Emperor Hirohito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in 1986. Photo: AP
Emperor Hirohito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in 1986. Photo: AP
Japan

Military diaries indicate Japan’s Emperor Hirohito backed Pearl Harbour attack

  • Historians say the documents, belonging to Admiral Saburo Hyukutake, show the emperor’s support of a war against nations imposing sanctions on Japan
  • This runs counter to the widely held understanding in the country that Hirohito was reluctant about becoming embroiled in a war