The Japanese Diet (parliament) has voted to change the name of “Green Day” (April 29) to “Showa Day” to honor the reign of Emperor Hirohito from 1925 to 1989. April 29 originally became a holiday during Hirohito’s reign because it is his birthday, but was changed to “Green Day” (to mark Hirohito’s interest in biology) after his death.

The bill says the new holiday is a day during which “thoughts should be given to the future of the nation, while reflecting on the period of Showa during which turbulent days were experienced and reconstruction (from the wreckage of war) achieved.”

Japan’s imperial army conquered much of Asia in Hirohito’s name, committing widespread atrocities that many ordinary Japanese — and the country’s East Asian neighbors — still find hard to forgive.

Despite what people in other countries think, there are many Japanese who hold Hirohito responsible for the actions of Japan during World War II, and feel that he should have apologized not only to the countries that Japan invaded then, but to the Japanese people as well for putting them through the suffering that they also had to endure in his name.