# Strange picture of Prince Fumimaro Konoe, on eBay



## proton45 (Jul 28, 2010)

I was looking around eBay (as many people do_lol), and I saw this rather "odd" photograph of Prince Fumimaro Konoe. 

Japanese Prince Fumimaro Konoe Orig Press Photo - eBay (item 110563040786 end time Jul-28-10 17:00:02 PDT)

Their is "something" strange about it...I imagine it has been retouched for propaganda reasons?


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 28, 2010)

Yea, I gotta agree with you on this.


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## BombTaxi (Jul 28, 2010)

Yep, the swastika and moustache are relatively crude later additions, I would say. Perhaps done by someone who came into possession of the picture and disagreed with Japan's alignment with the Axis? I know the Japanese are sometimes depicted as blindly following the god-emperor to war, but I think there was real dissent, especially by 1944-45.


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## RabidAlien (Jul 28, 2010)

Yep. Photoshopped. The date-stamp on the back seems too new to me. Not aged at all.


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## BombTaxi (Jul 28, 2010)

I don't even think they're photoshopped - they look like they have been inked on, possibly during WWII itself.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 29, 2010)

This may be the original photo.
He is said pretented a Hitler at a costume party for his second daughter's marriage celebration.


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## proton45 (Jul 29, 2010)

Wow, fantastic Shinpachi...the story takes another surprising twist. The picture is real...I would never have guessed.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 29, 2010)

He wanted to be a Hitler in Japan but failed.
His second daughter was mother of Morihiro Hosokawa who became Prime Minister in 1993...


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 29, 2010)

I'll be, thanks for clearing that up.


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## gumbyk (Jul 29, 2010)

well, who'da thunk it???


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## Shinpachi (Jul 30, 2010)

The photo was taken in April, 1937.

Not only Konoe denied the parliamentary democracy in Japan but he unbelievably abondoned his cabinet on 18 October, 1941, fifty days before the Pearl Harbor, leaving his words "I am not confident about the war. I leave it to those who are confident." Hideki Tojo, Army Minister then, succeeded him. Konoe committed suicide by poison (potassium cyanide) on 16 December, 1945 to escape from the coming Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. 
R.I.P.


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## proton45 (Jul 30, 2010)

Remarkable....


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## Shinpachi (Jul 30, 2010)

Such photos of Konoe always remind me of a manager I used to serve at a local corporation since his face resembled Konoe's very much.

He was a graduate of one of the most famous national universities and might be a good father or husband at his home but he did nothing at work. 
He did not only try to listen to his men's opinion at all but had made them rot. There were not a few such managers and directors there. It was a corporation of defense industry.

Sorry but Thanks, proton, for a nice thread


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## RabidAlien (Jul 30, 2010)

Wow. Well, ya learn something new every day!


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## lesofprimus (Jul 30, 2010)

Very interesting, thanks for posting it and the relevant explaination...


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## Gnomey (Jul 30, 2010)

Agree with all. Very interesting and thanks for the information.


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