Hirohito

1901 – 1989

Hirohito, posthumously named Emperor Shōwa, was the 124th emperor of Japan and reigned from 1926 until his death in 1989. He presided as head of state and supreme commander of Imperial forces over the rise of Japanese militarism, the invasion of Manchuria, the Second Sino-Japanese War—including the 1937 Nanjing Massacre—and the Pacific theater of the Second World War, in which Japanese forces killed millions across Asia. After Japan's surrender in 1945 General Douglas MacArthur permitted him to keep the throne in exchange for cooperation with the U.S. occupation, and he reigned for another 44 years without ever facing trial for his role.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM