What is the meaning of mokusatsu?

mokusatsu “” •ir-suru, v. take no notice of; treat. (anything) with silent contempt; ignore [by keeping silence]; remain in a wise and masterly inactivity.

What does Prime Minister Suzuki mean by mokusatsu?

ignore
In Japanese, the word mokusatsu means “ignore” or “treat with silent contempt”. To the Allied forces, it meant that Prime Minister Suzuki and his government had outright rejected the Potsdam Declaration.

Who said mokusatsu?

Chase said the Japanese responded with the word ”mokusatsu,” which was intended to mean in context that they were reserving comment. The Allied Powers were mistakenly informed by inaccurate translators that ”mokusatsu” meant that the Japanese were ignoring it.

Is there a Japanese word for surrender?

Captain Sasaki of the Yokahama Guards: “There is no such word as surrender in the Japanese vocabulary.

Why did the Japanese use the word mokusatsu?

One of famous uses of this word by politicians was during WWII when the Japanese Prime Minister used it as an answer to the Potsdam Declaration. For him, the reply of ‘mokusatsu’ was an attempt to keep everyone happy.

What are the two kanji characters in mokusatsu?

It is composed of two kanji characters: 黙 ( moku “silence”) and 殺 ( satsu “killing”). It is one of the terms frequently cited to argue that problems encountered by Japanese in the sphere of international politics arise from misunderstandings or mistranslations of their language.

What did mokusatsu mean by the Potsdam ultimatum?

Although mokusatsu may not have been intended to communicate to the Allies a refusal to surrender, the Potsdam ultimatum nevertheless allowed for only one acceptable answer: unconditional surrender. Any other answer would, as the declaration warned, cause “prompt and utter destruction”.

What does the word silent mean in Japanese?

The word is a combination of two kanji: the moku- (黙) is found in words like 黙る meaning ‘to be silent’; combined with -satsu 殺, the kanji found in words like 殺人 (A killer).