Photo: JAPAN POOL / AFP / Getty Images
Akihito was born on 23 from December to 1933, he is the eldest son of Emperor Hirohito, who ruled Japan from 1926 .
His father, Hirohito, in whose name Japanese troops fought in World War II, was considered a living deity until later of Japan’s defeat in 1933, when he renounced his divinity.
After the Second World War, as part of a wide-ranging set of reforms, the country adopted a new Western-style constitution and the monarchy became purely symbolic
(as in England). However, Akihito ascended the throne after his father’s death in 1989.
Yes Although he had no political power, Akihito became an immensely popular figure in Japan. Unlike his father, who rarely appeared in public, Akihito worked to bring the imperial family “to the people”.
He and his wife, Empress Michiko, paid official visits to 18 countries and to 47 Japanese prefectures. He offered comfort after earthquakes, tsunamis, and other tragedies, such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. A staunch pacifist repeatedly expressed remorse for Japan’s actions during World War II.
Since Japan’s Imperial House Law lacked a provision on the abdication of a reigning emperor and practically only allowed posthumous succession, the government enacted a single law to allow Akihito’s abdication.
Citing health problems, received treatment for prostate cancer and heart surgery, the emperor announced his desire to resign in 2016. No emperor had abdicated since 1817.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, the 30 April 2019. A new Japanese imperial era, Reiwa, was officially established.
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