Hirohito

Statesman, Monarch

1901 – 1989

109

Who was Hirohito?

Hirohito, referred to as Emperor Shōwa in Japan, was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to primarily by his posthumous name Emperor Shōwa. The word Shōwa is the name of the era that corresponded with the Emperor's reign, and was made the Emperor's own name upon his death. In Japanese, the reigning Emperor is referred to without a personal name as "his Majesty the Emperor" or "his current Majesty". The name Hirohito means "abundant benevolence".

At the start of his reign, Japan was already one of the great powers — the ninth-largest economy in the world after Italy, the third-largest naval power, and one of the four permanent members of the council of the League of Nations. He was the head of state under the limitation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan during Japan's imperial expansion, militarization, and involvement in World War II. After the war, he was not prosecuted for war crimes as many other leading government figures were, despite his involvement. During the postwar period, he became the symbol of the new state and Japan's recovery, and by the end of his reign, Japan had emerged as the world's second largest economy.

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Born
Apr 29, 1901
Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo
Also known as
  • Emperor Hirohito
  • Showa Emperor
  • Shōwa Emperor
  • Emperor Shōwa
  • Prince Hiro Hito
  • Shôwa Tennô
Parents
Siblings
Spouses
Children
Religion
  • Shinto
Nationality
  • Japan
Profession
Education
  • Gakushūin
Died
Jan 7, 1989
Tokyo

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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"Hirohito." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/hirohito>.

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