Hirohito

Hirohito (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan who reigned from 1926 to 1989. Since his death he has been known as Emperor Sh?wa (????, Sh?wa tenn?) in Japan, although he is widely referred to as Hirohito, or Emperor Hirohito, outside of Japan. Before his death, he was simply addressed as Tenn? Heika (lit. His Majesty the Son of Heaven).

Death

On September 22, 1987, Hirohito underwent surgery on his pancreas after having digestive problems for several months. This was the very first time a Japanese Emperor underwent surgery. The doctors discovered that he had duodenal cancer, but in accordance with Japanese tradition, they did not tell him. Hirohito seemed to be recovering well for several months after his surgery. About a year later, however, on September 19, 1988, he collapsed in his palace, and his health worsened over the next several months as he suffered from continuous internal bleeding. On January 7, 1989, at 6:33 AM, Hirohito finally died. At 7:55 AM, the grand steward of Japan's Imperial Household Agency, Shoichi Fujimori, officially announced the Emperor's death, and revealed details about his cancer for the first time. Upon his death, he was renamed Emperor Showa (Sh?wa Tenn?), after the era during which he ruled. On February 24, Emperor Showa's funeral was held, and unlike that of his predecessor, it was not done in a strictly Shinto manner, and a number of world leaders attended it. He is buried in the Imperial mausoleum in Hachioji, alongside other past emperors.

Related Topics:
September 22 - 1987 - Duodenal cancer - September 19 - 1988 - January 7 - 1989 - February 24 - Hachioji

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