The Un-Prosecuted Perpetrator: The Complex Case of Emperor Hirohito

Abstract

Following the Second World War, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito was exempted from the Tokyo Trials, and the extent of his responsibility in the war has remained intensely debated among predominantly Western scholars. While some see him as a puppet of the military, others claim that Hirohito carries similar responsibility to the major war criminals of the European Axis. The usage of restorative justice, and an interplay between various powers, have obscured the truth of Hirohito’s potential responsibility. Consequently, countries that were victimized by the Japanese perpetration prior to and during the Asian-Pacific War propose different narratives that deeply contrast the heroization of Hirohito in the dominant narrative presented by Japan. In modern-day society, such disputes can still flare up when these narratives conflict, such as in relation to the ‘comfort women’ issue, destabilizing the relations between Japan and the victimized countries in question. By investigating various cultural products, such as museums, propaganda, manga and film through the prism of cultural memory studies, this paper examines Japan’s failure to adequately address wartime responsibility and the consequences it has on the creation and mediation of the nation’s cultural memory. Doing so might do more justice to the Japanese national and cultural memory and prevent international fallout.