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Hirohito

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Hirohito

Emperor Shōwa, personal name Hirohito, was Emperor of Japan from 25 December 1926 until his death on 7 January 1989. He reigned during a period of increasing Japanese nationalism and militarism, culminating in the entry of the Empire of Japan into World War II as an Axis power. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led Hirohito to announce the surrender of Japan to the Allies in August 1945. Under pressure from the Allies, he issued the Humanity Declaration in January 1946, rejecting the divinity of the emperor as a descendant of Amaterasu. The Constitution of Japan, adopted in November 1946, emphasizes pacifism and constitutional monarchy, in contrast to imperialism and absolute monarchy. After the war, he reigned over a period of unprecedented economic growth known as the Japanese economic miracle. Hirohito reigned for 62 years and 13 days, the longest reign in Japanese history and the 12th longest verifiable reign in world history.

politics · Emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989 · military personnel · diplomat · marine biologist · zoologist · monarch · aristocrat · scientific collector · also Hirohito, Emperor Hirohito, Showa, Shōwa, Emperor Shōwa, Emperor Showa

Born 29 April 1901 · Died 7 January 1989 · Q34479

94 published statements · 0 followers

Updated 1 day ago

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  • Quote

    The archives available so far, including his biography compiled by the Imperial Household Agency, contained no detailed descriptions that his aides expressed concerns about Hirohito leaning toward Japan's entry into the war.

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  • Quote

    If His Majesty had any regret over negotiations with Britain and the U.S., he would have looked somewhat grim. There was no such indication, which must be a result of his determination. I'm completely relieved. Given the current conditions, I could say we have practically won already.

    70%Wikiquote (en)SourcePermalink

  • Quote

    Over the years, these different pieces of evidence have trickled out and historians have amassed this picture of culpability and how he was reflecting on that. This is another piece of the puzzle that very much confirms that the picture that was taking place before, which is that he was extremely culpable, and after the war he was devastated about this.

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    (Hyakutake's diary) is a significant record penned by one of the close aides to the Emperor documenting the process of how Japan's leaders led to the war.

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    The Emperor seemed at ease and unshakable once he had made a decision.

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    By personality and temperament, Hirohito was ill-suited to the role assigned to him by destiny. The successors of the men who had led the Meiji Restoration yearned for a charismatic warrior king. Instead, they were given an introspective prince who grew up to be more at home in the science laboratory than on the military parade ground. But in his early years, every effort was made to cast him in a different mould.

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Direct quote70% confidence

Hirohito

“The archives available so far, including his biography compiled by the Imperial Household Agency, contained no detailed descriptions that his aides expressed concerns about Hirohito leaning toward Japan's entry into the war.”
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“If His Majesty had any regret over negotiations with Britain and the U.S., he would have looked somewhat grim. There was no such indication, which must be a result of his determination. I'm completely relieved. Given the current conditions, I could say we have practically won already.”
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Direct quote70% confidence

Hirohito

“Over the years, these different pieces of evidence have trickled out and historians have amassed this picture of culpability and how he was reflecting on that. This is another piece of the puzzle that very much confirms that the picture that was taking place before, which is that he was extremely culpable, and after the war he was devastated about this.”
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“(Hyakutake's diary) is a significant record penned by one of the close aides to the Emperor documenting the process of how Japan's leaders led to the war.”
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Direct quote70% confidence

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“By personality and temperament, Hirohito was ill-suited to the role assigned to him by destiny. The successors of the men who had led the Meiji Restoration yearned for a charismatic warrior king. Instead, they were given an introspective prince who grew up to be more at home in the science laboratory than on the military parade ground. But in his early years, every effort was made to cast him in a different mould.”
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“Tojo is a bureaucrat who was incapable of making own decisions, so he turned to the Emperor as his supervisor. That's why he had to report everything for the Emperor to decide. If the Emperor didn't say no, then he would proceed.”
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Direct quote76% confidence

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“Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.”
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地経学研究所: Hirohito Ogi was quoted in the South China Morning Post article: “Has China’s missile force got America’s Kadena base in Japan in its sights?”|News from the Institute of Geoeconomics(IOG)
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地経学研究所: Hirohito Ogi was quoted in the EFE article: “Japón y las armas nucleares: un tabú que da señales de romperse”
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Reported claimRated Unfounded · Snopes.com

Hirohito

Snopes.com rated the claim “Japanese Emperor Hirohito was buried with a Mickey Mouse wristwatch after his death in 1989.” Unfounded.

Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.

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Historian Mitsuyoshi Himeta said that the Three Alls policy (Sankō Sakusen), a Japanese scorched earth policy adopted in China and sanctioned by Emperor Hirohito himself, was both directly and indirectly responsible for
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When the mayor of Nagasaki, Hitoshi Motoshima, was shot and critically wounded by a member of the ultranationalist group, Seikijuku
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Motoshima had broken what was characterized as "one of [Japan's] most sensitive taboos" by asserting that Emperor Hirohito bore responsibility for World War II
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Exact date was not recorded in the sourceDirect quote68% confidence

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“The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great.”
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Paraphrase66% confidence

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A growing body of evidence and historical studies started to dispute the theory that he was a powerless figurehead
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Historians have discovered evidence that prove Hirohito's culpability for the war, and that he was not a passive figurehead manipulated by those around him
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Hirohito expressed his strong displeasure at the decision made by Yasukuni Shrine to include Class-A war criminals in the list of war dead honored there by saying, "At some point, Class-A criminals became enshrined, incl
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Won: Italy with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (March 1982).
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1982).
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Hirohito found himself the last monarch in the world to bear any variation of the highest royal title "emperor
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When he was asked what he thought of the bombing of Hiroshima, Hirohito answered: "It's very regrettable that nuclear bombs were dropped and I feel sorry for the citizens of Hiroshima but it couldn't be helped because th
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Hirohito and Nagako visited the United States for 14 days from 30 September to 14 October, at the invitation of President Gerald Ford
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Won: Philippines with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (September 1966).
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Won: Malaysia with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (1964).
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Won: Nepal with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (April 1960).
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Won: Brazil with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (1955).
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His role as emperor was redefined as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People"
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Awarded Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1942).
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Michio Yuzawa, asserts that Hirohito was "at ease" with the attack on Pearl Harbor "once he had made a decision
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And another agreement in December 1941 that forbade Japan from signing a separate peace treaty with the United States
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Because they had underestimated China's military strength and Japan should be cautious in its strategy
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When Tatsukichi Minobe advocated the theory that sovereignty resides in the state, of which the Emperor is just an organ (the tennō kikan setsu), it caused a furor
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Marking the end of civilian control of the military, to which Hirohito was displeased with the breakdown of social order
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In which Japan staged a false flag operation and made a false accusation against Chinese dissidents as a pretext to invade Manchuria, Japan occupied Chinese territories and established the puppet government of Manchukuo
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Raised no objection when Japan's Kwantung Army staged the Mukden incident as a pretext for the invasion of Manchuria
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Prince Hirohito married his distant cousin Princess Nagako Kuni, the eldest daughter of Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni, on 26 January 1924.
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Married Princess Nagako Kuni, with whom he later had seven children: Shigeko, Sachiko, Kazuko, Atsuko, Akihito, Masahito and Takako
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Was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army and Commander in the navy, and army Colonel and Navy Captain in 1925
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Made an official visit to six European countries, marking the first time a Japanese crown prince had traveled abroad
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Won: Russian Empire with Fellow of the Royal Society (1971) (September 1916).
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Won: Kingdom of Italy with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (October 1916).
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Hirohito's father ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne, and Hirohito was proclaimed Crown Prince of Japan in 1916, making him the heir apparent
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Awarded Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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Career landmark: Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kojun state visit to United States, 1975.
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