Emperor Hirohito

Emperor Hirohito was the 124th Emperor of Japan, reigning from December 1926 to his death in 1989. During the first years of his rule, he was informed of a revolt and immediately ordered that it be put down, referring to the officers as "rebels" (bōto). Shortly thereafter, he ordered Army Minister Yoshiyuki Kawashima to suppress the rebellion within the hour, and he asked for reports from Honjō every thirty minutes. The next day, when told by Honjō that little progress was being made by the high command in quashing the rebels, the Emperor told him "I Myself, will lead the Konoe Division and subdue them." The rebellion was suppressed following his orders on February 29. After World War II he put his uncle Naruhiko Higashikuni as prime minister. Various leaders attempted various times to put him on trial for war crimes.