Emperor Hirohito - On Hatsu Shimo, His White Horse

Considered a god by his people, Emperor Hirohito was often seen atop his favorite horse, a white Arabian named Hatsu Shimo ("First Frost"). There has always been a debate about how involved he was in the military-planning of his country's various invasions.

A recently uncovered, 600-page journal - written by Hirohito's main aide Kuraji Ogura and covering the period May 1939 to June 1945 - may shed light on how much the Emperor knew. The BBC reports that when news of the diary first surfaced, extracts were also published. Here is one of them:

I'd like to see the South Sea after peace is restored. It won't be a problem because the area will be part of Japan's territory.