Herbert P. Bix, Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan

Herbert P. Bix, Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan, Perennial, 2001

As Bix said, what Hirohito said and did was, more or less, self-protection after the war. He was afraid of sever Imperial House that have lasted over 2600 years.
However, Bix’s study is biased against Hirohito. While he gathered negative resources on Hirohito, His description is ignorant of context other positive resources on him. For example, He defended PM Tojo, but this is not because he is fascist but because he was able official and didn’t report Hirohito accurately on the war situation. Hirohito apparently hated other pro-fascist politician or military officer in 1930’s. His brother, Prince Chichibu also showed disbelief on Nazi Germany. Also Hirohito showed displeasure to his aide when Yasukuni enshrined class A war criminals in 1970’s. He ignored disadvantageous information on his study.
The level of resource in his study is also questionable. He didn’t see primary resources by himself. Most part of his argument relied on many previous studies in Japanese and isn’t his original argument. Although some of previous studies he quoted were in controversy in Japan, he quoted them as concrete fact.
I believe that Hirohito has responsibility of the result of Pacific War. If he showed his will more clearly as he showed his anger to PM Tanaka in 1928, 6 million Japanese might haven’t died. He was in position to be capable of avoiding the war, but he didn’t. Hirohito should take this responsibility as a ruler. However it doesn’t mean that Hirohito took an initiative to begin the war. He is quite different from other leaders of Axis. Bix’s argument is confusing moral responsibility with legal responsibility.