WI Emperor Hirohito continued to assert His Divinity even in the face of defeat by the US?
Could having him openly supporting the Americans as a divine being instead of just the emperor make the occupation easier?
In exchange for full cooperation the U.S. doesn't question imperial divinity.
He gets deposed in favour of Akihito or another member of the Imperial Family.
Note there were some Japanese ultranationalists who thought Hirohito should have abdicated because he lost the war.
Note there were some Japanese ultranationalists who thought Hirohito should have abdicated because he lost the war.
Well, such people are pretty much in the minority, though. One of those who called for Hirohito's abdication, Yukio Mishima, pretty much earned the spite of mainstream nationalists for that.