| Emperor Shōwa | |
|---|---|
 Formal portrait, 1935 | |
| Emperor of Japan | |
| Reign | 25 December 1926 – 7 January 1989 (62 years, 13 days) |
| Predecessor | Taishō |
| Successor | Akihito |
| Born | April 29, 1901 Tokyo |
| Died | January 7, 1989 (aged 87) Tokyo |
| Burial | Imperial Mausoleum (多摩御陵, Tama Goryō) |
Hirohito (裕仁; 29 April 1901 – 7 January 1989), posthumously known as Emperor Shōwa (昭和天皇, Shōwa Tennō), was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. He was the longest-reigning emperor in Japanese history and one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world. His reign, known as the Shōwa era, encompassed the Empire of Japan's rise in militarism, its imperial expansion in Asia, the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, as well as the country's postwar economic miracle.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Akihito. In Japan, reigning emperors are known simply as "the Emperor" and he is now referred to primarily by his posthumous name, Emperor Shōwa (昭和天皇).
The name "Shōwa" was given to Hirohito after he died. Emperors of Japan are normally renamed in this way; and people started using the new name in 1990. During his long reign, many people outside Japan call him Emperor Hirohito, or just Hirohito.
