So emperor Hirohito died and lived to his 80s or 90s, why wasn’t he instantly killed or sent to jail after the war ended. Did he get punished at all?
In: 1701
Whereas Germany’s surrender was conditional, Japan’s had one condition- that Hirohito remain Emperor. This matter was a point of discussion between the British and Americans in the lead up to Japan’s surrender. The U.S. thought that Hirohito should be removed from the throne and the monarchy disbanded, while the British were themselves monarchists and therefore seeing the benefits of continuity of figurehead. Keep in mind Hirohito would not really have had that much say in the matters of war, that’s not how monarchies work these days. He did, however, have to admit to the Japanese public that he was not a god.
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