Hirohito, the eldest son of Emperor Yoshihito, was born on April 29, 1901 in the royal palace in Tokyo, Japan. On the death of his father in 1926, Hirohito became, at the age of twenty-five, the 124th emperor of Japan. His accession to the throne marked Japan's entry into the Showa Era, meaning "Radiant Peace." Educated from an early age to military principles, Shintoism and respect for the divine character of its imperial condition, the Daigensui, Hirohito at the head of an increasingly powerful Japanese army drove his country to war and expansionism.A controversial figure, Hirohito was pictured as a reluctant supporter of the occupation of Manchuria, which led to the second Sino-Japanese War, and also as a strong supporter of the Pacific War. Many historians portray him as that of a constitutional monarch who passively endorsed the entry of Japan into war in order not to go against the majority opinion from his government, particularly the commanders of the Army and the Navy, in favor of wars.