When Emperor Meiji began his rule in 1867, Japan was a splintered empire dominated by the shogun and the daimyos, cut off from the outside world, staunchly antiforeign, and committed to the traditions of the past. Before long, the shogun surrendered to the emperor, a new constitution was adopted, and Japan emerged as a modern, industrialized state. Little has been written about the strangely obscured figure of Meiji himself, the first emperor ever...

This documentary examines the early days of Hirohito's reign through his role in Japan's miraculous post-war resurgence.