The Shōwa Emperor, also known as Hirohito, was the 124th Emperor of Japan, reigning from 1926 until his death in 1989. His reign, known as the Shōwa era, witnessed significant events, including Japan's militarization, World War II, and the country's post-war recovery. Hirohito was the longest-reigning emperor in Japanese history. After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Shōwa Emperor became a symbol of peace and modernization. He renounced his divine status, which had been a part of the imperial ideology, and focused on rebuilding Japan as a democratic nation. His reign marked a transition from imperial rule to a constitutional monarchy.