Emperor Shōwa and the Rule of Korea: From the Regency Period to the Tenure of Governor-General Ugaki

This paper examines the colonial governance under Emperor Shōwa, from the regency period through the tenure of Governor-General Ugaki. Emperor Shōwa, from his time as regent, accumulated knowledge and information about the colonies through various means, including advice from court insiders, visits to colonies (Taiwan, Karahuto), reports from colonial ministers and military officials, and dispatches of court officials (chamberlains) to the colonies. As a result, he became more well-versed in colonial issues than the frequently changing prime ministers or colonial ministers. When Emperor Shōwa ascended to the throne, it was a period of intensified influence of political parties in the governance of the colonies, leading to the radical “party-ization” of colonial rule. The frequent changes in party-led cabinets destabilized the position of the colonial governors, and an unprecedented incident occurred when the Governor-General of Korea was indicted by the prosecution, causing a severe blow to the governor's prestige. Moreover, with the economic crisis brought on by the Shōwa depression, along with popular resistance movements in the colonies such as the Gwangju Student Movement and the Wushe Incident, the colonial governance of the political parties faced a major crisis. In response, Emperor Shōwa opposed the appointment of a civilian as the Governor-General of Korea, aiming to stabilize the position of the governor, and emphasized his father Taishō Emperor's imperial will for “temporary cooperation” to prevent instability in colonial governance. In the mid-1930s, as Japan's invasion of China came to an end and the economy began to recover, Emperor Shōwa expressed a strong interest in Korean governance, urging financial independence for Korea and, at the request of Governor-General Ugaki, showing his intention to visit Korea. The Emperor's visit to Korea was initially postponed due to Ugaki's resignation but was later revived under his successor, Governor-General Minami. In this way, Emperor Shōwa was not merely a passive figure who gave formal approval to the decisions of the cabinet and colonial governors. He actively communicated his intentions to the cabinet and colonial governors, influencing governance through speeches (御言葉), inquiries (御下問), and directives (御沙汰), including decisions on the appointment of governors, qualifications for the position, and plans for visits to Korea.