This is a reassessment of Emperor Hirohito's reign and a social portrait of the 20th-century transformation of Japan. Hirohito was one of the longest reigning monarchs in world history. Coming to power in 1926, he presided over the disaster of the depression, the total mobilization of World War II, and the fireballs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, followed by more than 40 years of recovery. Unprecedented levels of traffic, smog, and skyscrapers heralded a transformation from a rigidly closed society to a modern paradise of consumption. The one constant through this turbulence was the institution of Emperor. This book examines Hirohito as a source of both adoration and controversy through 60 years.