Hirohito

Lore & Background

Hirohito was born on 29 April 1901 in Tokyo, the first son of Crown Prince Yoshihito and Crown Princess Sadako. He became crown prince in 1916 and traveled to Europe in 1921, the first Japanese crown prince to do so. Due to his father's ill health, he became regent later that year. He married Princess Nagako Kuni in 1924 and had seven children, including his successor Akihito.

Reader's Guide

Hirohito's reign spanned a transformative period in Japanese history. As head of state, he oversaw the rise of militarism, including the 1931 Mukden incident and the 1941 decision to go to war with the United States and its allies. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he announced Japan's surrender in August 1945. Under Allied pressure, he issued the Humanity Declaration in 1946, renouncing claims of divinity, and the postwar constitution redefined the emperor as a symbol of the state. He was never prosecuted for war crimes, as General Douglas MacArthur believed a cooperative emperor would aid occupation goals. Hirohito then reigned during the Japanese economic miracle, becoming the longest-reigning Japanese emperor in history.

Did You Know?

• Hirohito was the first Japanese crown prince to travel abroad, visiting six European countries in 1921.
• He reigned for 62 years and 13 days, the longest reign in Japanese history.
• He was never prosecuted for war crimes at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
• He issued the Humanity Declaration in January 1946, rejecting the divinity of the emperor.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"The fruits of victory are tumbling into our mouths too quickly." — Hirohito "To an aide, 29 April 1942, as quoted in Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness." — Hirohito "When I consider the dead and their families, I cannot repress my mental agony." — Hirohito "Draft of undelivered speech (1948); published in the magazine Bungeishunju as quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald (11 June 2003)." — Hirohito