Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, the World War, the Manchurian Incident, and the China Incident. Nippon is now, unfortunately, in a state of open conflict with your country. Judging Nippon from just this side of the screen you may slander our nation as a yellow peril, or a blood thirsty nation or maybe a protoplasm of military clique.  Though you may use the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour as your primary material for propaganda, I believe you, of all persons, know best that you left Nippon no other method in order to save herself from self-destruction.  His Imperial Highness, as clearly shown in the "Rescript of the Founder of the Empire" "Yosei"(Justice), "Choki"(Sagacity) and "Sekkei"(Benevolence), contained in the above three fold doctrine, rules in the realization of "Hakko-ichiu"(the universe under His Sacred Rule) in His Gracious mind.  The realization of which means the habitation of their respective fatherlands under their own customs and traditions, thus insuring the everlasting peace of the world.  Emperor Meiji's "The four seas of the world that are united in brotherhood will know no high waves nor wind"(composed during the Russo-Japanese War) won the appraisal of your uncle, Theodore Roosevelt as you yourself know.  We, the Nippon-jin, though may follow all lines of trade, it is through our each walk of life that we support the Imperial doctrine. We, the soldiers of the Imperial Fighting Force take up arms to further the above stated "doctrine".  Though we, at the time,are externally taken by your air raids and shelling backed by your material superiority, spiritually we are burning with delight and enjoying the peace of mind.  This peacefulness of mind, the common universal stigma of the Nippon-jin, burning with fervour in the upholding of the Imperial Doctrine may be impossible for you and Churchill to understand. I hereupon pitying your spiritual feebleness pen a word or two.  Judging from your actions, white races especially you Anglo-Saxons at the sacrifice of the coloured races are monopolizing the fruits of the world.  In order to attain this end, countless machinations were used to cajole the yellow races, and to finally deprive them of any strength. Nippon in retaliation to your imperialism tried to free the oriental nations from your punitive bonds, only to be faced by your dogged opposition. You now consider your once friendly Nippon an harmful existence to your luscious plan, a bunch of barbarians that must be exterminated. The completion of this Greater East Asia War will bring about the birth of the East Asia Co-Prosperity Area, this in turn will in the near future result in the everlasting peace of the world, if, of course, is not hampered upon by your unending imperialism.  Why is it that you, an already flourishing nation, nip in bud the movement for the freedom of the suppressed nations of the East. It is no other than to return to the East that which belongs to the East.  It is beyond our contemplation when we try to understand your stinted narrowness. The existence of the East Asia Co-Prosperity sphere does not in anyway encroach upon your safety as a nation, on the contrary, will sit as a pillar of world peace ensuring the happiness of the world. His Imperial Majesty's true aim is no other than the attainment of this everlasting peace.  Studying the condition of the never ending racial struggle resulting from mutual misunderstanding of the European countries, it is not difficult to feel the need of the everlasting universal peace.  Present Hitler's crusade of "His Fatherland" is brought about by no other than the stupidity of holding only Germany, the loser of the World War, solely responsible for the 1914-1918 calamity and the deprivation of Germany's re-establishment.  It is beyond my imagination of how you can slander Hitler's program and at the same time cooperate with Stalin's "Soviet Russia" which has as its principle aim the "socialization" of the World at large.  If only the brute force decides the ruler of the world, fighting will everlastingly be repeated, and never will the world know peace nor happiness.  Upon the attainment of your barbaric world monopoly never forget to retain in your mind the failure of your predecessor President Wilson at his heights.               BACK to English Page                         BACK to Japanese Page