The Emperor in August
2015 film by Masato Harada
The Emperor in August (Japanese: 日本のいちばん長い日; literally "Japan's Longest Day") is a 2015 Japanese historical drama film directed by Masato Harada. It was released on August 8, 2015.
A remake of Japan's Longest Day (1967), the film depicts the chain of command of Imperial Japan's government, military, and War Council under Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) in the immediate period before the surrender of Japan in World War II between April 1945 to 15 August 1945 (Hirohito surrender broadcast), chronicling Kantarō Suzuki's term as the Prime Minister and the final months of War Minister Korechika Anami, the Allied firebombing of Tokyo on May 25, preparations for Operation Ketsugō, the leadership's response to the Potsdam Declaration, Soviet–Japanese War and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the failed military coup intended to foil Japan's declaration of surrender.
Plot
The film recreates the chain of historical events from April to 15 August 1945 (Hirohito surrender broadcast), which determined the further fate of Japan: the last months of the command of the armed forces of Imperial Japan and the military council under the leadership of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) in the period before surrender of Japan in World War II, the tenure of Kantarō Suzuki as Prime Minister and the last months of his tenure as Minister of War Korechika Anami, the Allied bombing of Tokyo, preparations for Operation Ketsugō, the reaction of the leadership to the Potsdam Declaration, Soviet–Japanese War and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as a failed military coup designed to thwart surrender of Japan.
Cast
Kōji Yakusho as General Korechika Anami
Masahiro Motoki as Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito)
Tori Matsuzaka as Major Kenji Hatanaka
Kenichi Yajima as Naidaijin Marquess Kōichi Kido
Kikuo Kaneuchi as President of the Privy Council Baron Hiranuma Kiichirō
Akaji Maro as Admiral Hisanori Fujita
Ikuji Nakamura as Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai
Kazuhiro Yamaji as Tōji Yasui
Yuki Ikenobō as Empress Kōjun
Shu Nakajima as General Hideki Tojo
Yasumasa Oba as Lieutenant Colonel Masataka Ida
Misako Renbutsu as Kimiko
Erika Toda (special appearance as Miss Yasuki)
Kenichi Matsuyama (special appearance as Takeo Sasaki)
Shinichi Tsutsumi as Chief Secretary Hisatsune Sakomizu
Tsutomu Yamazaki as Prime Minister Kantarō Suzuki
Reception
The film grossed ¥145.48 million on its opening weekend and was number 10 at the box office. It had grossed ¥875 million by August 26. The film received ten Japan Academy Film Prize nominations, as well as the Blue Ribbon Award and Mainichi Film Awards.
The public source identifies “The Emperor in August” as 2015 film by Masato Harada. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Emperor, August and film.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “The Emperor in August”, the useful work is to connect “2015 film by Masato Harada” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q21065475. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2015, 1967 and 1945.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Emperor in August”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Emperor in August primary sources, The Emperor in August archive and Emperor research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The Emperor in August”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Emperor in August” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.