No, the Schwa Era was actually unstressful, some say it was a lazy time.
OK, that was uhh typo. Showa Era.
This comes up in the questions about British monarchy, but they really do take tradition very seriously. It’s hard for Americans to get it.
It’s pretty much been that way after the first few emperors. They have been figureheads more than anything. While Hirohito was more involved in WWII than has been commonly believed, the cult around the emperor was him being used by the ultranationalists for their purposes.
A common misunderstanding is that in the West it’s often said that emperors up to Hirohito were seen as living gods. That’s not really a good explanation, as many Westerners then have a feeling that the Japan viewed him as some sort of real god. It’s more like he was seen as sacred. Descendant of the mythical gods, but a man and not any divine power. Historically, one of his most important jobs was to perform important Shinto rites.