Emperor Hirohito & Showa Japan : a political biography

Emperor Hirohito reigned for more than 60 years, yet we know little about him or the part he really played in the turbulent history of Showa Japan.

This text draws on a wide range of Japanese and Western sources to examine Hirohito's political role in Showa Japan (1926-89).

This analysis focuses on key events in the Emperor's career, such as the extent to which he bore responsibility for Japanese aggression in the Pacific in 1941; and explains why Hirohito remains such acontested symbol in Japanese post-war politics.