We, by grace of heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the Throne
of a line unbroken for ages eternal, enjoin upon ye, Our loyal
and brave subjects:
We hereby declare War on the United States of America and the
British Empire. The men and officers of Our Army and Navy shall
do their utmost in prosecuting the war. Our public servants of
various departments shall perform faithfully and diligently their
respective duties; the entire nation with a united will shall
mobilize their total strength so that nothing will miscarry in
the attainment of Our war aims.
To insure the stability of East Asia and to contribute to
world peace is the far-sighted policy which was formulated by
Our Great Illustrious Imperial Grandsire and Our Great
Imperial Sire succeeding Him, and which We lay constantly to heart.
To cultivate friendship among nations and to enjoy prosperity
in common with all nations, has always been the guiding principle
of Our EmpireÌs foreign policy. It has been truly unavoidable
and far from Our wishes that Our Empire has been brought to cross
swords with America and Britain. More than four years have
passed since China, failing to comprehend the true intentions
of Our Empire, and recklessly courting trouble,
disturbed the peace of East Asia and compelled Our Empire to take
up arms. Although there has been reestablished the National Government
of China, with which Japan had effected neighborly intercourse
and cooperation, the regime which has survived in Chungking, relying
upon American and British protection, still continues its fratricidal
opposition. Eager for the realization of their inordinate ambition
to dominate the Orient, both America and Britain, giving support
to the Chungking regime, have aggravated the disturbances in East
Asia. Moreover these two Powers, inducing other countries to follow
suit, increased military preparations on all sides of Our Empire
to challenge Us. They have obstructed by every means Our peaceful
commerce and finally resorted to a direct severance of economic
relations, menacing gravely the existence of Our Empire. Patiently
have We waited and long have We endured, in the hope that Our
government might retrieve the situation in peace. But Our
adversaries, showing not the least spirit of conciliation,
have unduly delayed a settlement; and in the meantime
they have intensified the economic and political
pressure to compel thereby Our Empire to submission. This trend
of affairs, would, if left unchecked, not only nullify Our EmpireÌs
efforts of many years for the sake of the stabilization of East
Asia, but also endanger the very existence of Our nation.
The situation being such as it is, Our Empire, for its existence
and self-defense has no other recourse but to appeal to
arms and to crush every obstacle in its path.
The hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors guarding Us from
above, We rely upon the loyalty and courage of Our subjects in
Our confident expectation that the task bequeathed by Our
forefathers will be carried forward and that the
sources of evil will be speedily eradicated and
an enduring peace immutably established in East
Asia, preserving thereby the glory of Our Empire.
This Imperial Rescript was carried on the front
page of all Japanese newspapers in the evening editions of December
eighth. The above version was released in English in the Japan
Times & Advertiser. Until September 1945, on the
eighth day of each month thereafter throughout the war, the Rescript
was reprinted in the papers as the solemn reaffirmation of JapanÌs
war aims.
Imperial Rescript Declaring War, T. F. Cook