The 1923 Toranomon Incident
What triggered the 1923 assassination attempt on Japan’s future emperor Hirohito?
4.1 (14)
74 mins
Explore how political unrest in early 20th-century Japan led to an attempted attack on a royal procession in Tokyo.Discover how the Toranomon Incident exposed tensions between radical ideologies and imperial authority during Japan’s modernization era.
Ep 1:
Born a God, Born to Rule
Trace Hirohito's divine birth, his father's tragic reign, and the political violence—including a Korean assassin's grenade attack—that shaped his rise to the throne.
Ep 2:
Empire, Alliance, and Annihilation
Japan allies with the Axis, plunges into brutal war, and faces annihilation as atomic bombs and Soviet invasion push the empire toward unthinkable surrender.
Ep 3:
The Night the Palace Nearly Fell
As Hirohito records his surrender speech, fanatical officers stage a desperate coup to seize the palace and silence him before Japan can hear his voice.
Ep 4:
The God Who Became a Man
MacArthur spares Hirohito from war crimes trials while the emperor renounces his divinity, transforming from living god into a suited symbol of a new Japan.
Ep 5:
Microscopes, Miracles, and Old Wounds
While Japan's economy booms, Hirohito quietly studies sea creatures—yet his 1971 European tour reveals wounds from the war that refuse to heal.
Ep 6:
The Last Days of Showa
Emperor Hirohito's final illness, death, and a funeral drawing world leaders close the Showa era amid fierce, divided memories of his legacy.
Discussions (5)
Axel
Level 3 · 3 mo agoI'm a marine biology nerd myself so hearing about him studying tiny sea creatures made me smile 🥰
Maxim
Level 4 · 3 mo agoBro went from commanding a whole empire as a literal god to staring at jellyfish with a Mickey Mouse watch. Hell of a retirement plan.
Chuck
Level 3 · 3 mo agoGoing from a living god commanding an empire to a marine biologist wearing a Mickey Mouse watch is the ultimate retirement transition plan. You really cannot ask for a better career pivot.
