"Emperor Akihito" redirects here. For emperor of the same name, see Emperor Sutoku.
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Born in 1933, Akihito is the fifth child and 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.[2] The next year, he made his first journey overseas and represented Japan at the coronation of Elizabeth II in London. He completed his university education in 1956. In April 1959, he married Michiko Shōda, a commoner; it was the first imperial wedding to be televised in Japan, drawing about 15 million viewers.[3] The couple has three children: Naruhito, Fumihito, and Sayako.
Akihito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne and became emperor upon his father's death in 1989, with an enthronement ceremony in 1990. He made efforts to bring the imperial family closer to the Japanese people, and 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.[2] Akihito abdicated in 2019, citing his advanced age and declining health,[4] and assumed the title Emperor Emeritus (上皇, Jōkō, lit.'Retired Emperor'). He was succeeded by his eldest son, Naruhito, whose era is named Reiwa (令和). At age 90, Akihito is the longest-lived verifiable Japanese emperor in recorded history. During his reign, 17 prime ministers served in 25 terms, beginning with Noboru Takeshita and ending with Shinzo Abe. He is the current oldest living member of Japanese imperial family, following Yuriko, Princess Mikasa's death on 15 November 2024.[b]
Name
During his reign, Akihito was never referred to by his own name, but instead as "His Majesty the Emperor" (天皇陛下, Tennō Heika) which may be shortened to "His Majesty" (陛下, Heika).[5][failed verification] The era of Akihito's reign from 1989 to 2019 bore the era nameHeisei (平成), and according to custom he will be posthumously renamed Emperor Heisei (平成天皇, Heisei Tennō) as the 125th emperor of Japan by order of the Cabinet.
Following his abdication, he was accorded the title of Jōkō (上皇), officially translated as "Emperor Emeritus".[6][7][8][9]
Early life and education
One year old Akihito with his mother Empress Nagako, 1934
Prince Akihito (明仁親王, Akihito Shinnō) 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 Prince Tsugu (継宮, Tsugu-no-miya) 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.[2] At the request of his father, he did not receive a commission as an army officer, unlike his predecessors.
Akihito at the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony, 1952
A Japanese stamp commemorating the imperial wedding in 1959
In August 1957, Akihito met Michiko Shōda[2][10] 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 did not 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 negotiated the marriage of the couple with the Emperor directly stating that if the Crown Prince was happy with Michiko, he would be a better emperor later on.[11]
The Imperial Household Council formally approved the engagement of the Crown Prince to Michiko Shōda on 27 November 1958. The announcement of the then-Crown Prince Akihito's engagement and forthcoming marriage to Michiko Shōda drew opposition from traditionalist groups, because Shōda came from a Catholic family.[12] Although Shōda was never baptized, she had been educated in Catholic schools and seemed to share her parents' faith. Rumours also speculated that Prince Akihito's mother, Empress Kōjun had opposed the engagement. After the death of Empress Kōjun on 16 June 2000, Reuters reported that she was one of the strongest opponents of her son's marriage, and that in the 1960s, she had driven her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to depression by persistently accusing Shōda of not being suitable for her son.[13][failed verification] At that time, the media presented their encounter as a real "fairy tale",[14] or the "romance of the tennis court". It was the first time a commoner had married into the Imperial Family, breaking more than 2,600 years of tradition.[15] The engagement ceremony took place on 14 January 1959, and the marriage on 10 April 1959.
Akihito and Michiko had three children: two sons Naruhito (born 23 February 1960 and titled Prince Hiro; later the 126th Emperor of Japan) and Fumihito (born 30 November 1965 and titled Prince Aya; later Prince Akishino and subsequently the Crown Prince of Japan), and a daughter Sayako Kuroda (born 18 April 1969 and titled Princess Nori before marriage). The three children were born at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital at the Tokyo Imperial Palace.[2]
1987 (Shōwa 62), the last foreign visit as the crown prince and princess (Andrews Air Force Base, United States)
Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko made official visits to thirty-seven countries. As an Imperial Prince, Akihito compared the role of Japanese royalty to that of a robot. He expressed the desire to help bring the Imperial family closer to the people of Japan.[16]
Reign
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2021)
Following his accession, he began issuing several wide-ranging statements of remorse to Asian countries, for their suffering under Japanese occupation, beginning with an expression of remorse to China made in April 1989, three months after the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa.
On 23 December 2001, during his annual birthday meeting with reporters, the Emperor, in response to a reporter's question about tensions with South Korea, remarked that he felt a kinship with Koreans and went on to explain that, in the Shoku Nihongi, the mother of Emperor Kammu (736–806) is related to Muryeong of Korea, King of Baekje, a fact that was considered taboo for discussion.[19][20]
In June 2005, the Emperor and Empress visited the island of Saipan (part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory),[21] the site of a battle in the World War II from 15 June to 9 July 1944 (known as the Battle of Saipan). Akihito offered prayers and flowers at several memorials, honouring not only the Japanese who died, but also American servicemen, Korean labourers, and local islanders. It was the first trip by a Japanese monarch to a World War II battlefield abroad. The Saipan journey was received with high praise by the Japanese people, as were the Emperor's visits to war memorials in Tokyo, Hiroshima Prefecture, Nagasaki Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture in 1995.
After succeeding to the throne, Akihito made an effort to bring the Imperial family closer to the Japanese people. He and Michiko made official visits to eighteen countries and to all forty-seven Japanese prefectures.[2] Akihito has never visited Yasukuni Shrine, continuing his predecessor's boycott from 1978, due to its enshrinement of war criminals.[22]
Under the Constitution of Japan, Akihito's role was entirely representative and ceremonial in nature, without even a nominal role in government; indeed, he was not allowed to make political statements. He was limited to acting in matters of state as delineated in the Constitution. Even in those matters, he was bound by the requirements of the Constitution and the binding advice of the Cabinet. For instance, while he formally appointed the Prime Minister, he was required to appoint the person designated by the Diet.[27][28]
Akihito, at Chōwaden Reception Hall, giving his final New Year's address as Emperor to the Japanese people, 2019
On 13 July 2016, national broadcaster NHK reported that the then 82-year-old Emperor intended to abdicate in favour of his eldest son Crown Prince Naruhito within a few years, citing his age. An abdication within the Imperial Family had not occurred since Emperor Kōkaku in 1817. However, senior officials within the Imperial Household Agency denied that there was any official plan for the monarch to abdicate. Abdication by the Emperor required an amendment to the Imperial Household Law, which had no provisions for such a move.[29][30] On 8 August 2016, the Emperor gave a rare televised address, where he emphasized his advanced age and declining health;[31] this address was interpreted as an implication of his intention to abdicate.[32]
On 19 May 2017, the bill that would allow Akihito to abdicate was issued by the Cabinet of Japan. On 8 June 2017, the National Diet passed it, whereupon it became known as the Emperor Abdication Law. This commenced government preparations to hand the position over to Naruhito.[33] Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in December 2017 that Akihito's abdication would take place at the end of 30 April 2019, and that Naruhito would become the 126th Emperor as of 1 May 2019.[4]
On 19 March 2020, Akihito and his wife moved out of the Imperial Palace, marking their first public appearance since his abdication.[34] On 31 March, they moved in to the Takanawa Residence.[35]
In December 2021, Akihito celebrated his 88th birthday (beiju), breaking his father's record and making him the longest-living verifiable Japanese emperor in recorded history.[36] His daily routine is said to include morning and evening walks with his wife, reading and visits to an imperial biology institute.[37]
In August 2023, Akihito and Michiko visited the tennis court where they first met and interacted with members of the organization responsible for its upkeep.[38]
Health
Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer on 14 January 2003.[39] Later in 2011 he was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia.[40] In February 2012, it was announced that the Emperor would be having a coronary examination;[41] he underwent successful heart bypass surgery on 18 February 2012.[42] In July 2018, he suffered from nausea and dizziness due to insufficient blood flow to his brain. In January 2020, he temporarily lost consciousness and collapsed at his residence, though "no abnormalities" were detected in his brain.[43] He was diagnosed with heart failure in July 2022.[44]
Issue
The Emperor and Empress with their family in November 2013
In extension of his father's interest in marine biology, who published taxonomic works on the Hydrozoa, the Emperor Emeritus is a published ichthyological researcher, and has specialized in studies within the taxonomy of the familyGobiidae.[45] He has written papers for scholarly journals such as Gene, Ichthyological Research, and the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.[46][47]
He has also written papers about the history of science during the Edo and Meiji eras, which were published in Science[48] and Nature.[49] In 2005, a newly described goby was named Exyrias akihito in his honour, and in 2007 a genus Akihito of gobies native to Vanuatu also received his name. In 2021, the Imperial Household Agency announced Akihito had discovered two new species of goby fish. The discovery was catalogued in an English-language journal published by the Ichthyological Society of Japan.[50][51]
In 1965, then-Crown Prince Akihito sent 50 Nile tilapia to Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in response to a request for fish that could solve malnutrition issues in the country. The species has since become a major food source in Thailand and a major export.[52]
The following tables include official visits jointly made by the Emperor and Empress from 1991 to 2017.[68][69][70] Although Empress Michiko has made two official visits on her own, in 2002 (to Switzerland) and 2014 (to Belgium), they did not include the Emperor and are not included in this list.
Invited by Sweden and the United Kingdom to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Carl von Linné as an honorary member of the Linnean Society; invited by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to conduct a state visit.
"To foster friendly relations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations at the invitation of the Philippines"
Akihito's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son.
Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations, which means that Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan.
Imperial House of Japan
Descent prior to Keitai is unclear to modern historians, but traditionally traced back patrilineally to Emperor Jimmu
^ Akihito's older sister, Atsuko Ikeda, formerly Atsuko, Princess Yori, was born 7 March 1931, however, Japanese law requires Princesses who marry to leave the imperial family if not marrying the emperor or another male member of the imperial family.
^"Bundeskanzler Anfragebeantwortung" [Reply to a parliamentary question about the Decoration of Honour] (PDF) (in German). p. 1298. Archived(PDF) from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
^"Den kongelige norske Sanct Olavs Orden", Norges Statskalender for Aaret 1954 (in Norwegian), Oslo: Forlagt av H. Aschehoug & Co. (w. Nygaard), 1954, pp. 1441–1442 – via runeberg.org
^䝪䞊䜲䝇䜹䜴䝖日本連盟 きじ章受章者 [Recipient of the Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan] (PDF). Reinanzaka Scout Club (in Japanese). 23 May 2014. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 August 2020.
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