After the formal surrender on September 2 aboard '' Missouri '' , investigations into Japanese war crimes began quickly . Many members of the imperial family , such as his brothers Prince Chichibu , Prince Takamatsu and Prince Mikasa , and his uncle Prince Higashikuni , pressured the Emperor to abdicate so that one of the Princes could serve as regent until Crown Prince Akihito came of age . . However , at a meeting with the Emperor later in September , General MacArthur assured him he needed his help to govern Japan and so Hirohito was never tried . Legal procedures for the International Military Tribunal for the Far East were issued on January 19 , 1946 , without any member of the imperial family being prosecuted
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes
Surrender of Japan