Emperor Hirohito: Bold Leader or War Criminal?

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

I'm from the Philippines and formerly working for a Japanese company. There was this story that some from my company went to Japan for a business trip in Tokyo. As they were walking down the street, an old man suddenly approached them and gave them money. Confused and somewhat embarassed, they initially refused but the old man insisted and almost begged them to take the money. It was later found out that the old man was a war veteran and I can only guess what he had did during the war that drove him to give reparations to us Filipinos in his own capacity. You can just imagine how this old man sleep at night... Think of all the nightmares.

[@ajeb7207]

Maybe the man thinks what he did is inhumane

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

@Robert E. Lee ϟϟ you call yourself after a defeated Confederate General and you have the insignia of the Nazi SS. You're not tough, you're a loser. L O S E R.

[@gilbertosantos2806]

@@hereLiesThisTroper not to mention an idiot, look at his spelling.

[@rawitammarapala9061]

@@hereLiesThisTroper I mean, the guy was nice because he takes responsibility. He must have seen many things.

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

@@rawitammarapala9061 he probably was. Years ago, I too went to Tokyo Japan for a business trip and on one of our free time, we went to Tokyo Tower to buy some souvenirs. There was this grandma selling some tea sets which I bought for a souvenir. She was really nice and she was always smiling. I thanked her and she bowed her head as well in gratitude. Later, while I was on my hotel room, I reflected on the encounter and I realized she looked as old as my grandmother who was around 90 at that time. Both were alive during the war and I wondered how their lives would have been and would the two become friends if they met? My grandmother and her family were hiding in the mountains during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. They feared for their lives and I wondered if the nice Japanese old lady had a similar experience especially during the Tokyo firebombings or the bombing of Hiroshima.

[@SusanOnTVShows]

Army; The Emporor is God! Hirohito: Stop the war. Army ignores him.

[@Xoruam]

I also enjoyed the story about the battle of Okinawa, where some asshole just got the bright idea to dress up his soldiers in civilian clothing and conduct the attacks this way, counting on the fact that America won't attack civilians. From what I've heard, It's basically what the Muslims were doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, except back then the rules of engagement weren't NEARLY as strict as they are right now. So, well... Soon he realized he counted wrong. And this is like final months of the war, when the USA was basically steamrolling through them. Still think the idea of arming the civilians with bamboo sticks in order to fight American soldiers tops them all though. I like Japan, I really do. But the WW2 officers should've been hanged by their balls for what they did (and wanted to do) to their own country. I still don't understand how Japanese right-wingers can actually take their side.

[@zihenglao3591]

@@Xoruam because they weren't there, they dont know what happened and only know the propaganda it's how people take control over youth who dont know better

[@kaibotski4939]

@Eric Smith what?

[@bruhcosby2722]

@Eric Smith Source please, I'd like to read about this.

[@augustuswade9781]

@@Xoruam traditional Chinese tactics 101: people's warfare Countered by: indiscriminate annihilation doctrine

[@Thatguy-nd7fn]

So the emperor never had any say in a military force that supposedly died for him. The irony

[@3mKay]

Japanese commanders and general are very fanatical and control the cabinet and military with force. Borrowed some books about Japan in library, even in early 1930s, military officers often disregard common rules in Japan, one group of officers even trashed the police station when some police try to arrest them when they were drunk from the previous few days. After the announcement of Japan's surrender, a group of officers storm the palace, broadcaster station, Prime Minister's residence and cabinet member's residence to attempt to block the broadcast, they committed seppuku after they realized their plot failed

[@MEleven-wh2kh]

Correct I'm not responsible for the crimes it was tojo

[@chris.hartliss]

Really is a microcosm of politics in general. Lol

[@MisterSpinalzo]

well, Japan is a country with a very opaque set of ethics and traditions that seems very strange to us in many cases such as this one

[@shreckogre9481]

pravin pursuthman i would like this comment but it has 420 likes so im not messing with that

[@forloned]

Worshiped as a God, but powerless to stop his country in going to war? Nuff said.

[@erinong193]

Yup the military had the power

[@gregorjerman973]

The People believe Emperors are decendants of Amaterasu Sun Goddess so they worship him as His Title is such but not as A Military Wielder But only a Ceremonial Figure.

[@qwertyqwerty6099]

The explanation can be found in history, the emperor didn't really have political power, he was the spiritual leader, the shogun had political/military power..

[@catholiccrusader5328]

That's exactly what I posted. If he was a living god he could have commanded his subjects obedience.

[@kokhowe]

The fact that the military said no to him on many occasions and even try to stop him by force towards the end probably indicates that they merely treated him as a tool more than a real god. He was only treated as a real god by the ignorant populous.

[@rimmipeepsicles1870]

You know that shogun-emperor relationship? That is exactly the same thing, Tojo has the real power while Hirohito's the puppet. Basically, WW2 Japan was a 20th Century shogunate.

[@rawitammarapala9061]

(I think) Britain was the same

[@angelusvastator1297]

@@dimitrisergei1637 It did modernise Japan but Japan took a 180 after being treated horribly at the Paris Peace Conference.

[@royalhero4608]

Exactly this. Anyone who knows even basic Japanese history can see this is the exact kind of rule going on here

[@gravecreeper85]

So true

[@MaloPiloto]

I sure agree, Rimmi!

[@Cornholio691]

"I wana get off mr. Hitler's wild ride." -Hirohito.

[@fiefdomofumbria6590]

Brooklyn Kurtz no

[@policyisquality3315]

Spooked ya

[@nicklasabrahamsson8836]

Ok then why no sue for peace? There's nothing stopping him when Germany is surrounded and would have no means to recipicate.

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

Matthew Chenault: ...and Stalin?

[@catholiccrusader5328]

@J M I agree with you; Hitler did come clean in his hatred of humanity, Hirohito was a hypocrite pretending he didn't know about the horror of WWII.

[@Mo10tov]

*SO BASICALLY* Emperor: Stop Military: No. Emperor: But I'm your god Military: No. Emperor: Please.. I'll give you 5 buck~ Military: Ok. Emperor: *Gives* So you stop now? Military: *Takes* No.

[@MisterSpinalzo]

well although the emperor is regarded as a Godlike figure it was also seen as honorable in pre-1945-Japan to disobey your lord or the emperor if it was for his well-being or the "greater good" (in that case Japans imperial ambitions). The occupation of Manchuria is a great example, not even the heads of the military in Japan were involved in that operation.

[@drakemcfee9138]

yup and after ww2 Emperor: SEE!? I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA!!! BUT NOOOOO, now we've been nuked, TWICE! And now everybody, EVERYBODY hates us

[@勝本-j9t]

Sad

[@SH-fx6ks]

I think it also comes down to the top military leaders knowing full well he was no god, but the image of him being so was convenient for them to gather support for war and influence people to fight.

[@robertkirby8685]

@Baron Von Grijffenbourg Clearly the long term consequence of dropping two bombs on Japan.

[@gimmethehealth7058]

Military: Yo lets kill China or something Hirohito: I don’t want to though Military: ... Hirohito: Ok fine, just please don’t kill me

[@Elcapitaan5]

Actually, he said to wait. He wanted to do what they did, but later. The plan was approved by him, only the timing was brought forward by the generals.

[@MEleven-wh2kh]

Yes I actually said that, but I was not responsible about China, it was tojo

[@parzival8331]

Yeah i dont get it was he just so powerless he couldn't doing anything to stop them bc he is the emperor so shouldn't he have the most power?

[@erinong193]

Its only tojos fault ffs

[@parzival8331]

@phillip martin oh so who really had a say in war, politics, ect.

[@andrewdurand339]

Japanese Army: "The Emperor is a god." Hirohito: "Stop invading Manchuria." Japanese Army: "Up yours, we'll do what we want."

[@kamikazefilmproductions]

@@luxembourgishempire2826 i think everyone deleted there comments

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

@@kamikazefilmproductions True. And so did I other than this one.

[@beandiesel974]

@@luxembourgishempire2826 Yo dude, you remember me? The guy who said Germany was better than luxembourg? Long time no see brother lol

[@chidori7234]

plays Battotai on shittyflute

[@村田利仁]

⬛Do you guys know the true meaning of war crimes? Is Japan continuing to deny? A little different but Naturally? "War criminals" and "defeat Responsible person" 　　 Don't confuse the two. ⬛Conversely, according to international law, Truman and Roosevelt are the only war criminals compared to the Nazis. As a very interesting fact ... Roosevelt applies to all A, B, and C class war crimes.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:00 - Chapter 1 - Early years 6:30 - Chapter 2 - Assuming the throne 9:10 - Chapter 3 - Rise of the military 12:10 - Chapter 4 - War with china 13:45 - Chapter 5 - World war 16:45 - Chapter 6 - The emperor's voice 17:50 - Chapter 7 - The post war years 19:10 - Chapter 8 - End of an emperor

[@aydinpinjari9892]

Thank you, kind stranger.

[@matthewmorgan7093]

Not all hero’s wear capes

[@SpaceMotorist]

Not sure what he was but hair game was on point.

[@Aztlan632]

And his 17 Chins

[@toasty8926]

Greg A Gamer what chins?

[@nguyennhutquang4450]

Toasty HOI4 players will understands lol

[@junewife]

@@nguyennhutquang4450 Omg yes, chins... many chins

[@jameshartford8786]

He kinda looks like Himmler

[@eratoisyourmuse659]

My great grandfather was captured by the Japanese in '42. He died of starvation and disease in '44. My great grandma was pregnant with my grandma when he was shipped out. She never met her father. The Canadian government released his military records to us, which had descriptions inside the prison camps. Prisoners were beaten, starved and outright killed, sometimes out of sheer boredom on behalf of the guards. It was pretty sick.

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

Same thing happened with Japanese POWs in Soviet Siberian gulags. Many of the Japanese POWs in the Soviet slave camps died due to horrid inhumane conditions. History is not black and white. There are many shades of grey.

[@redtube8667]

@@Yes_Fantasy_419 from my understanding of the original comment, he wasn't saying anything about which side had a more humane prison camp. Stalinist Gulags being worse doesn't take away from another nation committing war crimes. When someone tells a story about a family member dying in a gulag, responding by saying, "Well, Auschwitz was worse" is fucked up and insensitive.

[@regularstan6212]

@@Yes_Fantasy_419 Hirohito knew and condoned ALL the war crimes. The jan 6th rioters got a way harsher punishment than he did. He should have been charged as the criminal he was.

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

@@redtube8667 Boy the Soviets were also notorious for murdering civilians and POWs and being immensely cruel, brutal, and sadistic. Unlike the Nazis and Germans, the Soviets tortured people mostly for fun rather than for information. Also out of the 3 million German POWs who were deported to Siberian gulags, over 1.1 million German POWs died from the horrendous conditions of those slave camps. It's no wonder the USA and UK immediately wanted to go to war with the Soviet Union when all things were said and done. Bruh the Soviets even helped the Nazis kickstart World War 2 by helping invade Poland.

[@redtube8667]

@@Yes_Fantasy_419 Absolutely none of that is remotely relevant to what I said.

[@zacharyclark4290]

Here is my verdict. Hirohito was too powerless to resist but knew enough to be complicit. I think that the US did the right thing in not putting the Emperor on trial and am proud that the Japanese have proved themselves to be a invaluable friend to the United States.

[@chimebath85]

Zachary Clark well said. I think he would have been assassinated if he refused to acquiesce with the military. Again, he's a man with flaws but glad he proved to be a descent man at the end by owning up to his decisions.

[@lightseyedea5689]

Zachary Clark it's actually a pretty big debate. There have been a lot of rumors about how MacArthur after the surrender talked to Hideki Tojo and other leaders and found that Hirohito did make a lot of the calls (using chemical weapons) but it would've created to much of a public out cry to get rid of Hirohito so as the story goes he let them get there stories straight and take the fall for Hirohito. I'm not saying which is true just that it's not all that clear cut!

[@TakCWAL]

Hirohito is too powerless to resist because the Emperor of Japan had always been powerless. That is why the Emperor of Japan, prior to the Meiji Ishin, had been compared to the Pope by Westerners. The Japanese Emperor was a political figurehead, having lost almost all political power prior to the Sengoku-Jidai. Even during the Meiji Ishin the slogan "restore the Imperial Throne" was just that, a slogan. Power was never restored to the Emperor, and should the Emperor deviate from the wishes of the military (the actual power brokers of Japan), then the latter, no matter how reluctant, would initiate a complicated process to 'exchange' for a more complicit Emperor.

[@adamrebika5128]

Poor man really was between a rock and a hard place... I guess there wasn't any right choice for him

[@augusthayek4957]

There are some other important points other than the Japanese Emperors had historically been a figure head. One, the International Law operates on the state authority theory that individuals cannot be punished for the acts of the country. Tokyo Trial was a blatant violation of International Law. Second, especially since the turn of the century, more and more evidences are coming out and declassified to indicate that it was actually FDR who cornered Japan into a war against US, thus Pearl Harbor. Important references include "Freedom Betrayed" by George Nash, which was banned to be published after the War; VENONA files. Third, it was actually the Han Chinese that attacked Japan in Manchuria. Japan got that part of Manchuria from Russia, not from China. The Han Chinese have never ruled Manchuria in their entire history.

[@primesspct2]

I visited Okinawa last year and actually had the privilege of being led by a war survivor,Natsuko, who was just a child at the time of the war. Her parents had committed suicide, like many, many of the Okinawan people, and the japanese military stationed there. She had studied the war, and the mindset of her people at that time ,all of her life. She said the American troops saved her life there, and saved many ,many more who had not wanted to commit suicide and were hiding, and starving to death. She said that the japanese people were brain-washed. And that the coming of the american troops enabled dissemination of knowledge, and therefore, in the long run the people were better off now, than before the war. I was so shocked to hear her viewpoint, to which she added tours and pictures etc. Natsuko is a courageous, vivacious woman, who said her perspective is not popular with many of her own people, but the facts were there , and could not be disputed. She was an amazing guide , who even in her advanced years , with whom we could hardly keep pace with, in the blazing Okinawa sun ; teaching and instructing us with every step. She was one of the amazingingly hospitable ,and warm people we met., My trip to Japan was the trip of a life time! Excellent documentary as always !

[@daniell1483]

That sounds fantastic. In my limited experience, Japanese folks have a difficult time reconciling their past to who they are now. Some see their defeat as a monstrous injustice, others see their own nation as the committer of such injustice, and every point in between.

[@mariusmatei2946]

You've got that right, her perspective is absolutely not popular with most of the Japanese; and that's reflected in the fact that (Unlike Germany) Japan Has Never Issued An Apology For (Any Of) The Atrocities It Had Committed During World War 2 (in the name of their emperor, no less)!!

[@mariusmatei2946]

​@@daniell1483 Japan, And the Japanese Are Absolutely Responsible For Everything they Did (All The Atrocities they Committed) During World War 2; that the Japanese, at large, feel otherwise, Suggests That If they Got The Chance, they Would Do It All Over Again, Without A Second Thought!!

[@マイケルフォート]

今だと定期的に米軍兵士の犯罪に沖縄県民が苛立ってるけどね

[@jinz0]

So he was first emperor to go abroad, and first place England, after he always had Full English breakfast each morning, what a lad

[@RobKandell]

Knowing that Hirohito was educated as a marine biologist explains post WWII Japanese sci-fi/horror movies.

[@KatzRool]

There are many benefits to being a Marine Biologist.

[@s4rthakforreal]

@@KatzRool so Jotaro Kujo was the emperor of Japan

[@RapinatorOhYeah]

Why... Why... I think of a different thing... I hate my brain

[@ThatGuy76985]

Also explains a certain character from a bizarre adventure

[@mariusmatei2946]

So, are you suggesting that he (Emperor Hirohito) directed, or produced (any of) those films?

[@peter-radiantpipes2800]

Another excellent choice. One major issue I see in education is the West splits history. We never are taught much about Eastern history and there is so much to learn. If we are learning world history, it shouldn’t be all western based.

[@khorkienjoo5292]

Peter E. I agree.

[@wiwysova]

Peter E. Well the west had done more important things so we might as well focus on the west.

[@thomasalvarez6456]

wiwysova Hmmm kind of

[@richgilligan8516]

I agree with you to a point. I have studied in multiple countries around Europe, SouthEast Asia, and Central America. ( Not bragging, just giving context) Each place I have been to and taught something about their history puts them and their decisions at the center of the story. We are all to blame for splitting history. ​

[@wiwysova]

Rich Gilligan I don't mean to sound like a white supremacist, or knock contributions, or important moments in history fr other groups of people, for the record.

[@ilo3456]

Poor Hirohito, it seems he actually wanted to be a peaceful man who wanted to build up Japan, but got his country highjacked by the armed forces

[@superposition3717]

CPU Purple Heart/Neptune I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic.

[@Sniper5875]

CPU Purple Heart/Neptune nep nep nep

[@ilo3456]

Superposition If you saw the Video, at every time the armed forces wanted to wage war he didn't want to launch Japan into war, but he did not have the power to stop it, and his life was threatened by the military, he was powerless to stop the military from going to wage war on China, he did not have the power, he was as Simon said a pacifist and didn't want to see Japan plunged into war

[@dimitrialphonso1727]

He probably could've ordered the assassination of the military leaders who defied him.

[@ilo3456]

Dmitri Alphonso Problem with that, how would he get his order to the people needed to take down that military, if the military basically controls the country and most likely have people watching him, it is not like today were with internet you can easily send messages. Basically he lives in a castle, which most likely would be guarded by soldiers loyal to the military leaders as to avoid him doing anything against them, most likely hold his family hostage, so if he didn't cooperate his own life and his family's would have been endangered, I am sure if he only had to fear for himself it would have been easy to fight back but when you have other people to worry about it makes you less willing to take risks. Also he had no control over the military, Japan was basically a Military Junta.

[@dabeastfromdaweast9788]

Hey may have been seen as a god, but he was constantly surrounded by devils.

[@azirolizznan90]

word

[@bella50008]

He was the devil.

[@danishhaikal2839]

@@bella50008 stfu you even watch the video?

[@Made_In_Heavenn]

@@danishhaikal2839 idiots like him doesnt need research ( like sjw )

[@life-sf1oz]

​@@bella50008Not him the military

[@justindavis-smith8462]

He didn't plan the attack on pearl harbor, it was his military highest ranking officers went behind his back and started the attack without the emperors highest command, watch the movie the emperor.

[@jessbellis9510]

I feel bad for Emperor Hirohito. Seems like at heart he was a gentle soul and probably would've been happier as a common man able to garden and have a bug collection.

[@markg.7865]

That's why you can't let the military get too big.

[@RotoMiner]

He had the power to put an end to things but repeatedly chose not too. This video is a little bit of revisionist history.

[@markg.7865]

@@RotoMiner Are you sure he had the power, it seems the military had the real power.

[@australium7374]

@@RotoMiner general Tojo has more authority military wise than Hirohito due to the impossibly strong position the military had in japans politics which had seeped in since the 1880s. It was only a matter of time

[@alexiarai955]

@@markg.7865 He did, but he was constantly threatened and coerced into not doing so.

[@kryts27]

When Hirohito broadcast to the Japanese nation, over the radio, he did not declare, "Japan will surrender to the Allies" (as you claimed), but "the war has not necessarily progressed to the advantage of Japan". Obviously a masterly understatement, but also cleverly deflecting his part in orchestrating it.

[@Kerfufflefuf]

I never really knew anything about Hirohito. I knew that it was the Tojo cabinet that faced the full responsibility of Japanese warcrimes, but I didn't know whether the emperor had any culpability. He kind of reminds me of both Kaiser Wilhelm and Tzar Nicholas II, neither wanted war (and even communicated extensively with each other to diffuse the situation created with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand) but both were ultimately overturned by the advisors and military leaders. Just goes to show just how power in a monarchy can be far more symbolic than anything else.

[@hemmingtait]

What you mean Japan did not do any war crimes

[@Kerfufflefuf]

@@hemmingtait Did you even read my comment? Guess not, otherwise you would have seen that I wrote "the Tojo cabinet faced full responsibility of Japanese WARCRIMES". Do yourself a favour, actually read what people write before your make a comment.

[@hemmingtait]

@@Kerfufflefuf nope ich did not

[@kaitlynfalkner6443]

Yet he could have ordered the government to stop yet he didn’t. He was a GOD to the people they needed to OBEY him and listen to him, die for him AT ALL COSTS. He was yellow spine wussy if anything. He definitely could have stopped. And I disagree because after the Japanese surrendered UNCONDITIONALLY, yet he was still allowed to remain in power. And according to the Japanese during their war crime trials, most REFUSED to say anything bad about their emperor.

[@snoopyshultz]

zero he still reigned and lived a long life as emperor. the whole horohito was a nice guy is just deflection to keep him in power his subjects will take the fall for their god .

[@NachiV]

Never knew emperor Hirohito was such a noble soul. He was probably just born in the wrong time

[@cascorick8253]

J M not by a long shot, that award would definitely go to your Christian God! Doesn't the Bible say he's wiped out the total population of the Earth at least a couple times? Oh yeah, he did leave a few people, didn't he!

[@alexanderkorol677]

He really was...born in the wrong generation

[@tuckercarlson3127]

@J M so has the USA everyone(country) has

[@cascorick8253]

J M Jesus never existed, so yeah the chances of him killing anyone are nonexistent, like him!

[@cascorick8253]

Duncan M a comment like that identifies you as a true Christian! What's the m stand for? moron!

[@bryanschmidt7336]

As an American resident of Japan, I thank you for this video. Very informative. Japan today is mostly delightful, but its past is sometimes horrifying. I often witness and ponder the effects of Japan's centuries-long isolation from the rest of the world. In many ways, they were not ready for the world stage, but there they are anyway

[@variaxi935]

The history of the whole darn world is unbearably dark. I'm just glad we've got the ability to easily learn from it 🙏

[@treystephens6166]

Japan 🇯🇵 was ruled by War Lords for far too long.

[@CherriesJubilee]

He was also a legitimate science who made a few notable discoveries in marine biology. I think it would be fun to do an episode about monarchs that made significant discoveries or were experts in unexpected fields.

[@independent_owl706]

This is really interesting!!! Want to know about this

[@lingling5278]

Boring

[@SeabassFishbrains]

the sheer amount of fantastic content that Simon manages to put out freely available on the internet never ceases to amaze me!

[@bella50008]

don't know about the rest of his stuff but this piece is BS. Complete BS

[@schafer18]

If it's free, you are the product

[@coleboone8826]

Next one should be about the last emperor of China Puyi

[@melvinprado3478]

Cole Boone You got to it first. I gonna ask for it.

[@hyltoniali257]

Definintely the most fortunate LAST emperor after revolution...In contrast to Nicolaas the tsar & his entire family

[@daltonagronomo1652]

Pu Yi was just a Hirohito's puppet.

[@NorthButeLego]

Absolutely

[@Wdjtekryhsg]

Just read his bio on wikipedia the chicoms were nice to him and he didn't end up like nicholas the second

[@drscopeify]

There is a great book by British journalist Edward Behr with pretty damming evidence on Hirohito's involvement in the military actions if not worse. Regardless though, he did greatly help in post war Japan, if at least in limiting any civil unrest and leading to a smooth transition by reassuring the people. His actions post war show how a man can always change for the good.

[@pegcity4eva]

Well not voluntarily.

[@snoopyshultz]

the whole horihito was a nice guy opinion is so highly disputed it's disgusting he even goes with this single take

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

​@snoopyshultz Boy, keep crying. Also, why wasn't Mao tried as a war criminal for his role in the massive 50 million deathtoll from both the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution? Get fucked.

[@goonhoongtatt1883]

Did he have any choice other than being a Washington puppet?

[@YoreHistory]

It was that reverence for his ancestors that would in my opinion help save the Japanese nation by asking them to surrender. We need to understand that they were prepared to fight to the last civilian...an unbearable and unthinkable human toll on all sides would have been required to conquer the island and even the nuclear option would have been a tough slog and impacted the world in unpredictable ways. The 6 council leadership which included the Prime Minister was at a deadlock..3 for peace and 3 for continuing down the path of no surrender no matter what. The deadlock wasn't just simply broken by the emperor. It was due thankfully to their Prime Minister who did the then unthinkable...he asked the Emperor to break the tie. He had rolled his last die and hoped that the Emperor would side on sanity...thankfully the emperor did in fact see reason and sanity prevailed. He asked the people both military and civilian to honor their ancestors and lay down their arms.

[@beardedpanda5086]

This was actually a really good video. I’m usually overly critical when it comes to history especially Japanese history. I Loved your coverage of it. The analysis seemed extremely similar to the book Hirohito the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P Bix

[@VexillologyHub]

Can you do Tojo next?

[@rsuriyop]

Vexillology Hub YES... I would very much like to know why such a person would authorize military strikes against the U.S. knowing that they cannot win such a fight. And worse, not even thinking about the aftermath or the country's future because of that.

[@skyMcWeeds]

Include Yamashita too

[@officiallan2606]

YES

[@me0101001000]

It only makes sense. While Showa was emperor, Tojo had the real power.

[@_TheOgre_]

@@rsuriyop I'm 5 months late, but all the leaders of Japan knew they would lose if the United States got in the war. When Yamamoto was planning to attack Pearl Harbor he was fully aware of the terrible fury that would come after but he tried to strike the US where it hurt in hope that the Pacific campaign would be /that/ much "easier". (Unfortunately the US's carriers weren't there like it was planned so it didn't have /as/ much of an impact). I believe MacArthur called the Japanese war moves "Cornered-rat tactics" because while the Japanese absolutely knew they were going to lose the war fighting the U.S., they planned to make the fight so drawn out and deadly that the societies of Allied forces would have enough and it wouldn't be worth trying to continue the campaign against Japan from loss of life. World War II Japan was literally ready to die down to the very last Japanese person. I believe Tojo and Hiro Onoda, the man who continued fighting in the Philippines for 30 years after WWII ended, attended the same school, which taught their extreme military discipline. Onoda's book of his surviving in the Philippines gives you a real look of the indoctrination he had, and something probably very similar to Tojo.

[@themechanic.9545]

*Hirohito:* Finally, I've found it after 15 years... The Scroll of Truth! *Scroll:* Tojo invades the rest of Asia as part of his Annexation Program, and Japan has committed one of the world's most heinous War Crimes in all of Mankind; The Rape of Nanking. *Hirohito:* NYEHH!

[@tonymondelli1732]

Hirohito honestly sounds like a pretty good guy who was just put into a scared and terrible position. If had exercised his own power a little more aggressively he may have gotten his way.

[@redtube8667]

Hirohito directly approved and ordered multiple invasions and did little to even try to keep the military in check. He went as far as preventing Tojo from being ousted from power on multiple occasions. There are records of General MacArthur going out of his way to make sure Tojo took the blame instead of Hirohito, such as coaching him (Tojo) through his testimony during the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. Hirohito should have been tried as a war criminal. He is just as guilty as the man he kept in power. He deserved the cancer he died from. I hope the way he died helped the dead of Nanking rest easier.

[@1eyeddevil929]

Thing is, he can't. Same here in Singapore. President/Emperor? They are just for show

[@redtube8667]

@@1eyeddevil929 Prior to the Japanese surrender in 1945, Hirohito had legitimate exercisable power in the Japanese court. Major military operations, such as invasions, had to be approved directly by him. Japan's defeat in World War 2 is why the Japanese Imperial Throne has no official power in the Japanese court.

[@Moscoviya2009]

Problem is Emperor Hirohito was a constitutional monarch which meant he didn't have direct authority over the Japanese government. And he feared if he stopped the war, the military might throw a coup d'etat and replace him with someone else more agreeable.

[@Newidhan]

like the character of emperor Meiji says in the last samurai "I'm only emperor as long as I do what they want" or something along those lines.

[@marozasulaiman379]

Hirohito: Don't play with Hitler Tojo: * playing with Hitler and adopted his moustache * Hirohito: Dang it Tojo, you had ONE JOB

[@itskitty808]

Hirohito: *facepalm*

[@cosmopedore641]

@Emperor Hirohito ok

[@chidori7234]

_This enraged Adolf's father, who punished him severely..._

[@SMH55]

Hirohito was no monster tojo is another thing tho

[@catholiccrusader5328]

Anybody who has power and do nothing is worse than a monster; he was weak.

[@sleepyllama3673]

Fred C. Wilson III He had no power

[@caif4]

Not entirely Tojo either. A lot of the actual Class A war criminals were mid grade officers who acted outside of their rank

[@apalahartisebuahnama7684]

@@catholiccrusader5328 what?, Where's that came from, for me the real monster is those who abuse their power, if you in Hirohito's position what you would going to do?, Threat to commit suicide or resign?

[@nozecone]

@@catholiccrusader5328 So ... being weak is worse than being a monster? ... weird .....

[@ShalK423]

Started with top tens but Biographics is now my fave of your work. More more more! Love the way you present Simon.

[@lordvicetroy2713]

He personally feels that the war was a mistake but as a Living Sun God and as the Emperor of Japan He couldn’t say no even if he wanted to. He Believes that it was justified to ensure the survival, independence and a show of strength of Japan’s power to the world. He loathes the discord but It was a holy war for greatness and to maintain world peace he would accept a co prosperity in Asia made by his government He would say “this is a bad idea but a great idea though so okay pull the Trigger”.

[@andreykva5996]

One thing to add, when Yasukuni shrine added the war criminals in the mid 1970s, the late Emperor Hirohito and his later successors stopped making visits to the shrine. The shrine enshrined not just the dead of WWII but even from Boshin war and up to the First Indochina war(there was a sizeable amount of Japanese soldiers that stayed to fight on Viet Minh's side) I personally visited the shrine's museum and oh my gosh, they literally twisted the truth and said half truths about the war. Oof and because they know it's half truths, they never allowed phototaking or an videoing to be done there. These people truly lost their marbles.

[@MTC008]

hirohito should've been executed along with other of his fellow war criminal men just like what they did to top generals of the nazis in the nuremburg trials, sparing him from war crime penalties of ww2 is like sparing adolf hitler from his war crime of killing the jewish people, italy abdicated it's monarchy after ww2 which japan should've have done the same thing

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

Not that much worse than China's cult of personality and giant golden statues and portraits of Mao Zedong whose regime caused more than 50 million deaths in China.

[@pyry1948]

"war criminal" something the winning side never is...

[@truetails1]

Unit 731

[@bereftspud279]

*cough* USSR *cough*

[@magikmann3952]

To even suggest that the acts of the allies Excluding the soviet union is comparable to what the axis powers commited is just utter ignorance

[@truetails1]

Point taken, but i dont feel like soviet war crimes have in anyway been under-stated or ignored in the same way japanese war crimes were.

[@GM-tw4el]

MAGIK MANN there was still mass rape, murder and looting by allied soldiers. Only difference is theirs weren’t state funded. I’m sure the allied soldiers would have done their job had they been the torturers, concentration camp guards, etc.

[@CoolBeansGG]

Hey Simon, awesome Biographics, i love the topics you chose and present to us,love watching both of your channels,please keep it up, you are doing great work entertaining us with facts and biographic stories broadening our horizons! Cheers Simon,sending regards from Europe to you and your fans

[@elijahperalta3652]

Icefyre Dragon the thing is that most people want older people of history because we normally dont hear about them as well as modern leaders

[@ronmeier8850]

We are so glad that you approve

[@hnobleh]

Thank you. This bio clears up a lot of misinformation I had and the mystery of why he was allowed to remain on the throne after hostilities. You have put together great program worthy of distinction.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Can you imagine a Japan, where the emperor actually stood up against the military early on, and ultimately end up executed by the military? Without him to speak out and encourage the Japanese to surrender at a pivotal moment in the war, the war could have ended up with the complete destruction of the Japanese empire. And the deaths of so many more soldiers and civilians on both sides. In a weird, twisted way, he was a hero. A coward, yes, but a hero. No pun intended.

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

He wasn't a coward you fool.

[@quyenluong3705]

Emperors r supposed to rule the country and military is supposed to work for him. If he was that good, he wouldn’t have to stand against the military. They military would just listen to him.

[@deusexaethera]

Can you imagine a Japan where the emperor exercised his authority to execute any member of his cabinet who disobeyed him, and thus actually maintained control of his country?

[@juanmanuelpenaloza9264]

Heroism is a matter of perspective. What we may call cowardice may be the right thing, and heroism could be cowardice in veil. In the end, all that matters is the results and what was done to achieve them.

[@Genesongx]

@@deusexaethera he couldnt, you just cant enforce you status when the enforcers themselves say no

[@D0ng1]

I’m glad I’ve gotten hooked on these videos. I love history and while I definitely know a lot about it, I certainly don’t know everything and this was a really great video for me to watch. Personally I’ll admit I don’t know a ton of history about the Far East (mostly having focused more on Europe and American history myself) but learning all of this about Hirohito earned a lot of sympathy from me. Honestly I’ll admit I was rather ignorant on the subject but I really do feel bad that this man genuinely wanted to do good, but the might of the military leadership Kinda just bullied him into going to war.

[@xamina12345]

The man only wants to collect bugs and live peacefully with his beautiful wife

[@yeezyyankie324]

Hirohito: I want to be a chill leader Military: Unfortunately for you history will not see it that way

[@oilfan9445]

This video opened my eyes to so many things that I never knew about Hirohito. Thank you so much

[@reaganation6000]

After hearing what you said, I could not help but compare him to the movie version of his grandfather in The Last Samurai. Both are men who are seen as gods, but not firm enough to control those who are supposed to listen to him, a mere puppet for them.

[@Jw-no7id]

In the end a decision of necessity was made. Keeping the emperor in place was seen as a needed measure to control the populace and prevent uprisings. Even during Tojo's trial they made sure to direct any blame away from the emperor.

[@bunnybird9342]

Realistically they could not try him or else the Japanese people would get angry

[@applesandgrapesfordinner4626]

@@bunnybird9342 True. While you can say he was partially culpable, to try him for the war would not only be a short-sighted move, understandable it is, but also a diplomatic disaster in the long term.

[@roam980]

This kinda reminds me of the situation in Ba Sing Se, except the king is aware of what's going on, but is powerless to do anything about it

[@Emot10ns]

Ba sing se is based off a mix of Chinese and Japanese empires during the 1920s-50s

[@RailTV01]

no war in ba sing se

[@RailTV01]

@@Emot10ns fire nation was the japan, earth nation was china

[@emilypaxton5601]

Thank you for putting out such high quality videos! I always learn a lot and I appreciate everyone who works on them. ^^

[@NoOne-py5or]

Should talk about the man with the real power in japan during ww2 Hideki Tojo

[@raphaelfoo6610]

Shaggy’s “it wasn’t me” would have been the perfect background music to this video

[@punkhyena875]

Honestly Hirohito was basically one of the biggest heroes of the war he pretty much nearly lost his life to get a message out to the Japanese people the military didn't want them to hear. Like I guarantee if he wasn't able to hide himself and the recording they would have probably executed him and blamed America to continue the war. But yeah I honestly consider that to be one of the single bravest life saving acts of the war.

[@Dud3itsj3ff]

Imagine if he was strong enough to keep the reigns on his countries military in the first place… How different the world today could be.

[@tomfrazier1103]

The Emperor's role in the late war was subject to spin control immediately on the surrender. There were huge document barbecues. Japanese and American officials had their spin festival. As far as I see, He sort of wanted to do well, and be an English style Decent Chap, but was hampered by his native reticence. A lot of people in the combatant nations wanted his hanging at Sugamo or someplace.

[@indefatigable8193]

I’ve been a nerd of Japanese history since the 4th grade. And now at 33 I have come to learn that throughout the vast history of Japan, the military will always swallow up the emperor. There was nothing he could do. This was basically a second shogunate age. And no emperor had the power even in the first shogunate to stop them. It took an encroaching west to focus minds. I think the emperor was aware of this. In some way Emperor Showa was rooting for the allies. He knew his history. And as far as vindication, I think his statements speak volumes. What else could he do?

[@jeffreygunn3150]

Excellent video(s). Ever think of doing a video on someone like Slobodan Milosevic? I know you’ve done several videos about evil dictators, but very interesting and there must be quite a bit out there about him. Keep up the great videos!

[@jennymiller1974]

I gleaned so much more information from this episode then from a ridiculously and overly "patriotic" lesson back in high school about the Emperor. I find his reign to be such a tragic story. Thank you for this information. On a side note, I utterly love I think any channel with Simon presenting. I will listen to the most dry history presentations, but he makes it much more interesting. Thank you to Simon and the Biographics team.

[@rabbi120348]

There's a video on YT called "Hirohito's War" by a real historian. He says that the idea that the emperor was uninvolved was a convenient myth promulgated by the Allies to keep Japan unified and therefore from falling to the Soviets (who occupy some Japanese islands to this day). But he was in on the war planning all along apparently.

[@venturatheace1]

Don’t suppose you know his channel name?

[@rabbi120348]

​@venturatheace1 No, but if you search for "Hirohito's War" you'll probably find it.

[@MR-wh6ji]

Please do a Video about Emperor Wilhelm II.

[@rabnadskubla8594]

Desperado Davee Kaiser Wilhelm II

[@Masssel]

D E R Z W E I T E

[@randomclouds4404]

Desperado Davee A ruler that largely stood on the sidelines with his generals doing most of the work.

[@conorflynn6666]

RABNAD SKUBLA kaiser is emperor in Germany

[@blindmelonlemonjello]

Almost positive it was austrohungarian empire in 1890,s

[@redsloane879]

Another excellent presentation!! Thanks!! Never knew he was a meek mannered person; can't imagine being in the position of no control and not stopping the military...as you'd be assassinated!

[@teddyn240]

Great video, would have been nice to see this video sooner since I just finished a class on the history of modern Japan.

[@Elcapitaan5]

Read this. www.goodreads.com/book/show/93959.Hirohito_and_the_Making_of_Modern_Japan

[@biryanibeti3767]

I have a final project on this and I was stressing cause I didn’t know what to write thank you for this video 🙏

[@loobly]

Pretty much Hirohito: hey military could you not commit atrocities Military: did someone say assassination? Hirohito: nonono by all means just please know I don't agree at all Military: oh cool so you totally agree good thing we see eye to eye

[@itskitty808]

Hirohito: No! I said no war! Military: okay, war it is! Hirohito: No no, you idiots! I said not war!!! Stand. Down.

[@kekero540]

Can you do John Wilkes Booth? His family history is immensely interesting and have several very Notable red flags.

[@ericlanglois9194]

"Isn't it strange, G'Kar? When we first met I had no power and all the choices I could ever want. And now I have all the power I could ever want and no choices at all. No choice at all." -- Londo Mollari, Babylon 5

[@hansenyan6217]

military; we are going to start a war and die for you and you are going to like it Hirohito: wait n military: *starts the war

[@odonnelladrianne]

Ohhh, sir simon- can't help but love how humble and respectful you can be haha

[@jcsv12345]

If you're a puppet and people kill in your name and you go out and do everything to publicly support the cause you're still complicit. That's what happened with Puyi. Hirohito was not a puppet, however. He literally forced the military to surrender by the end of the war and was able to issue orders. As such, he simply did nothing.

[@stevenwebb3634]

When the Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser was accused of stealing the emperor's flag at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics he let her keep it.

[@cohengamertv6548]

Whoa epic

[@andrewjones-productions]

The Olympic Flag flying outside of the Imperial Palace and not the Emperor's Flag.

[@stevenwebb3634]

@@andrewjones-productions oh okay, I remember being told it was his flag year ago.

[@fightingdreamer123]

I dont know the exact timeline but I am pretty sure that recent diaries coveries from diaries of those around him revealed he did bear some responsibility, but also (unlike his current country's government) admotted immense guilt towards his part in the war. But yeah, mostly Tojos fault for the atrocities. I am Korean and Chinese and, while I may never like Hirohito, can definitely respect the fact that Tojo and the army are at fault

[@valmid5069]

18:40 Hirohito the Science Guy

[@variaxi935]

Married the woman he liked against all advice; stuck with her and only her (when struggling to bear children) against all advice. As an American, regardless of the war, I'd say he's earned my respect 🙏

[@user-jk4mi4ns3n]

You sometimes get words wrong but the content and passion is there THANK YOU

[@NumberCaboose]

This video really does paint Hirohito in a positive light. It seems like he rdid not have much of a choice given his position, and that his image was simply being used by a bloodthirsty, irruption military state to promote an agenda of regional domination. Huge props to him for promoting peace, stability, and negotiations for the end of the conflict, and massive respect for having the courage to personally speak against his godhood and end a traditional thought that spanned millennia. I hope opinion on him has and will continue to soften. Besides that, I love your videos - it's a way for me to keep with the history I've always loved. And, if you were to take a Japanese pronunciation quiz, I think you'd get a B+ :) Better than average. In case you're interested, the following are just a couple of rules that would correct the few errors I heard: "A" is always pronounced "ah" "E" is always "ay" (Meiji is "May-Jee") "I" is always "ee" "O" is always "oh" "U" is always "oo" No real exceptions unless you combine vowels like in "Meiji", then you would just combine the above sounds :) Great vid! Hope you don't think I'm having a go.

[@fishsticks3729]

Army: pledges life to god hirohito Hirohito: “stop” Army: y’all hear sumn?

[@drewpamon]

I think he could have done more had he really tried. I also think the government, both ours and theirs, worked to minimize his culpability.

[@cassandraralph5906]

Thank you so much for sharing this interesting and educational video, I learned something new today again!

[@Svensk7119]

I have always considered Emperor Hirohito to be hero for opposing the war and finally bringing about peace.

[@princekrazie]

That is fascinating. I always thought him a one-dimensional asshole who got off what he deserved, but it seems that he is not the absolute evil that some think he is, being opposed to invading and all that.

[@peterIV88]

He looks like the asian himmler

[@fahoodie1852]

p l Unlike Himmler you can’t accuse him of massive crimes against humanity

[@avelus5984]

He was an angel compared to Himmler. Tojo loos much more like Himmler.

[@angelusvastator1297]

Himmler looks pretty Asian himself.

[@Ikaros23]

@@angelusvastator1297 He looks Japanese

[@kamikazefilmproductions]

At least this asian himmler tried to stop it

[@MrAchsas]

honestly quite a sad story feel bad for him

[@RobotHunter1234]

I’m not justifying his negligence to put his foot down against his military commanders, but I got a smile on my face hearing that after the war he was able to enjoy working in marine biology, what he always wanted to do deep down in his heart, in mu opinion

[@warrioroflight6872]

It sounds to me like he was neither a bold leader or a war criminal. A decent man who just didn't have the courage or the opportunity to stop the senseless bloodshed.

[@kalashnikovdevil]

The Borgia popes would be a good video.

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

Tojo: Tries to take the easy way out by shooting himself in the chest but misses his heart and is saved by American medics. Hirohito: Is willing to take the fall for the sins of Tojo and the other Imperial military leaders if it means saving Japan and his people from further misery, suffering, and death.

[@westharrison9936]

Hahaha. Hirohito should've been tried too.

[@regularstan6212]

Hirohito knew and condoned ALL the war crimes. The jan 6th rioters got a way harsher punishment than he did.

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

@@westharrison9936 George Bush and Obama should've been tried as war criminals.

[@1eyeddevil929]

@West Harrison a figurehead is neither evil or good. They're just useless and I wouldn't waste time and money to put a tool in a courtroom

[@1eyeddevil929]

@Regular Stan he knew and allowed it cos that's all the emporer could do. Thailand, Japan, Singapore. The Leaders are for show and to say yes. The government or military are the ones doing the work

[@tzufbb]

Next Tojo Hideki (東条 英機)

[@13teleportingman]

Excellent video! Please do a video about Yukio Mishima :)

[@TomFynn]

Hirohito happily signed off whatever war scheme was presented to him as long as those schemes, mostly to grab some failed state somewhere went more or less smoothly. Only when those oh-so-brief-but-successful-wars stopped materializing did he seem to have a bit of a change of heart. But even so he would happily prolong the war as long as there was a change to preserve the Imperial Throne.

[@theflaggedyoutuberii4311]

Emperor Hirohito Sound like a push-over

[@Shanghai_cola]

More like your average harem anime MC. Just shy plain guy

[@TheNattyPilot]

Nuke over*

[@FilipCordas]

Not really most of this was invented after the war by the US in order to give the people that wanted him prosecuted for his crimes an explanation why he wasn't prosecuted. The information on what he did is extremely questionable since there are no sources expect for stuff the US wanted out.

[@theflaggedyoutuberii4311]

Golden Eagle do you have any link or evidence

[@CarCrash-TWU]

The Flagged KZbinr II listen to dan carlins hardcore history if your interested in this he just released an episode of his podcast talking about japan in the lead up to ww2

[@mrcheng4709]

Is it just me or did he come out to clean of the war considering he was the emperor and there weren't any evidences like in any cover ups?

[@AnzuBrief]

This is very interesting. I always thought Hiroshito was the instigator of Japan's role in WW2. I had no idea that he was basically powerless, a"figurehead" and a pawn to be moved around by the military. I learned something new today, thank you very much!

[@brendanzhang7488]

yeah,here another fact,the army tried to overthrown him or a coup right before the famous radio transition, the army basically took over entire palace trying to look for the cd that carried the message,most of his guard died in that coup

[@GoodlyPenguin]

@@brendanzhang7488 CD's were not invented during that era. Try again

[@prodbytaffy5542]

Hirohito woke at 6 am and had a FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST at 7. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Am I the only one that finds it funny that a Japanese emperor sat down for bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and hash browns? I cracked up hearing it!

[@dinoahmad182]

Daniel Kammerling XD

[@shep7544]

ST34LTH Taffy ... Those are foods that exist and grow all around the world?

[@mirthless5603]

Why is that so funny?

[@Decypha77]

lol what would you have expected he have instead?

[@ninjaked1265]

@@Decypha77 a Japanese breakfast

[@MiykaZ1]

this is quite sympathetic towards Hirohito. to some extent yes he was "powerless" in the face of the military, but he is not completely innocent. he had approved unit 731 which conducted the human experiments, he wasn't forced to prove it yet he still did it.

[@catholiccrusader5328]

I quite agree.

[@jacobcarignan1]

My takeaway from this is that he could have been a good man, but wasn’t able to because he was a coward. It’s a shame that he ended up in such a critical position, he probably could have done a lot of good in the world somewhere else. On the other hand, he doesn’t deserve to avoid responsibility for what he did and presided over. Morality can be pretty demanding, and sometimes that can mean taking a stand and dying for something you believe in.

[@soheil1a]

Can you do one on Hideki Tojo please

[@Rmk3102]

He seemed like a good man, by the sounds of it he never wanted to be involved in the wars and was made out to be a god by his own army and grandfather.

[@deerhunter5551]

I really do want to hear more about post war Hirohito. Thanks I’ll have to search more and learn about his researches as a biologist. This doesn’t change my views of the war but this really did change my views of him. Thank you!

[@aztec999999]

I actually feel sorry for him. The tragedy of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Poor guy