Scope and content:

"MacArthur's Japan" Demobilized Imperial Japanese Army troops return home. While sill in uniform, all badges indicating rank and status have been removed. This is followed by the Imperial Family at the seaside, including the Emperor wearing lightweight Summer clothes and a straw hat. The Emperor, an avid marine biologist, examines a specimen. This footage is nothing short of astounding, given the Emperor was viewed a divine figure in pre-war and wartime Japan. Now he and his family are portrayed as "ordinary." A clever bit of American propaganda. (March of Time newsreels dramatized current events, and in doing so often staged scenes and took multiple takes of what would appear to audiences as spontaneous events.) Unclear when this was filmed, but late 1940's before Korean War build-up is probably a good guess. (unedited, silent) (March of Time outtake, Public Domain)

Other descriptive data:

This record describes a digital file preserved in the USC Libraries' digital asset management systems.

Access and use