Strange picture of Prince Fumimaro Konoe, on eBay

[proton45]

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?

 

[vikingBerserker]

Yea, I gotta agree with you on this.

 

[BombTaxi]

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.

 

[RabidAlien]

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

 

[BombTaxi]

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

 

[Shinpachi]

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

 

[proton45]

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

 

[Shinpachi]

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

 

[vikingBerserker]

I'll be, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[gumbyk]

well, who'da thunk it???

 

[Shinpachi]

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.

 

[proton45]

Remarkable....

 

[Shinpachi]

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

 

[RabidAlien]

Wow. Well, ya learn something new every day!

 

[lesofprimus]

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

 

[Gnomey]

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