"The enemy, moreover, has begun to employ a new most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives."

"It was not clear to me that our course was unjustified. Even now I am not sure how historians will allocate the responsibility for the war."

"The thought of the people suffering under the present circumstances causes me great pain. How can I, as a ruler, possibly bear to see my subjects so distressed?"

"I have always tried to be a constitutional monarch, acting within the bounds of the constitution."

"The future of Japan depends on the efforts of each and every citizen."