Age, Biography, and Wiki
Hirohito was born on April 29, 1901, in Tokyo, Japan, and passed away on January 7, 1989. He was the eldest son of Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei. Hirohito's reign was marked by significant historical events, including World War II. He played a crucial role in Japan's post-war reconstruction and transition into a modern, pacifist nation.
| Occupation | Political Leaders |
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| Date of Birth | 29 April 1901 |
| Age | 124 Years |
| Birth Place | Tōgū Palace, Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Country | Japan |
| Date of death | 7 January, 1989 |
| Died Place | Fukiage Palace, Tokyo, Japan |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Hirohito's physical measurements are not widely documented in public sources. However, he was known for his slender build and relatively short stature compared to Western leaders.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Hirohito married Princess Nagako of Kuni in 1924. She was the daughter of Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni, a member of the Imperial family. The couple had seven children together, with Akihito being the eldest son and eventual successor to the throne.
When Emperor Meiji died in 1912, Hirohito's father ascended the throne, and Hirohito was proclaimed crown prince and heir apparent in 1916. In 1921, he made an official visit to Great Britain and Western Europe, marking the first time a Japanese crown prince traveled abroad. Owing to his father's ill health, Hirohito became his regent that year. In 1924, Hirohito married Princess Nagako Kuni, and they had seven children. He became emperor upon his father's death in 1926.
The departure of Prince Hirohito was widely reported in newspapers. The Japanese battleship Katori was used, and departed from Yokohama, sailed to Naha, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Suez, Cairo, and Gibraltar. In April, Hirohito was present in Malta for the opening of the Maltese Parliament. After sailing for two months, the Katori arrived in Portsmouth on 9 May, on the same day reaching the British capital, London. Hirohito was welcomed in the UK as a partner of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance and met with King George V and Prime Minister David Lloyd George. That evening, a banquet was held at Buckingham Palace, where Hirohito met with George V and Prince Arthur of Connaught. George V said that he treated his father like Hirohito, who was nervous in an unfamiliar foreign country, and that relieved his tension. The next day, he met Prince Edward (the future Edward VIII) at Windsor Castle, and a banquet was held every day thereafter. In London, he toured the British Museum, the Tower of London, the Bank of England, Lloyd's Marine Insurance, Oxford University, Army University, and the Naval War College. He also enjoyed theater at the New Oxford Theatre and the Delhi Theatre.
At the University of Cambridge, he listened to Professor J. R. Tanner's lecture on "Relationship between the British Royal Family and its People", and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree. He visited Edinburgh, Scotland, from 19 to 20 May, and was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws at the University of Edinburgh. He stayed at the residence of John Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl, for three days. On his stay with Stuart-Murray, the prince was quoted as saying, "The rise of Bolsheviks won't happen if you live a simple life like Duke Athol."
After returning (from Europe) to Japan, Hirohito became Regent of Japan (Sesshō) on 25 November 1921, in place of his ailing father, who was affected by mental illness. In 1923 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army and Commander in the navy, and army Colonel and Navy Captain in 1925.
Over 12 days in April 1923, Hirohito visited Taiwan, which had been a Japanese colony since 1895. This was a voyage his father, the then Crown Prince Yoshihito had planned in 1911 but never completed.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Princess Nagako Kuni (m. 1924) |
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Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Hirohito's personal assets were not publicly disclosed. However, it is known that he inherited significant wealth and left a substantial legacy to his family. His successor, Emperor Akihito, inherited private assets worth approximately 1.87 billion yen, which Akihito reported paying taxes on. Hirohito's financial legacy is part of the broader wealth of the Imperial family, which includes vast holdings in real estate, art, and other assets.
Later in his life, Hirohito looked back on his decision to give the go-ahead to wage a 'defensive' war against China and opined that his foremost priority was not to wage war with China but to prepare for a war with the Soviet Union, as his army had reassured him that the China war would end within three months, but that decision of his had haunted him since he forgot that the Japanese forces in China were drastically fewer than that of the Chinese, hence the shortsightedness of his perspective was evident.
Career, Business, and Investments
Hirohito's career was defined by his role as Emperor of Japan. He played a key symbolic role in the country's governance and was instrumental in Japan's post-war reconstruction efforts. While specific business investments are not well-documented, the Imperial family's wealth includes significant holdings in stocks, bonds, and property. Hirohito's legacy also includes the preservation of cultural and historical assets, which are invaluable to Japan's identity.
Following the surrender of Japan, Emperor Hirohito was not prosecuted for war crimes at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal even though the Japanese had waged war in his name. The head of the Allied occupation of the country, Douglas MacArthur, believed that a cooperative emperor would facilitate a peaceful occupation and other U.S. postwar objectives. MacArthur therefore excluded any evidence from the tribunal which could have incriminated Hirohito or other members of the royal family. In 1946, Hirohito was pressured by the Allies into renouncing his divinity. Under Japan's new constitution drafted by U.S. officials, his role as emperor was redefined in 1947 as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". Upon his death in January 1989, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Akihito.
Having visited several sites outside of Taipei, Hirohito returned to the capital on the 24th and on 25 April, just one day before his departure, he visited the Beitou hotspring district of Taipei and its oldest facility. The original structure had been built in 1913 in the style of a traditional Japanese bathhouse. However, in anticipation of Hirohito's visit an additional residential wing was added to the earlier building, this time in the style of an Edwardian country house. The new building was subsequently opened to the public and was deemed the largest public bathhouse in the Japanese Empire. Crown Prince Hirohito was a student of science, and he had heard that Beitou Creek was one of only two hot springs in the world that contained a rare radioactive mineral. So, he decided to walk into the creek to investigate.
On 1 December 1937, Hirohito had given formal instruction to General Iwane Matsui to capture and occupy the enemy capital of Nanking. He was very eager to fight this battle since he and his council firmly believed that all it would take is a one huge blow to bring forth the surrender of Chiang Kai-shek. He even gave an Imperial Rescript to Iwane when he returned to Tokyo a year later, despite the brutality that his officers had inflicted on the Chinese populace in Nanking; thus Hirohito had seemingly turned a blind eye to and condoned these monstrosities.
Social Network
Hirohito's public life was highly formal and ceremonial. He did not engage in modern social networking platforms, as they did not exist during his lifetime. His interactions were largely confined to official duties and diplomatic engagements.
Naturally, concerned for a royal family member's safety, his entourage scurried around, seeking flat rocks to use as stepping stones. After that, these stones were carefully mounted and given the official name: “His Imperial Highness Crown Prince of Japan's Stepping Stones for River Crossing,” with a stele alongside to tell the story.
Education
Hirohito received a traditional imperial education, focusing on Confucian classics and military training. He did not attend a conventional university but was tutored by various scholars and military leaders.
In summary, while Hirohito's personal net worth at the time of his death is not explicitly documented, his legacy and the wealth of the Imperial family continue to influence Japan's cultural and economic landscape.
In 1908, he began elementary studies at the Gakushūin (Peers School). Emperor Mutsuhito, then appointed General Nogi Maresuke to be the Gakushūin's tenth president as well as the one in-charge on educating his grandson. The main aspect that they focused was on physical education and health, primarily because Hirohito was a sickly child, on par with the impartment or inculcation of values such as frugality, patience, manliness, self-control, and devotion to the duty at hand.
After learning about the death of his instructor, General Nogi, he along with his brothers were reportedly overcome with emotions. He would later acknowledge the lasting influence of Nogi in his life. At that time he was still two years away from completing primary school, henceforth his education was compensated by Fleet Admiral Togo Heihachiro and Naval Captain Ogasawara Naganari, wherein later on, would become his major opponents with regards to his national defense policy.
Shiratori Kurakichi, one of his middle-school instructors, was one of the personalities who deeply influenced the life of Hirohito. Kurakichi was a trained historian from Germany, imbibing the positivist historiographic trend by Leopold von Ranke. He was the one who inculcated in the mind of the young Hirohito that there is a connection between the divine origin of the imperial line and the aspiration of linking it to the myth of the racial superiority and homogeneity of the Japanese. The emperors were often a driving force in the modernization of their country. He taught Hirohito that the Empire of Japan was created and governed through diplomatic actions (taking into accounts the interests of other nations benevolently and justly).
