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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com it's the night of March 9, 1945, in Tokyo, Japan, five and a half years into World War II. Inside his home, 12 year old Saotome Katsumoto stirs in bed. His father's hands, rough and urgent, shake him from sleep. Saotome begins to groan and protest, but he stops short as a sinister sound of warplanes cuts through the night. The noise is familiar. In the last month, several American air raids have ravaged Tokyo, targeting the city's industry and morale. But tonight, the drone overhead is different. It's much stronger. Saotome and his father move swiftly, piling a few of their most prized possessions onto a cart. Then, quickly, they step out into the night. All around them, Tokyo is burning. Saotome and his father join a stream of residents scrambling for the safety of a nearby riverbank, and as they push their way through the streets, Saotome looks upward. The smoke in the sky clears for a moment and he can see the American bombers flying, flying lower than he's ever seen them before. Screams ring out around him as the aircraft bellies open and a torrent of bombs plunges toward the ground. As explosions tear the neighborhood apart, Saotome feels the hands of his father on his back, pushing him forward, past burning rooftops and screaming neighbors, past entire city blocks disappearing into flame. The next morning, Saotome Katsumoto and his father will return home to find their house badly charred but still standing. Many others will not be so lucky. The previous night's attack will be the single most destructive bombing raid in history. 100,000 civilians will be left dead, a million more will be homeless, and 16 square miles of Tokyo will be reduced to ruins. Among the losses will be the famous cherry trees that have bloomed in the city every spring for centuries. But a decade later, the blossoms will start to return, revived courtesy of an old gift from the Japanese to the very country responsible for the bombing raid, a show of friendship made long before World War II. On March 27, 1912, History Daily is sponsored by Express Pros. Managing your workforce can be exhausting, and if you're tired of a costly and lengthy hiring process, simplify and speed up your recruitment with one connection the experts at Express Employment Professionals reduce time to hire, cut down on interviews and lower your recruitment costs, visit ExpressPros.com today. Express is more efficient than hiring on your own. Check out ExpressPros.com to see how Express employment professionals can take care of your hiring.
- [03:12]
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- [03:49]
Lindsey Graham
From NOIZR and Airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily History is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is March 27, 1912 friendship blooms between Japan and America it's March 27, 1912. In a park in Washington, D.C. first lady of the United States Helen Taft and Japanese Viscountess Iwa Chinda kneel beside a small hole in the ground and gently lower a cherry tree sapling into the soil. A round of applause ripples through the crowd of officials and dignitaries as the two women pack the dirt firmly around the tree's roots. This tiny sapling may not look like much, but it's the result of years of delicate diplomacy. Relations between the United States and Japan have been strained for decades. After the US government halted Chinese immigration in 1882, American companies turned to Japan to fill their labor shortages. Pushed by economic stagnation at home and lured by rumors of opportunity abroad, the Japanese crossed the Pacific in the thousands to build new lives in America. But these Japanese workers soon became targets of resentment. Some white Americans saw them as a threat to jobs and way of life, and in 1907 those tensions erupted into violence. White workers in San Francisco rioted for days, attacking and destroying Japanese businesses. This unrest made headlines back in Tokyo, where public outrage threatened to rupture diplomatic ties with America and even risk armed conflict. Recognizing the growing crisis, US President Theodore Roosevelt intervened through a quiet unofficial negotiation, he brokered the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907. Roosevelt persuaded Japan to limit the flow of migrants across the Pacific, and in return, San Francisco abandoned its plan to segregate Japanese students in public schools. And then, the following year, America and Japan reaffirmed their joint commitment to peace and stability in the Pacific by resolving a long running territorial dispute to mark These diplomatic successes, Japan has sent the US a very special gift. Thousands of precious cherry tree saplings. Cherry trees are an important part of Japanese culture, with their annual bloom symbolizing renewal and the fleeting beauty of life. Within a few years, the saplings planted beside the Tidal Basin in Washington are thriving. Each spring, their blossoms draw visitors from across the country. And as the trees take root, the relationship between the US And Japan also deepens. When America joins the fighting In World War I in 1917, the two countries even become allies in combat. Yet beneath the surface, tensions remain. Anti Asian sentiment is still deeply entrenched in America. On the west coast, laws restrict Japanese immigrants from owning property, while segregationist policies keep them on the fringes of society. But for many, even these harsh measures don't go far enough. The Gentleman's Agreement of 1907 may have cut Japanese immigration, but it's failed to satisfy those Americans demanding a total ban. And amid growing political pressure, the US Congress drafts a new law. The Immigration act of 1924 moves swiftly through the House and Senate, setting strict quotas on immigration for Europe and a total ban on Asians. Japanese immigration is cut off entirely. In Japan, the response is immediate and furious. Crowds gather in Tokyo to demonstrate against what they see as a national humiliation, and both the Japanese ambassador to the United States and the American ambassador to Japan resign their posts in protest. Still, the United States refuses to reverse its policy. And in the years that follow, the rift between the US and Japan only widens. During the 1930s, the Japanese government becomes increasingly dominated by its military, and the country's overseas territorial ambitions begin to alarm U.S. officials. Yet while the relations between the two nations fray, in Washington, the Japanese cherry trees continue to bloom. By 1937, the trees are so cherished that plans to remove some of them to make way for the Jefferson Memorial spark outrage. Locals try to sabotage construction, with some even chaining themselves to the trees in protest. The standoff ends only when President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself assures the public that the cherry trees will be transplanted rather than destroyed. With their future secured, the beauty of the cherry trees continues to offer American citizens a small oasis of calm in the nation's capital. The rest of the world may be sliding into authoritarianism and war, but under the blossoming branches, it's possible to forget all that for a moment or two. But even this beacon of tranquility will not last. Soon the United States and Japan will find themselves on opposite sides of a global conflict. And the cherry trees that once symbolized friendship will become a provocative reminder of a new adversary. History Daily is sponsored by indeed. One thing I've noticed in my business is that by the time a problem reveals itself, it's already too late. You might say we need help now, but it's more like we needed help six weeks ago, but we are only just figuring that out. And if the help you need is a new hire, well get ready for more waiting unless you turn to Indeed. How fast is Indeed? Well in the minute I've been talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed data worldwide. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs. There are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of History Daily will get a 75 doll sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@indeed.com onthisday just go to indeed.com onthisday right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com onthisday Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Mom, I need to lay low for a few days. Lay low? What's going on? I only paid for this Hyundai Tucson Christopher Allen lynch deal. So right it almost feels wrong. Get the car or SUV you want at the Hyundai Getaway sales event. Get 0.99 APR for 60 months or 7500 EV bonus on the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Visit your local Hyundai dealer today offers end March 31. Call 562-314-4603 for details. Foreign it's the morning of December 10, 1941, in Washington, D.C. two years into World War II, Joy Cummings rides her horse along the Tidal Basin, the cold morning air sharp against her face. It's too early for the crowd, so for now it's just Joy, her horse and the cherry trees. Joy appreciates this moment of calm in what's been a tense week. For the last 22 years, war has been raging overseas. On one side are the Allies, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union, and on the other are the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan. Though the United States has been sending increasing amounts of aid to the Allies, it has officially remained neutral in the conflict until earlier this week. Three days ago, Japan bombed the US Naval base at Pearl harbor in Hawaii. Over the course of two hours, waves of Japanese bombers and fighter planes struck battleships, airfields and military installations. More than 2,400Americans were killed and another 1,000 were wounded. This surprise attack sent shockwaves of fear and outrage across the nation and the following day, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally declared war on Japan. So Joy has no idea what the future may hold. But as she rounds a bend, she sees that some Americans have wasted no time in taking revenge on what they consider a symbol of their new enemy. Cherry tree branches lay scattered across the ground, and the trunks of several have been hacked in half. Joyce swings down from her saddle and steps forward, gently reaching out to the nearest tree. Large chunks have been gouged out of it, and a message has been etched into its bark, reading to hell with the Japanese trees. Those behind this vandalism are never identified, but in the eyes of many Americans, their act is hardly a crime. While park officials decry the damage, there are public calls for all of the Japanese cherry trees to be torn up and replaced with a more patriotic American variety. Though these cherry trees have stood for nearly three decades and brought joy to thousands, some argue they no longer belong in the heart of the nation's capital if the peace between nations they once symbolized is gone. But these calls go unanswered. But officials do agree to a change in name. For the remainder of the war, the trees are formally referred to as Oriental cherry trees instead of Japanese ones. But the attack on the trees in Washington is just part of a far larger wave of anti Japanese sentiment that sweeps across America in the wake of Pearl Harbor. As tensions rise In February of 1942, President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066. It mandates that regardless of citizenship status or length of residence, all Americans with Japanese ancestry are to be rounded up and sent to internment camps. The Japanese are the only nationality targeted in this way. Neither German nor Italian Americans face similar restrictions, even though the United States is locked in bitter conflict with with both countries. So Japanese Americans languish behind barbed wire, watched by armed guards until late in the war. It's only in December 1944 that the presidential order is rescinded and the camps begin to close. By then, the Allies are on the verge of victory in Europe and the Japanese Empire is crumbling too. World War II finally comes to an end in September 1945, after the United States drops atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the aftermath of the war, the US army occupies Japan to oversee the country's demilitarization and transition to democracy. Japan regains its sovereignty in 1952, and most US soldiers then leave the country. But one gift from America stays behind. Tokyo's cherry trees suffered devastating damage during the war, but thanks to the healthy trees that still bloom each spring in Washington D.C. america has the perfect stock to help revive them. In 1952, America's National Park Service sends cuttings from Washington's trees back to Tokyo. There, they helped revitalize the very grove that served as the parent stock of the saplings donated to Washington. In 1912, after decades of tumultuous relationships, the United States and Japan would begin rebuilding their friendship. And as the Cold War takes hold, the former enemies will become firm allies. And to solidify their renewed bond, Japan will continue the cycle of gifts between the two countries with another enduring emblem of peace.
- [15:26]
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- [16:08]
Lindsey Graham
Introducing Instagram teen accounts A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they've got the right gear for writing, knee pads, shack and helmet. Done. See you dad. New Instagram teen accounts, automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see. It's March 30, 1954. In the parkland around Washington, DC's Tidal Basin, hundreds of American officials and Japanese dignitaries sit on folding chairs beneath the branches of the blooming cherry trees. Facing the crowd is Sato Iguchi, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States. Ambassador Iguchi adjusts his glasses and smiles for a photograph beside a large object cloaked in white fabric. Then Ambassador Iguchi grips a rope holding the cloth in place, and with a gentle pull, the sheet slips off, revealing the weathered stone of a three century old temple lantern, Japan's latest gift to the United States. It's been nine years since World War II, and despite atrocities endured and inflicted by both sides, the US and Japan have found peace with each other. To celebrate, the governor of Tokyo has sent this lantern to Washington, D.C. where it's been installed beside the first two cherry trees, planted in 1912. An ocean away, its twin lantern stands in a public park in Tokyo, and together the two are a symbol of the renewed ties of friendship between America and Japan. As the white fabric flitters to the ground, the crowd of observers claps the lanterns, revealing Ambassador Eguchi waits for quiet. Then he signals for his 24 year old daughter Tatsuko to rise from her seat and join him. One more part of the ceremony needs to be completed. Tatsuko lights a match and the ambassador then holds his daughter's hand as she scales a small wooden stepladder propped against the lantern. Once at the top, Tatsuko leans over, match in hand, and lights a candle sitting inside the stone. From then on, the lighting of the Japanese lantern would become an annual tradition and Washington one marking the beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The allure of the trees and their fleeting springtime beauty will never fade. Over the decades that follow, millions of visitors will flock to see them, and as the years pass, the landscape around the trees will shift. Changes in sea level will require the removal of some, but the vast majority of the cherry trees will remain standing as they always have through war and peace, hardship and renewal, their roots reaching back to the day they first arrived as a gift from Japan on March 27, 1912. Next on History Daily March 28, 1979 A partial meltdown at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island Power plant unleashes the worst nuclear accident in American history. Foreign Noiser and Airship this is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shazid Sound design by Molly Bob Supervising sound designer is Matthew Filler Music by Throng this episode is written and researched by Alexandra Curry Buckner. Edited by William Simpson Managing Producer Emily Burke Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal hughes for Noiser.
- [19:42]
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