In the Realm of a Dying Emperor, by Norma Field (1991) presents a "meditation" on Hirohito's death in the atmosphere that prevailed in Japan during this death. Within this context the deaths in the Pacific War and the death of the quality of life in daily routines were also examined. The book presents three vignettes: a supermarket owner, a man who lived in Okinawa and fired the national flag, a woman who rejected the state's burial of her husband who had been a member of the Self-Defense Force, and the ex-mayor of Nagasaki City who declared the Emperor as responsible for World War II. The book provided an interesting portrayal of the Japanese the post-war tensions and dilemmas. Personal memories and interviews were used by the author who presented the notion that Japanese life is filled with contradictions and while the emperor died, the restraints of previous leadership remain. The poets Chong Chuwol and Michirua Motoko were influential in the writing of the book. Chuwol presented the analogy: "the passing of your time as a flame before the wind" (p. 3). This poem presents the notion that as the flame ends and the lament begins, "you are still of this world." The author noted that following their surrender in 1945, Japanese adopted an Americanized Constitution to symbolize their commitment to peace. However this resulted in only a symbolic effort since Japanese traditions and cultural practices resulting from an emperor system with economic prosperity were a stronger influence than the American views of personal freedom and liberties. Thus the Japanese citizen was left wondering about their future. The author presents her views while telling a story, which makes the reading interesting, however it does not present a truly historical account. In addition, the author presents these stories, going back and forth between past and present making it hard to follow. A lack of overall summarization leaves the reader with the ta...