Research project part 4: Emperor Hirohito
by Marc Marallag
Hirohito in dress uniform Unknown author - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3a40859 . This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing .
This project will focus on Emperor Hirohito of Japan, examining his role in the country’s most significant events during the 20th century. It will explore how Hirohito shaped Japan’s trajectory through militarization, World War II, defeat, and postwar recovery. The research will also analyze the transformation of his public image from a controversial wartime leader to a symbol of peace, reflecting Japan’s journey of war, renewal, and reconciliation.
The project begins with Hirohito’s early reign from 1926 to 1937, a period marked by Japan’s shift toward militarization and imperial expansion. During this time, Japan aggressively pursued its ambitions in Asia, reflected in its increasing militaristic policies and territorial acquisitions. Stephen Large’s Emperor Hirohito and Showa Japan and Hata Ikuhiko’s Hirohito: The Shōwa Emperor in War and Peace will be central to understanding Hirohito’s role during this period, both as a nominal constitutional monarch and as an individual involved in state affairs. Archival photographs from state ceremonies and military parades will illustrate how Hirohito’s image was intertwined with Japan’s growing militaristic identity. The research will highlight the tension between his constitutional position as a figurehead and the influence he wielded within the complex political structure of the Japanese government.
From 1937 to 1945, the focus shifts to World War II, where Hirohito’s role in Japan’s military strategy will be scrutinized. This period includes Japan’s invasion of China, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the country’s eventual defeat. Noriko Kawamura’s Emperor Hirohito and the Pacific War and Saki Dockrill’s article, "Hirohito, the Emperor's Army and Pearl Harbor," will provide key insights into his involvement in wartime planning and decision-making. Additionally, Herbert Bix’s Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan will explore the public image of Hirohito as the unifying symbol of Japan’s war effort versus his private deliberations and responsibility for key decisions. The project will also utilize Anne van Buuren’s "The Un-Prosecuted Perpetrator" to examine the controversial question of Hirohito’s wartime accountability. Primary sources, such as Hirohito’s 1945 broadcast of the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, will demonstrate his public role in Japan’s surrender and his efforts to frame the defeat as a step toward peace.
The postwar period from 1945 to 1989 explores Hirohito’s transformation under the U.S. occupation and his subsequent role in Japan’s recovery. With the intervention of General Douglas MacArthur, Hirohito was retained as a constitutional monarch to stabilize Japan during its transition. Peter Mauch’s article, "Emperor Hirohito’s Post-Surrender Reflections," provides insights into Hirohito’s private thoughts during this critical time, while Takeshi Hara’s Hirohito and His Times and John Dower’s Embracing Defeat will contextualize the drafting of Japan’s 1947 constitution, which stripped the emperor of political power and recast him as a symbolic figurehead. The research will also consider Hirohito’s public engagements and statements during the 1950s and 1960s, which sought to restore Japan’s international reputation. Visual sources, including postwar newsreels and photographs, will highlight his efforts to project humility and reconciliation.
Finally, the project will address the controversies surrounding Hirohito’s legacy, particularly debates over his wartime responsibility and the ethical implications of his survival as emperor. Noriko Kawamura and Anne van Buuren provide contrasting views on the extent of Hirohito’s culpability, while Saki Dockrill and Hata Ikuhiko examine the decisions by both Japanese officials and the Allies to preserve his position. The project concludes by reflecting on Hirohito’s transformation into a symbol of peace and how this evolution mirrors Japan’s broader journey from militarism to recovery.
This analysis will hopefully offer a clear understanding of Hirohito’s legacy, showing how his reign encompassed the extremes of war, defeat, and renewal, and why his role remains a subject of debate and reflection in both Japan and the wider world.
Timeline:
Made with KnightLab Timeline.
Bibliography (all have clickable links):
- Prof, Department of History, University of Essex (Japanese History, Politics of the Showa Era) This comprehensive biography explores Hirohito's reign, emphasizing his role in Japan's militarization, wartime decisions, and postwar transformation. Large presents Hirohito’s political influence within the constraints of Japan's constitutional monarchy and argues that while he was not the sole architect of Japan’s imperial ambitions, his role in the militaristic government of the 1930s and 1940s was pivotal.
- Assoc. Prof, University of Washington (East Asian History, Pacific War) Kawamura provides a detailed examination of Hirohito's involvement in the Pacific War. The author argues that while Hirohito's actions during the war were constrained by Japan’s political structure, his influence in military decisions and his position as the symbol of Japan’s war effort was critical. The book challenges the portrayal of Hirohito as an entirely passive figure in wartime decision-making.
- Prof, Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo (Japanese Imperial History, Modern East Asia) Hata’s work offers a balanced analysis of Hirohito's role during and after World War II, highlighting his dual role as a constitutional monarch and a significant influence behind the scenes. The author examines Hirohito’s personal reflections on the war and his efforts to shift his public image after Japan’s defeat.
Assoc. Prof, Department of International Relations, University of London (International History, Japanese Foreign Policy) Dockrill analyzes the decision-making processes leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and Hirohito's role in them. She discusses how Hirohito, while largely symbolic in Japan’s governmental structure, played a significant role in the political dynamics surrounding the military’s actions during the late 1930s and early 1940s.
PhD Candidate, Department of History, University of Sydney (Japanese History, War Crimes) Van Buuren examines the controversy surrounding Hirohito’s wartime responsibility and the lack of prosecution after World War II. The article critiques the Allied decision to retain Hirohito as emperor and discusses the moral and political implications of his survival as the symbol of postwar Japan.
- Prof, Department of History, University of Heidelberg (Modern East Asian History) Mauch explores Hirohito’s personal reflections after Japan’s surrender, focusing on his role in postwar recovery. The article provides insight into how Hirohito navigated the complexities of being both a symbolic figurehead and a critical player in Japan’s political and social reconstruction during the American occupation.
- Prof, Department of History, University of California, Berkeley (Modern Japan, Political History) Bix's biography critically examines Hirohito’s role during World War II and his postwar transformation into a symbol of peace. The book argues that Hirohito had more power during the war than he later claimed and explores how his image was redefined during the American occupation, casting him as a figure of peace in postwar Japan.
- Dower provides a sweeping history of Japan’s postwar reconstruction, analyzing the sociopolitical and cultural changes that occurred under the U.S. occupation. Hirohito’s role is examined in depth, with Dower arguing that the emperor’s transformation into a figure of peace was central to Japan’s rebuilding process.
