December 2011
Part I: From “Hei-ni-tsugu” to “Gyokuon-hoso”
Motonori Kato
The December and January issues feature the interview with Ms. Akiko Takeyama who has been actively engaged in research activities as a leading broadcasting historian. A constellation of stories heard from her are introduced in two parts.
Ms. Takeyama is widely known as a broadcasting historian with her books including “Rajio-no-jidai,” which analyzed the reality of radio broadcasts in the earliest days of broadcasting and at the time of the Pacific War, as well as “Gyokuon-hoso,” regarding the imperial announcement of the termination of WWII. She also played an active role in the broadcasting frontline as female announcer for a commercial broadcaster, TBS, in its pioneering days.
Thus, she herself was part of historic moments for the broadcasting industry and gained valuable experience of meeting in person a number of key figures who contributed to the broadcasts of the time. Interviewing with Ms. Takeyama itself is a valuable experience that should be recorded in the broadcasting history.
In this first part, the author summarizes the episodes related to the reality of radio broadcasts in the pre-war and war-time Japan. Ms. Takeyama heard firsthand historic broadcasts including “Hei-ni-tsugu” at the February 26 Incident, the breaking news on the outbreak of the Pacific War, and the “Gyokuon-hoso” at the end of war. She shares with us her insights into the impact of broadcasting on the people at the time based on her experience and the findings of her studies.