Why did emperor Hirohito become emperor?

Answer 1

There is considerable controversy around Hirohito among historians, around the exact extent of the Emperor's accountability for the war itself and the war crimes, but it is clear now that the old stereotype of Hirohito as a "powerless figurehead" is not correct. According to these authors, Hirohito played a more active role during World War II than it was believed during the Cold War years.

For example, Kenneth J. Ruoff, Director of the Center for Japanese Studies, Portland State University, in his book "The People's Emperor: Democracy and the Japanese Monarchy, 1945-1995" or Irokawa Daikichi in "The Age of Hirohito: In Search of Modern Japan", Awaya Kentaro, or Herbert P. Bix in "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan", all concluding Hirohito played a very active role in Japan's war politics and strategy.

About Tojo, Sir Max Hastings asserts that Allied Propaganda portrayed Tojo as a dictator in the mold of Hitler and Mussolini, but the reality is that Tojo had less authority in Japan than Churchill had in Britain.

Answer 2

Hirohito led Japan to the war. He was the leader of Imperial Japan during World War II. He ruled as the head of an oligarchy with a pluralistic decision-making process arbitrated by the Emperor.

Books like "The Age of Hirohito: In Search of Modern Japan" by Daikichi Irokawa; "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan" by Herbert P. Bix; and "The People's Emperor: Democracy and the Japanese Monarchy, 1945-1995" by Kenneth J. Ruoff" (despite of its title, it includes a great deal of information about Hirohito's role in wartime government, and it explains clearly the Japanese decision-making process, including the active involvement of the emperor) are very useful to this matter.

Answer 3

Hirohito ruled Japan for more than six decades of the 20th century, during a period in which the nation aggressively pursued political dominance in Asia, withstood the devastation of World War II and rebuilt itself into a global economic powerhouse. Taking the official name Showa ("Enlightened Peace"), he began his long reign in 1926, with a divine claim to the throne as the 124th emperor in direct lineage to Amaterasu, a mythological sun goddess. At the close of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur, in charge of the U.S. occupation of Japan, kept Hirohito on the throne rather than charge him with war crimes, and Hirohito renounced his divinity and agreed to adopt a constitutional monarchy. During Hirohito's lifetime he was often depicted as a benign and even passive bystander to events, more interested in marine Biology than geopolitics. Since his death in 1989, that image has been challenged by critics who argue that Hirohito encouraged the military aggression toward China in the early 1930s, participated in the planning of the attacks on Pearl Harbor (1941) and prolonged the war against the U.S. and Great Britain unnecessarily. After his death in 1989, Hirohito was succeeded by his son, the Emperor Akihito

Answer 4

Emperor Hirohito was the symbol of Japan and its history. He was once considered a god.

Answer 5

His father, Yoshihito, died. As his son, Hirohito ascended to the throne upon his death.

Answer 6

because he was japans emperor

Answer 7

He was the leader.

Answer 8

Gave his country money.