The Cherry Tree Weeps for Me: A Quest for The Dawn of Peace chronicles one man's lifelong pursuit of peace before and after the Pacific War. Takashi Komatsu's incredible story is told alongside Japan's pre- and post-WWII history and the country's remarkable rebirth as a vibrant democratic global economic powerhouse. Komatsu's journey-from an unsettled youth, to the refuge of New York City's YMCA as a new immigrant, to the delivery of Harvard's 1911 commencement address-proves that real life can be stranger than fiction.
The Cherry Tree Weeps for Me traces Komatsu's extraordinary life as he rose to the head of a large shipping company in Japan, befriended the heir to the last shogunate and the US Ambassador, and became a respected international businessman and statesman. Risking incarceration and assassination, Komatsu made choices that defied military rulers and right-wing extremists as they edged Japan toward war and devoured a democracy.
Within days of the war's end, inconceivable events led General MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Occupation Forces, to seek Komatsu's aid to help rebuild Japan and restore amity with the United States. Repairing friendship between the two countries was complex and daunting. Komatsu went far beyond forging relationships with US presidents, ambassadors, scholars, philanthropists, and leaders in the public and private sectors of both Japan and the United States. His legacy is a powerful reminder of the importance of tenacity, empathy, and understanding in international affairs.
If you enjoy books like Malcolm Gladwell's The Bomber Mafia, you'll love The Cherry Tree Weeps for Me. Find out what transpired after the devastation and one man's unsung influence that restored a stolen democracy.