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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…
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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
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Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War
The Empire of Japan (scripter), Emperor Hirohito of Japan (speaker) · Public domain
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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.
- Quote
(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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2026· 20 entries
毎日新聞: Retro Japan in Photos: Former cabaret Gessekai in Kobe evokes Showa-era atmosphere［写真特集10/11］
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毎日新聞: Retro Japan in Photos: Former cabaret Gessekai in Kobe evokes Showa-era atmosphere［写真特集9/11］
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毎日新聞: Retro Japan in Photos: Former cabaret Gessekai in Kobe evokes Showa-era atmosphere［写真特集7/11］
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毎日新聞: Retro Japan in Photos: Former cabaret Gessekai in Kobe evokes Showa-era atmosphere［写真特集11/11］
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毎日新聞: Retro Japan in Photos: Former cabaret Gessekai in Kobe evokes Showa-era atmosphere［写真特集6/11］
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毎日新聞: Retro Japan in Photos: Former cabaret Gessekai in Kobe evokes Showa-era atmosphere［写真特集1/11］
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“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 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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“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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“The Emperor seemed at ease and unshakable once he had made a decision.”
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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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“The Soviet Union has declared war and today began hostilities against us.”
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EA: LUONG HIROHITO
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Electronic Arts Home Page: LUONG HIROHITO
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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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2024· 3 entries
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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Snopes 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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Yahoo: No Evidence Japanese Emperor Hirohito Was Buried with Mickey Mouse Watch
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2021· 1 entry
朝日新聞社: Diary: Hirohito prepared for U.S. war before Pearl Harbor attack
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2019· 2 entries
Bangkok Post: Japan's Hirohito 'prevented from voicing remorse over war'
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International Business Times: Japan Hirohito ‘prevented from voicing remorse over war’
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2017· 1 entry
scmp.com: Emperor Hirohito 'too weak' to stop Japan entering second world war, declassified documents show
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2015· 1 entry
New York Daily News: Radio dispatch of Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s World War II surrender revitalized in new recording
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1996· 1 entry
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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1990· 1 entry
When the mayor of Nagasaki, Hitoshi Motoshima, was shot and critically wounded by a member of the ultranationalist group, Seikijuku
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1989· 5 entries
Died 1989-01-07.
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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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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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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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1988· 1 entry
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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1982· 2 entries
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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1979· 1 entry
Hirohito found himself the last monarch in the world to bear any variation of the highest royal title "emperor
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1975· 2 entries
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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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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1968· 1 entry
Won: Yugoslavia with Fellow of the Royal Society (1971) (April 1968).
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1966· 2 entries
Won: Philippines with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (September 1966).
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The list of war dead compiled by the government
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1964· 1 entry
Won: Malaysia with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (1964).
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1960· 1 entry
Won: Nepal with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (April 1960).
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1955· 1 entry
Won: Brazil with Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn (27 May 1963) (1955).
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1947· 2 entries
Marking his first visit to the city since the atomic bombing
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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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1946· 1 entry
Hirohito was pressured by the Allies to renounce his divinity
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1942· 2 entries
Won: Finland (1942).
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Awarded Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1942).
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1941· 1 entry
Michio Yuzawa, asserts that Hirohito was "at ease" with the attack on Pearl Harbor "once he had made a decision
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1940· 1 entry
And another agreement in December 1941 that forbade Japan from signing a separate peace treaty with the United States
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1937· 2 entries
Tensions steadily grew between Japan and 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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1936· 1 entry
And was virtually in exile, and they chatted for a while
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1935· 1 entry
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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1932· 1 entry
Marking the end of civilian control of the military, to which Hirohito was displeased with the breakdown of social order
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1931· 2 entries
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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1930· 1 entry
Won: United Kingdom (June 1930).
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1929· 1 entry
Awarded Order of the Garter (1929).
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1928· 3 entries
Won Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (1928).
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Won: Czechoslovakia with Fellow of the Royal Society (1971) (1928).
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Won: Spain with Fellow of the Royal Society (1971) (October 1928).
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1926· 1 entry
Career landmark: Emperor of Japan (1926–1989).
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1924· 2 entries
Married Princess Nagako Kuni, with whom he later had seven children: Shigeko, Sachiko, Kazuko, Atsuko, Akihito, Masahito and Takako
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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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1923· 4 entries
Won: Denmark (January 1923).
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Won: Spain with Fellow of the Royal Society (1971) (June 1923).
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Awarded Collar of the Order of Charles III (1923).
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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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1922· 2 entries
Won: Norway (September 1922).
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Won: Poland (1922).
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1921· 2 entries
Won: United Kingdom (May 1921).
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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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1919· 2 entries
Awarded Royal Order of the Seraphim (1919).
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Won: Sweden (May 1919).
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1916· 2 entries
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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1913· 1 entry
In the style of a traditional Japanese bathhouse
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1912· 1 entry
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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1908· 1 entry
Began elementary studies at the Gakushūin (Peers School)
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1901· 1 entry
Born 1901-04-29.
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