# The Divinity of the Japanese Emperor
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-divinity-of-the-japanese-emperor/201980
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 16, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-divinity-of-the-japanese-emperor/201980 "2003-09-16T19:10:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-divinity-of-the-japanese-emperor/201980/1 "2003-09-16T19:10:42Z")
IIRC, the repudiation of the divinity was condition under which the Allies agreed not to kill him post WWII. But, I thought I saw a documentary a few years ago, in which they claim Hirohito wanted to do this anyway. Does my memory fail me?
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### Author:  [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-divinity-of-the-japanese-emperor/201980/2 "2003-09-19T13:55:07Z")
There is no evidence that the Emperor Hirohito ever objected to his semi-divine status before or during the war. After the war, he did what was necessary to retain his throne; there was never anything so formal as a decision “not to kill” him in return for renunciation of divinity. See “Embracing Defeat” by John W. Dower for a thorough discussion of the give-and-take that went into the Emperor’s “Rescript to Promote the National Destiny” (a.k.a. his “renunication of divinity”) of January 1, 1946.