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The Showa Emperor (昭和天皇), (April 29, 1901 - January 7, 1989) was the Emperor of Japan, known in the west by his given name, Hirohito (裕仁) (he has no family name).
He was made regent in 1921 and succeeded his father, the Taisho Emperor (Yoshihito), in 1926. He married Princess Nagako Kuni in 1924. His first son and heir, Akihito, was born in 1933. He was interested in marine biology, and the Imperial Palace contained a laboratory from which Hirohito published several papers in the field.
He reigned as divine sovereign as Japan fought the second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. His role remains highly controversial with some historians regarding him as a figurehead with no control over the military, while others arguing that he did indeed have real power, and that he therefore bears some responsbility for Japan's actions during the war.
In 1945 he made the radio broadcast announcing the unconditional surrender of Japan's military forces. Despite pressures to try him for war crimes by numerous leaders, among them President Truman, US General Douglas MacArthur insisted that Hirohito remain Emperor to keep him as a symbol of continuity and cohesion of the Japanese people. Hirohito was spared trial and retained the throne, but Hirohito was forced to explicitly reject the traditional claim that the Emperor of Japan was divine; a descendant of the Sun Goddess. The imperial title was thus transformed from 'imperial sovereign' to 'constitutional monarch', when in 1946,
See also: Gyokuon-housou, World War II
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