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| | GI -- World War II Commemoration |
 | | The imperial messages of Aug. 15, 1945, concluding hostilities in WORLD WAR II, and of Jan. 1, 1946, declaring that the Emperor is a mortal, were epoch-making events in the history of Japan. |
 | | The constitution of 1947 determined that the Emperor would not have political power but would remain a symbol of Japan; sovereign power would lie with the people, war would be abandoned, and fundamental human rights would be guaranteed. |
 | | Thus, during the long and eventful reign of the Showa Emperor, Japan emerged from a period of military expansion, culminating in national tragedy, and entered a new period of international cooperation during which it became one of the world's three greatest economic powers. |
| www.grolier.com /wwii/wwii_hirohito.html (527 words) |
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