Said to be the descendent of the sun goddess, the Japanese Emperor is the latest successor of a bloodline that has been unbroken for more than 1,500 years. As Japan’s head of state, the Emperor lived in modest quarters, and governed the country peacefully. Conversely, the shogun – whose duty, in principal, was to guard the Emperor – lived in a huge well-fortified castle, and, trading on the Imperial prestige, became the actual ruler. However, the Imperial family could never be totally wiped out, as those in positions of power still paid homage to them. Forces opposed to the shogun’s regime started up the “Meji Restoration” in 1868 and the Emperor was restored to power. Japan set its sights on becoming a modern nation, however, the army became more influential and before long, the country began marching towards a future as a militaristic nation. As a result, Japan started a war with China, and then took part in the Second World War. Japan was defeated in the war and the late Emperor Showa (commonly known in the west as Hirohito) – grandfather of the present Emperor – ended the war on August 15, 1945. The Emperor, who was regarded as a “living god,” declared that he was a human being on January 1, the following year. After that the Tokyo Trials were held, which focused on deciding whether the Emperor was a war criminal. It is said that the trial was greatly swayed by the Emperor’s personality and by the following words, delivered on meeting with Douglas MacARTHUR, the supreme commander of the allied powers: As a person who bears full responsibility, I will leave the judgment up to the powers you represent.” In consideration of the special feelings Japanese had for their Emperor, in the end, prosecutor Joseph KEENAN found him not guilty. It is generally thought that the Emperor was neither a militarist, nor a puppet, rather, he struggled to avoid a war and to maintain peace. On the day preceding his radio broadcast to announce the end of the war, he expressed his decision to the Imperial Court as follows: “If the war continues, the structure of the nation and its future will be demolished, but conversely if there is an immediate ceasefire, the roots of future development will remain.” As he predicted, postwar Japan achieved an astonishing economic recovery. After the war the Japanese constitution was revised and the Emperor became a symbol for the Japanese people, no longer taking part in politics. The Emperor also has a symbolic role in the Shinto religion, but surprisingly a Christmas event was held by the royal family in the Emperor Showa’s reign. Japan uses both the Christian calendar and a unique calendar that resets to its first year to when a new Emperor is crowned. Emperors do not have surnames, instead they are typically addressed by the name of their era, such as the “Emperor Showa” or the “Emperor Meiji.” The Emperor has become a more familiar figure to his citizens these days, however, it is still taboo for the media to criticize him and in print or broadcasts it is customary to show respect by using special language to refer to him.