Hirohito

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Hirohito is the reigning emperor of Japan.

Early life
Born in the Aoyama Palace in Tokyo, Hirohito is the first son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. His childhood title was |Prince Michi |迪宮| Michi no miya. He became heir apparent upon the death of his grandfather, Emperor Meiji, on July 30, 1912. His formal investiture as crown prince took place on November 2, 1916.

He married his distant cousin Princess Nagako Kuni (now the Empress Kōjun), the eldest daughter of Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi, on January 26, 1924. They have two sons and four daughters:


 * 1) '''Princess Teru no miya b. 9 December 1925
 * 2) 'Princess Sachiko, childhood appellation Hisa no miya (久宮祐子 hisa no miya sachiko''), 10 September 1927–8 March 1928;
 * 3) '''Princess Taka no miya b. 30 September 1929
 * 4) '''Princess Yori no miya b. 7 March 1931;
 * 5) '''Crown Prince Tsugu no miya, b. 23 December 1933;
 * 6) '''Prince Yoshi no miya, b. 28 November 1935

Accession
On December 25, 1926, Hirohito assumed the throne upon the death of his father Yoshihito. The Taishō era ceased at once and a new era, the Shōwa era (Enlightened Peace), was proclaimed. The deceased emperor was posthumously renamed Emperor Taishō a few days later. Following Japanese custom, the new emperor was never referred to by his given name, but rather was referred to simply as "His Majesty the Emperor" (天皇陛下), which may be shortened to "His Majesty" (陛下). In writing, the emperor was also referred to formally as "The Reigning Emperor" (今上天皇). It was hoped by many that Hirohito would be more effective then the previous weak emperor (Emperor Taisho suffered from Meningitis) and would rebuild Japan after the loss of the Weltkrieg