Akihito

Akihito (明仁, Japanese: [akiꜜçi̥to]; English: /ˌækiˈhiːtoʊ/ ^ⓘ or /ˌɑːk-/; born 23 December 1933) 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 Heisei (平成) 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 commoner; 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 Emperor Emeritus (上皇, Jōkō, lit. 'Retired Emperor'). He was succeeded by his elder son, Naruhito. A new era, Reiwa (令和), was then established. At age 90, 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.