Gaijin Shogun

Gaijin Shogun (Japanese: gaijin, "foreigner", shogun, "military ruler") was a nickname used for General Douglas MacArthur when he became the military governor of Japan following its defeat in World War II. It was used by former MacArthur Honor Guard David Valley as the title of his book, "Gaijin Shogun: General Douglas MacArthur, Stepfather of Postwar Japan". While MacArthur probably would not have been called this to his face, Valley believed that the General would have appreciated it. Valley wrote in the foreword to his book, "'Gaijin Shogun' may be considered a stretch by some, but strictly translated as foreign military ruler, it defines General MacArthur's role in Japan. It is likely the way many Japanese thought of him and the kind of unique and exalted title that might have pleased the General."

Whether he was referred to by this title while he was alive, or not until after he died in 1964, remains speculative; however, it is essentially the best description for what the General's duties were in the years between the end of the Second World War and his dismissal by President Harry S. Truman during the Korean War.

ource

Valley, David J. "Gaijin Shogun: General Douglas MacArthur, Stepfather of Postwar Japan". Sektor Company: 2000. ISBN 0-9678175-2-8.