Word: emperor
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Ever since U.S. B-29 bombers leveled Emperor Hirohito's palatial quarters within Tokyo's moat-encircled imperial compound in May 1945, the imperial family has made do with modest quarters, first the palace air-raid shelter and, since 1961, a 15-room house in the palace compound. Five years ago it was decided that proper settings for the Emperor's ceremonial occasions could no longer be delayed. The architect picked for the honor of designing the Emperor's $25.5 million palace: Junzo Yoshimura, now 56, a professor in Tokyo's University of Fine Arts...
...effect through the simplest possible composition." While using modern materials like steel and concrete, he hoped to build "a new palace for Japan so elevated in grace and dignity that it will be worthy of being preserved for posterity." His design called for a quadrangle of ceremonial halls (the Emperor will "commute" from his nearby living quarters), each pavilion to be propped serenely on stilts like a Shinto shrine and set shimmering amid a beautiful pine grove. There would be escalators for elderly visitors, a color scheme (snow white and green) to please the Empress, room for horohiki (ancient Imperial...
...copper-rich central African nation of Zambia is the focus of Japan's most intense trading drive. Last month a twelve-man Zambian trade delegation was swept through Tokyo with a platoon of geishas, even treated to a reception with the Emperor. The Zambians took away their first trade pact with Japan and promises of investments in a fertilizer plant, textile mill, transistor radio assembly plant, steel mill and luxury hotel. For its part, Zambia lifted all restrictions on Japanese imports...
...Roman philosopher Seneca came to a sad end. Spurred by patriotism, he came out of exile to tutor Emperor Claudius' unstable stepson Nero and was rewarded for his pains several years later when his onetime student ordered him to commit suicide. At least Nero recognized greatness; ordinary mortals died by torture when a shadow crossed the Emperor's demented brain. In this threadbare, novelistic pastiche, Vincent Sheean treats Seneca far worse. Though the historical Seneca was second only to Cicero as an exponent of Stoicism, Sheean's Seneca has only windy self-pity and a maundering facility...
Most of the time, though, Genghis just idles along in Peking, where the Chinese let him in on the discovery of gunpowder. Other odd bits of wisdom are supplied by Emperor Robert Morley, who apparently can't tell one Oriental from another, since his dynasty resembles a road-show Mikado. The high pooh-bah in charge of comedy relief is Kam Ling (James Mason), sporting almond eyes, malocclusion and a washee-quickee accent. As befits a ham, Kam Ling is sliced up just before a lively duel to the death between Jamuga and Genghis. Hordes of loyal Mongol mourners...