Japan leadership needs changes

[Sunforged General]

So first of all, Emperor Showa (Hirohito) should not be leader of Japan, as the Emperor of Japan does not directly lead or control much of anything in the government. This should be allowed to change if one takes the path of "Showa Restoration" still, making the Emperor rule the nation directly, but he shouldn't start off that way. Tojo and who ever came before him should be national leader, and Emperor Showa a national spirit, kind of like Italy where Mussolini is the national leader while King Victor Emannuel III is a national spirit.

Secondly, If we want to be historically accurate, he should be referred to as "Emperor Showa" at all times, not Hirohito, since historically, and even today, Japanese Emperors are always referred to by their reign names, rather than their personal names. The only time he should be referred to as Hirohito realistically is if an event is made to depose him.

 

[GrandVezir]

Secondly, If we want to be historically accurate, he should be referred to as "Emperor Showa" at all times, not Hirohito, since historically, and even today, Japanese Emperors are always referred to by their reign names, rather than their personal names.

One minor omission in this: historically, and even today, Japanese Emperors are always referred to by their reign names, in Japan.

Most Western sources used (and many continue to use) the Western monarch-naming convention of title followed by personal name.

On the first point: it's certainly true that the various Prime Ministers did more to run the Empire than did Emperor Showa, but the game is Hearts of Iron IV, not Japanese Politics Simulator. To accurately represent that model of Japanese politics, the game would need thirteen distinct leaders* for Japan, just to cover through to the end of 1947 without any alternates.

Spoiler: Japanese Prime Ministers, 1 January 1936 - 31 December 1947

Koki Hirota, Senjuro Hayashi, Fumimaro Konoe, Kiichiro Hiranuma, Nobuyuki Abe, Mitsumasa Yonai, Fumimaro Konoe (again), Hideki Tojo, Kumiaki Koiso, Kantaro Suzuki, Naruhiko Higashikuni, Kijuro Shidehara, Shigeru Yoshida, and Tetsu Katayama. (Names are personal name-family name in the Western convention, simplified transliteration without accents because transliterating Japanese names into English is a different can of worms.)

 

[wastednoob]

So first of all, Emperor Showa (Hirohito) should not be leader of Japan, as the Emperor of Japan does not directly lead or control much of anything in the government. This should be allowed to change if one takes the path of "Showa Restoration" still, making the Emperor rule the nation directly, but he shouldn't start off that way. Tojo and who ever came before him should be national leader, and Emperor Showa a national spirit, kind of like Italy where Mussolini is the national leader while King Victor Emannuel III is a national spirit.

Secondly, If we want to be historically accurate, he should be referred to as "Emperor Showa" at all times, not Hirohito, since historically, and even today, Japanese Emperors are always referred to by their reign names, rather than their personal names. The only time he should be referred to as Hirohito realistically is if an event is made to depose him.

1937 to 1941 prime minister was Fumimaro Konoe. He presided over most of the Sino Japanese war, resigned shortly before pearly harbor.

The relationship between the Emperor, the millitary, the war effort and the state is complicated. The army started the Sino Japanese war of its own accord. The government backed it and Hirohito gave his consent to the direction of the war. This doesn't mean he was a puppet or powerless but that after the army made its decision, the actors in government including the emperor backed it.

Tojo was representative of a hardline army faction within government and picked by Showa over less radical options. Given multiple strategic options from a majority millitarist cabinet the emperor approved and sanctioned plans for war with the west. This is much in same way Hitler and Stalin given war plans for his conquests chose ones they approved of an left execution to generals and lower politicians. Tojo was not the final decision maker for war with the west. He was an army man and executed the decision of Showa, influenced by the interests of the admirals which would strip his combat theatre of resources and manpower. There is no evidence that the navy would coup Showa nor is there any evidence that the army would depose him for a move which would run counter to their interests.

You would best represent this in game with a prime minister advisor or spirit and leaving the emperor as head of state because he was the one choosing between national policies even if others were writing and presenting it.

 

[Gran Strategist]

It should be noted there is quite a difference between the power and influence of the emperor pre and during ww2 and the period after.

Prior to the end of the war there was a bit of 'confusion' as to how much power the emperor actually had and could wield.

Under the meiji constitution the emperor could be seen more like the German kaiser is ww1 who very much was the central power of the government and he was also seen as a quasi God figure so what the emperor said usually happened. The Americans also understood this and that is why from the first air raid on Japan, the Doolittle raid there was a standing order not to bomb the emperors palace as killing the emperor would have started a holy war in the eyes of the Japanese.

The emperor himself saw himself more as and had been brought up as a constitutional monarch more in line with the British monarchy, which the reformation which brought about the meiji constitution was based upon and thus never really said much of importance even if he disagreed with what the government was doing.

It is often asked why he didn't stop the war(s) sooner when he could have and was generally against the militarism of that era but he believed it wasn't his place to do so.

The military essentially used the emperors belief in not interfering along with the general population belief in the absolute power of the emperor to control the country 'in the emperors name'.

While it is true the emperor did not actually rule the country in a practical sense, in a constitutional sense and in the eyes of the general populace he did and hence when he broadcast the Japanese surrender, against the military and governments wishes they could not counter it.

The reverence of the emperor was also used by the Americans to smooth the occupation. If the emperor bowed to the Americans the people should bow to the Americans also.

Only after the war was the constitution updated to make it clear that the emperor was only a nominal head of state and had no real power.