The Humanity Declaration (人間宣言, Ningen-sengen) is an imperial rescript issued by Hirohito, the emperor of Japan, as part of a New Year's statement on 1 January 1946 at the request of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.
The Supreme Commander Allied Powers and the Western world in general gave great attention to the following passage towards the end of the rescript: 朕󠄁ト爾等國民トノ間ノ紐帶ハ、終󠄁始相互ノ信賴ト敬愛トニ依リテ結バレ、單ナル神󠄀話ト傳說トニ依リテ生ゼルモノニ非ズ。天皇ヲ以テ現御神󠄀トシ、且日本國民ヲ以テ他ノ民族ニ優越セル民族ニシテ、延テ世界ヲ支配スベキ運󠄁命ヲ有ストノ架空ナル觀念ニ基クモノニモ非ズThe ties between Us and Our people have always stood upon mutual trust and affection.
Thus, the same day as the rescript was issued, General Douglas MacArthur announced that he was very much pleased with the Emperor's statement, which he saw as his commitment to lead his people in the democratisation of Japan.
The Asahi Shimbun headline was "New year's day rescript paves way for peace and progress for the people as Emperor laments confusion of ideals.
This interpretation is supported by the fact that the imperial rescript was published with a commentary by Prime Minister Kijūrō Shidehara that dwelt exclusively on the prior existence of democracy in the Meiji Era and did not make even passing reference to the emperor's "renunciation of divinity.
Professor Osamu Watanabe sent the following comments to the newspaper: The material is very valuable because it allows you to compare and examine a series of steps from draft to rescript.
In the rescript, the connection between phrases is poor and the subject is difficult to understand, but the draft is understood to focus on the denial of the emperor's deity.