Japan Surrendered — But Hirohito Stayed Emperor For 44 Years. Why?
Some critics say Hirohito deserved to be charged as a war criminal
In World War II, Hirohito was a god to Japanese soldiers. Many flew airplanes into opponents as kamikazes, knowing they would die — for Hirohito. Many soldiers, before getting captured by enemy forces, killed themselves by cutting open their stomachs — for Hirohito.
Japanese soldiers conquered half of Asia, massacred tens of millions of civilians, and committed countless war crimes — for Hirohito. According to Amnesty International, the military of Imperial Japan kept up to 200,000 girls and women as “comfort women” (girls and women forced to work in brothels).
Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times says Japanese soldiers used secret biological warfare of starting plagues in Chinese cities, using anthrax, cholera, and other pathogens. The Japanese military unleashed a level of atrocity and cruelty unparalleled in human history — all in the name of Emperor Hirohito.
If I were a U.S. soldier during World War II, I would have wanted to see Hirohito at least tried as a war criminal. In American history, Hirohito will inevitably go down as a villain. As a Chinese-American, I’ve heard my family speak very ill of Japan’s actions in China during World War…
