is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 1989 until his abdication in 2019. He presided over the era, Heisei being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Born in 1933, Akihito is the first son of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. During the Second World War, he moved out of Tokyo with his classmates, and remained in Nikkō until 1945. In 1952, his Coming-of-Age ceremony and investiture as crown prince were held, and he began to undertake official duties in his capacity as crown prince. The next year, he made his first journey overseas and represented Japan at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom. He completed his university education in 1956. In 1959, he married Michiko Shōda, a Catholic; it was the first imperial wedding to be televised in Japan, drawing about 15 million viewers. The couple has three children: Naruhito, Fumihito, and Sayako.
Upon the death of his father in 1989, Akihito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne. His enthronement ceremony followed in 1990. He has made efforts to bring the imperial family closer to the Japanese people, and has made official visits to all forty-seven prefectures of Japan and to many of the remote islands of Japan. He has a keen interest in natural life and conservation, as well as Japanese and world history. Akihito abdicated in 2019, citing his advanced age and declining health, and assumed the title . He was succeeded by his elder son, Naruhito. A new era, , was then established. At age , Akihito is the longest-lived verifiable Japanese emperor in recorded history. During his reign 17 prime ministers served, beginning with Noboru Takeshita and ending with Shinzo Abe.
Name
In Japan, during his reign, Akihito was never referred to by his own name, but instead as which may be shortened to . The era of Akihito's reign from 1989 to 2019 bore the era name , and according to custom he will be posthumously renamed as the 125th emperor of Japan by order of the Cabinet.
Upon Akihito's abdication on 30 April 2019, he received the title . Still he is never referred to by his own name, but instead as "His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus" or "His Majesty".
Early life and education
was born on 23 December 1933 at 6:39 am in the Tokyo Imperial Palace as the fifth child and eldest son of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. Titled as a child, Akihito was educated by private tutors prior to attending the elementary and secondary departments of the Peers' School (Gakushūin) from 1940 to 1952. At the request of his father, he did not receive a commission as an army officer, unlike his predecessors.
During the American firebombing raids on Tokyo in March 1945 during World War II, Akihito and his younger brother Prince Masahito were evacuated from the city. Akihito was tutored in the English language and Western manners by Elizabeth Gray Vining during the Allied occupation of Japan, and later briefly studied at the department of political science at Gakushuin University in Tokyo, though he never received a degree.
Akihito was the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne from birth. His formal took place at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on 10 November 1952. In June 1953, Akihito represented Japan at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London in his first journey abroad. He later completed his university education as a special student in 1956.
Marriage and family
In August 1957, Akihito met Michiko Shōda on a tennis court at Karuizawa near Nagano. Initially there was little enthusiasm for the couple's relationship; Michiko Shōda was considered too low class for the young Crown Prince and had been educated in a Catholic environment. Therefore, in September 1958, she was sent away to Brussels to attend an international conference of the Alumnae du Sacré-Cœur. The Crown Prince was determined to keep in contact with his girlfriend but didn't want to create a diplomatic incident. Therefore, he contacted the young King Baudouin of Belgium to send his messages directly to his loved one. Later King Baudouin also negotiated the marriage of the couple with the Emperor directly stating that if the Crown Prince is happy with Michiko, he would be a better emperor later on.