Talk by Dr. George Packard
November 16, 2010
Waseda Uniersity, Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies
2010 marked the 100 year anniversary of Edwin Reischauer’s life, a life which was dedicatedto the promotion and establishment of Japanese-American relations. Born to missionary parents whowere teaching at Meiji Gakuin University in Japan, Reischauer attended school in Tokyo until the age of17 where following his graduation from high school he studied at Oberlin College in the 1920s then atHarvard University as a China scholar. Upon the outbreak of WWII, employing his fluency in theJapanese language Reischauer worked as a Lt. Colonel in the US Army decoding intercepted messages
from the Japanese navy.
In the wake of WWII, in a time when anti-Japanese sentiment was rampant, Reischauer
began a narrative of Japan that flew in the face of conventional wisdom of that time. In the narrative
Reischauer presented Japan as a nation, culture, and people worthy of study and scholarly research.
Through his evaluation of the Tokugawa period as a time of ferment of peace for 250 years at a time
when Europe was at war, he depicted the Japanese as a civilization of sophistication, order, and peace.
In 1945, the decision on how the American occupation should treat Japan was at the forefrontof debate. At that time two opposing views emerged. The first view was for a hard and long occupationthat punished Japan, forced the emperor to abdicate, and implemented austere de-industrialization
measures. The alternative was for a short and benign occupation under the belief that the Japanese werecapable of being peaceful torch-bearers of democracy upon departure of the military. Reischauer was anadvocate for the latter and was instrumental in the fruition of that view turning into policy.
In that same year Reischauer returned to Harvard and assisted in founding the East Asia
Program. The students he trained during his tenure later went on to become the eminent scholars of East
Asia in American universities.
The year 1949 brought the victory of Mao Zedong and Communist China. Taking a distinctlydifferent approach to general understanding Reischauer publicly argued for American recognition ofCommunist China. Until his deathbed he firmly believed that had US given immediate recognition, theKorean War or US involvement in the Korean War would never have occurred.
1958 was the peak for political influence and power for American intellectuals. The epicenter
raged along the Charles River in Cambridge Massachusetts between MIT and Harvard. Touted byprominent scholars such as Hans Morgenthau and Henry Kissinger, the concept of triumpheralism
emerged as an explanation of American primacy. However, Reischauer taking the opposing viewpointargued that America was not triumphant but rather ignorant of the most important part of the world--EastAsia.
John F. Kennedy’s ascension to the White House marked Reischauer’s nomination to the postof Japanese ambassador. His interracial marriage to Japanese noblewomen, Haru Matsukata, was apoint of contention used by opponents to impede nomination proceedings however, they were overcomeand in April 1961 Reischauer returned to the country of his birth as ambassador. Ambassador Reischauer
set out to accomplish three things. First, end the United States occupation mentality and instill within theUS citizens living in Japan that they were not conquering heroes but rather guests in a sovereign country.
Secondly, curb the US military control and power. Reischauer feared that in the face of impending war,
US military base presence would be futile if Japanese citizens protested military action through extreme
measures such as laying on the tarmac. Reischauer thus starting agitating for the reversion of Okinawanbases to the Japanese military and began the discussion that resonates with relevance to this day. Third,
he raised the profile of Japan in Washington and began organizing and lobbying for as many statesmen
and members of Congress as possible to visit Japan. Reischauer was furthermore critically instrumental
in organizing Bobby Kennedy’s talks at Waseda during his presidential campaign. Reischauer’s desire tostrengthen the political ties between Washington and Tokyo were one of the greatest legacies of hisambassadorship.
Reischauer’s commitment to US-Japanese relations was evidenced in an incident in his
second to last year as ambassador. In 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics, a deranged Japanese youth
bypassed embassy security and stabbed Reischauer in the thigh with a rusty kitchen knife as he waswalking to the car, piercing his femoral artery. He was immediately taken to the hospital and given
massive blood transfusions. Running a dangerously high fever and in critical condition, Reischauer
personally composed a note to the Japanese press clamoring outside his bedroom window waiting for astatement. The note stated, “ I feel closer to the Japanese people than ever now that I have so much of
their blood in me.” Despite the precariousness of his own physical health Reischauer’s foremost concern
was that US-Japanese relations be left unaffected by the incident.
The greatest asset an ambassador can have is to possess a strong cultural, historical,understanding and knowledge of the country they are in and a strong tie to the White House. Reischauerhad those qualities and forever changed the face of the US ambassador post to Japan. While he led a life
marked with tragic events, a wife who died at an early age leaving behind three young children to raiseon his own, war between the two countries he loved most, contraction of hepatitis from the bloodtransfusion used to treat him when he was stabbed, he however was a man whose enduring
overwhelming spirit pulled him to overcome tragedy. Reischauer was a prolific scholar and statesmenwith strong personal attachment, respect, and love for Japan, who fought tirelessly to have Americans
see Japan through his eyes. His spirit of perseverance and legacy lives on in the US-Japan relations as
we understand and see it today.

Question and Answer:
During his lifetime, were Reischauer’s attempts to educate American intellectuals on Japan
successful?
The field of Japanese studies is small and bifurcated with animosities. Reischauer’s theory on Tokugawa
modernization exists today however strong opposition persists.

Reischauer advocated for more civilian control over policy towards Japan. Why is civilian
control more important than in the past and what changes do you expect from civilians who are given
more control?
US citizens have relinquished too much power to the Pentagon giving them large checks and free reignover foreign policy. Obama appointed as his major advisor for national security affairs a four-star marine
general, exemplifying a loss of oversight of citizens in foreign policy. Through measures such as a wise
persons commission, American citizens must regain their hold on the United States’ foreign policy
relationship.

What was Reischauer’s view on recovering the Japanese economy in the 1950s and 1960s?
Reischauer was thrilled at Japans economy recovering so quickly, especially since he believed that thecreation of a strong middle class was a precondition for Japan becoming a peace loving democratic
country.