Emperor Hirohito’s Intervention
Never before had Emperor Hirohito directly overruled his military advisors. The divine sovereign shocked the Supreme War Council on August 10 when he spoke plainly: “I cannot bear to see my people suffer anymore.” His unprecedented intervention broke a deadlock between peace and war factions. When Japanese citizens heard his voice for the first time on August 15, many wept. The recording had traveled a dangerous path, hidden in a palace maid’s laundry to escape coup plotters.
