==Emperor Hirohito==
Another inaccuracy and distortion of the history of the time is the portrayal of Emperor Hirohito. In the movie, he is shown as a moderate man who was essential peace-loving. In the movie, he is portrayed as essentially powerless and that real power lay in the hands of the militarists such as Prime Minister Tojo who dominated the government. Tora Tora Tora portrays Hirohito as essential a figurehead and who was not responsible in any way for the attack <ref>Goldstein, Donald M., and Katherine V. Dillon, eds. The Pearl Harbor Papers: Inside the Japanese Plans. New York: Brassey's, 1993. p. 45</ref>. The issue of Hirohito’s role in the war has always been controversial. Many have argued that he could have done more to stop the conflict and indeed that he actively cooperated with the Japanese militarists as they tried to create a Japanese Empire in the Asia-Pacific region. The movie goes to great lengths to show that the Emperor was not responsible for the surprise attack on the US Fleet anchored in Hawaii. The motion picture shows the Japanese generals as dominating the Emperor and his only role was to sign documents that were placed before him. In reality, the political situation in Tokyo was not as straightforward as suggested in the movie. <ref> Clausen, p. 23</ref>. The makers of the movie would have us believe that the Japanese military practically forced the reluctant Emperor to sign the document that ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor. In fact, Hirohito was a far more powerful figure than indicated and that the military had to report to him and that under the constitution of 1936 he was entitled to raise objections to any decision and could even veto government actions. The movie gives the official version of the role of Hirohito in the war, that he was only a figurehead. It must be remembered that Hirohito was still Emperor of Japan at the time and was a much-revered figure. In fact, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was not objected to by the Emperor Hirohito and he permitted it to occur. In theory, he could have prevented the attack but as in so many other instances, he did nothing. The Emperor it was believed was sympathetic to the attack on Peral Harbor and the general aims of the Japanese military, but none of this is shown in the movie.
==Conclusion==
Tora Tora Tora is a dramatic movie with some great action scenes and in many ways, it is an accurate portrayal of what happened on that terrible day on the 7th of December 1941. The background to Pearl Habor and the attack on the US fleet is largely accurate and in many ways, it does show what actually occurred. However, there are some serious failings in the movie and they are not the typical inaccuracies in a Hollywood blockbuster. The role of the Japanese in the attack is very inaccurate. The attempt to show that the Japanese government attempted to submit a formal declaration of war was an effort to gloss over the fact that the attack on Pearl Harbor was a sneak attack that was contrary to all international laws and was a blatant act of aggression. Then the movie's portrayal of the role of Emperor Hirohito was also incorrect and it understates his role in the events in the run-up to the Japanese attack on the 7th of December 1941. These are serious failings and they undermine the credibility of the film and give a false sense of the events.
