Death and funeral of Emperor Shōwa

On January 7, 1989, Hirohito, the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, died after suffering from intestinal cancer for some time. His state funeral was held on 24 February, when the late emperor was buried near his parents at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachiōji, Tokyo.

On September 22, 1987, the Emperor underwent surgery on his pancreas after having digestive problems for several months. The doctors discovered that he had duodenal cancer. The Emperor appeared to be making a full recovery for several months after the surgery. About a year later, however, on September 19, 1988, he collapsed in his palace, and his health worsened over the next several months as he suffered from continuous internal bleeding.

On January 7, 1989, at 7:55 AM, the Grand Steward of Japan's Imperial Household Agency, Shōichi Fujimori, officially announced the death of Emperor Hirohito, and revealed details about his cancer for the first time. Hirohito was survived by his wife, his five surviving children, ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Emperor Hirohito's death ended the Shōwa era. He was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Akihito. With Emperor Akihito's accession, a new era began: the Heisei era, effective at midnight the day after Emperor Hirohito's death. The new Emperor's formal enthronement ceremony was eventually held in Tokyo on November 12, 1990.

From January 7, 1989, until January 31, 1989, the late Emperor's formal appellation was Taikō Tennō (大行天皇^?, "Departed Emperor"). The late Emperor's definitive posthumous name, Shōwa Tennō (昭和天皇^?), was officially determined on January 13 and formally released on January 31 by Toshiki Kaifu, the Prime Minister.

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