Who was this mysterious person that ruled Japan during World War II and before? The common Japanese person had never seen him. but revered him as a god and even died for him. Was he a war monger, a cruel master of the Japanese people, or was he someone that was being controlled by others and really had no say in military matters? This question was to haunt the allies and was never answered satisfactorily. At the end of the war it was felt that the best thing we could do was leave him in place so that the Japanese population didn't get out of control.

Hirohito ruled Japan from 1926 to 1989. We called him Emperor Hirohito but in Japan he is known as Emperor Showa. He was born from royal blood In Japan crown princes had never traveled abroad but he broke this time honored tradition when he toured Europe in 1922. He seems to have been very interested in western culture but curiously he never visited the United States, the country that opened Japan to the world. In 1924 he married a distant cousin, Princess Teru and had seven children, one of which is now the Emperor, his name is Akihito.

The reason we were never able to determine if Hirohito really had anything to do with the war was that not only was he very secluded but there was a rising, powerful military faction in Japan led by the infamous Tojo. Most felt that this emperor was powerless to prevent the war and that he was just a figure head. Historically it is believed that Hirohito was upset that his government did not implement diplomatic meetings with the west to try and win Japan's objectives, yet there are some historians who say that this simply isn't true and that he was very satisfied that military hostilities would be commenced in a short time against some of the western powers including the United States, if Japan's demands were not given in to. There is even a story that the emperor became very angry at a meeting with military heads and became red in the face and shook his fist saying that a peaceful settlement was to be sought, not a military action.

One can only wonder at the truth of this story. It might very well be true, but on the other hand it may not be. Either way, the head of a nation is responsible for the actions of that nation. The emperor never stepped down or tried to leave the country as far as we know. But he could have been held in office and not allowed to leave so who knows the true story?

Japan was a sort of feudal society even though it had become mechanized and industrialized. War was a proud tradition and Japan had never lost one in modern times. She had even beaten the Russian bear. Her war ministers must have been full of confidence. She did have the best navy and plenty of soldiers and planes. She must have felt invincible.

Once the war started, it became known that the emperor was behind his country 100%. He was excited to hear of the numerous victories in the early years of the war, but this didn't last. It is said that as things got worse for the Japanese forces, this was hidden from him so he never really knew of the terrible loses that Japan began to suffer until near the end of the war. As ironic as this sounds, it is said that near the end of the war, some of the military in Japan wanted to surrender but now the emperor wanted to win one big battle before this, so he would have a better bargaining chip to improve the terms of surrender. Of course this victory never came.

Japan was now worried about becoming a communist nation. This fact along with the dropping of two atomic bombs got them to surrender. Hirohito was almost tried for war crimes. It was only by the intervention of General MacArthur with President Truman that kept him on his throne, but he had to eat a little more humble pie, he had to state that he was not a god.

Hirohito scored another first late in life. In 1987 he had pancreatic surgery, he was the first emperor ever to be operated on. On January 7, 1989 he died and was buried in the Imperial mausoleum.