From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Hirohito (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan who reigned from 1926 to 1989. Since his death he has been known as Emperor Shōwa (昭和天皇, Shōwa tennō) in Japan, although he is widely referred to as Hirohito, or Emperor Hirohito, outside of Japan.