ABSTRACT
At nine o’clock in the evening of 15 February, 1942, the telephone rang in the house of the Marquis Kido, the Japanese Emperor’s closest adviser. It was the Prime Minister, Lieutenant-General Tōjō, with a message for His Imperial Majesty. A telegram had just been received from Malaya. Singapore had fallen. At 19.50 hours on that day, the Japanese Army in Malaya had received the surrender of the British defenders. An hour later, General Sugiyama, the Chief of Staff, called on the Emperor in person. He was bubbling over with enthusiasm at the speed and courage of the Japanese Army, which had taken the city in such a short time. Kido had an interview with the Emperor the following morning from 10.50 to 11 am, and although they were concerned with routine diplomatic business – the correct form of dress for a proposed envoy to the Vatican – Kido could see how deeply moved the Emperor still was by the news from Malaya. 1
