Reasons Why Emperor Hirohito Was Not Convicted As a War Criminal During WWII

Although in Japan he is considered a descendant of Amaterasu Omikami or the sun goddess. Emperor Hirohito is considered a war criminal by the people of China, the Philippines, Korea, Russia, Australia and Indonesia.

A large part of the European nation, especially the Netherlands and England, also thought so. In fact, the President of the United States, Harry S Truman, considers Hirohito to be a war criminal who must be hanged together with other war criminals.

During Hirohito's leadership, Japan was noted to have been involved in various wars such as the Manchurian Incident (1931), the Nanking Incident (1937), and World War II by launching an attack on the United States Naval Base, Pearl Harbor on December 9, 1941. During his leadership also dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This incident was devastating for Japan at that time.

At that time, Hirohito was charged with being the person responsible for the incident. However, his position as a demigod freed Hirohito from the punishment. In fact, he was still respected by the community until he died on January 7, 1989 due to duodenal cancer, which he suffered from duodenal cancer.

At that time, no one had power over Japan. Only General MacArthur, the Allied Commander of World War II, was able to determine Japan's future.

How did MacArthur come to the decision not to punish Hirohito? Certainly, someone had told the commander in mind that the Japanese people would listen to whatever the emperor's voice was. Because, for them the emperor was considered a god.

Thus, hanging the emperor would only cause instability and lead to rebellions in various places.

Another thing that underlies Hirohito's trial is that basically the Japan-United States relationship at that time was running in harmony.

Indeed, initially the United States did not participate in World War II. Uncle Sam's country only intervened after the incident at Pearl Harbor. After Japan surrendered, there was actually a discourse to divide Japan's territory into four countries, namely the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and China.

However, this was never carried out. Until, a negotiation was held on Japanese land which said China was the party that received the most because the country known as the Bamboo Curtain had the longest war against Japan.

Apart from the struggle for Japanese land, the United States desperately needed the country as a stepping stone against the Communists who had controlled Russia and began to take over China. Thus, the emperor was still needed to build a new Japan.

Although responsible for the key events of World War II, Kyodo News said that during World War II Emperor Hirohito warned his country not to go to war against the United States. This statement is listed in the official history books of the empire.

In this book it is written, shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, United States Naval Base in 1941. Hirohito warned military commanders not to wage a "reckless war" which will attack itself.

This book also shows how Hirohito had opposed the Japanese military's propensity for war beginning in 1939 when military leaders began to take steps to form an alliance with Nazi Germany.