Emperor Hirohito (1901–1989) began his reign on December 25th, 1926. It was the beginning of a new era in Japanese history, an era that was named Shōwa (1926–1989; The Illuminated Peace). In all of Japanese history, it was the longest, and yet a very diverse, reign by a single emperor. Japan was undergoing democratization and modernization, then, due to internal crisis opposed to Western influences, led wars. After the wars Japan once again turned towards democratization and development, finally becoming the third largest economic power in the world. The Shōwa period can be divided into three main sub-periods: 1926–1945: democratization, nationalism and war; 1945–1952: occupation; 1952–1989: peace, democratization and economic growth. In a nutshell, the author presents the life and works of Emperor Hirohito along with the main events that took place during his reign.
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