World war 2 leader hirohito biography

Emperor Hirohito of Japan, 1971  ©Hirohito was Emperor of Japan from 1926 until his death in 1989. His role in Japan's government in the World War Two remains highly controversial.

Hirohito was born in Tokyo on 29 April 1901, the eldest son of Crown Prince Yoshihito. His father became emperor when Hirohito was 11.

In 1921, Hirohito went on a six-month tour of Europe, becoming the first member of the Japanese imperial family to travel abroad. He married an imperial princess, Nagako, in 1924 and they had seven children. Hirohito became emperor when his father died in 1926.

The emperor was regarded as divine by many Japanese. In reality he had little power, with civilian and increasingly military officials deciding national policy. He reluctantly supported the invasion of Manchuria and the war against China, and attempted to encourage cooperation with Britain and the USA. However, he had no choice but to approve the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbo