Hirohito was the emperor of Japan from 1926 until his death in 1989. He eventually took over when rising democratic sentiment but Hirohito soon turned toward ultra nationalism and militarism. Japan allied itself with Nazi Germany and attacked Pearl Harbor. Hirohito portrayed himself as a powerless monarch but many people believe he did have an active role in the war effort. In Hirohito's earlier life he spent it in the care of first retired vice-admiral and then an imperial attendant. From the age 7 to 19, he attended schools set up for children of nobility. Hirohito also received instruction in military and religious matters, and other subjects such as math and physics.
