Akihito

In Japan, during his reign, Akihito was never referred to by his given 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] The era of Akihito's reign from 1989 to 2019 bore the era name Heisei (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.

Upon Akihito's abdication on 30 April 2019, he received the title Emperor Emeritus (上皇, Jōkō).[6][7][8][9] A new era, Reiwa (令和), was established when his son Naruhito succeeded him as emperor.

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 (Hirohito) and Empress Kōjun (Nagako). 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.

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, at age of 19, at the Van Gogh exhibition in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 1953

Akihito was the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne from birth. His formal investiture as crown prince (立太子の礼, Rittaishi-no-rei) 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.[2]

A Japanese stamp commemorating the imperial wedding

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 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.[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. Rumors 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] 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 (Showa 62), the last foreign visit as the crown prince (America)

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]

Emperor Akihito wearing the sokutai at the enthronement ceremony in November 1990

Upon the death of Emperor Hirohito on 7 January 1989, Akihito acceded to the throne,[17][18] becoming the 125th Emperor of Japan. The enthronement ceremony took place on 12 November 1990.[2] In 1998, during a state visit to the United Kingdom, he was invested with the UK Order of the Garter.

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.

Despite being strictly constrained by his constitutional position, he also issued 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, the Emperor Showa (Hirohito).

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 Akihito and the Empress Michiko 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). Accompanied by Empress Michiko, he offered prayers and flowers at several memorials, honoring not only the Japanese who died, but also American servicemen, Korean laborers, 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.

The Emperor and Empress bowing their heads for a moment of silence at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2009

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 Prefectures of Japan.[2] Akihito has never visited Yasukuni Shrine, continuing his predecessor's boycott from 1978, due to its enshrinement of war criminals.[22]

Succession debate

On 6 September 2006, the Emperor celebrated the birth of his first grandson, Prince Hisahito, the third child of the Emperor's younger son. Prince Hisahito was the first male heir born to the Japanese imperial family in 41 years (since his father Prince Akishino) and could avert a possible succession crisis, as the only child of the Emperor's elder son, the then Crown Prince Naruhito, is his daughter, Princess Aiko, who is not eligible for the throne under Japan's male-only succession law. The birth of Prince Hisahito meant that proposed changes to the law to allow Aiko to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne were dropped.[23][24]

A parade in front of Tokyo Imperial Palace during celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Emperor's ascension to the throne in 2009

Abdication

Akihito, at Chōwaden Reception Hall, giving his final New Year's address, as Emperor, to the Japanese people in 2019

On 13 July 2016, national broadcaster NHK reported that the then 82-year-old Emperor intended to abdicate in favor 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.[28][29] On 8 August 2016, the Emperor gave a rare televised address, where he emphasized his advanced age and declining health;[30] this address was interpreted as an implication of his intention to abdicate.[31]

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.[32] Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in December 2017 that the 125th Emperor Akihito would abdicate at the end of 30 April 2019, and that the 126th Emperor Naruhito's reign would begin as of 1 May 2019.[4]

On 19 March 2020, Emperor emeritus Akihito and his wife Empress emerita Michiko moved out of the Imperial Palace, marking their first public appearance since the abdication.[33] On 31 March, they moved in to the Takanawa Residence.[34]

In December 2021, Akihito celebrated his 88th birthday (beiju), making him the longest-living verifiable Japanese emperor in recorded history.[35]

Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer on 14 January 2003.[36] Later in 2011 he was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia.[37] In February 2012, it was announced that the Emperor would be having a coronary examination;[38] he underwent successful heart bypass surgery on 18 February 2012.[39] 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.[40] He was diagnosed with heart failure in July 2022. [41]

Akihito and Michiko have three children, two sons and a daughter.

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 family Gobiidae.[42] He has written papers for scholarly journals such as Gene, Ichthyological Research, and the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.[43][44] He has also written papers about the history of science during the Edo and Meiji eras, which were published in Science[45] and Nature.[46] 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 cataloged in an English-language journal published by the Ichthyological Society of Japan.[47][48]

• Member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan
• Foreign member of the Linnean Society of London (1980)
• Honorary member of the Linnean Society of London (1986)
• Research associate of the Australian Museum
• Honorary member of the Zoological Society of London (1992)
• Honorary member of the Research Institute for Natural Science of Argentina (1997)
• Honorary degree of the Uppsala University (2007)

Country	Awards
Afghanistan	Order of the Supreme Sun
Austria	Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria, Grand Star[49]
Bahrain	Order of al-Khalifa, Collar
Belgium	Order of Leopold, Grand Cordon
Botswana	Presidential Order
Brazil	Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Collar
Bulgaria	Order of the Balkan Mountains, Sash
Cambodia	Royal Order of Cambodia, Grand Cross
Cameroon	Order of Valour, Grand Cordon
Chile	Order of the Merit of Chile, Grand Collar
Colombia	Order of Boyaca, Grand Collar
Côte d'Ivoire	National Order of the Ivory Coast, Grand Cordon
Czech Republic	Order of the White Lion, 1st Class (Civil Division) with Collar Chain
Denmark	Order of the Elephant (8 August 1953)[50]
Egypt	Order of the Nile, Grand Collar
Estonia	Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, The Collar of the Cross[51]
Ethiopia	Order of Solomon, Grand Collar
Finland	Order of the White Rose, Grand Cross with Collar[52]
France	Légion d'honneur, Grand Cross
The Gambia	Order of the Republic of the Gambia, Grand Commander
Germany	Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Grand Cross, Special Class
Greece	Order of the Redeemer, Grand Cross
Hungary	Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Grand Cross with Chain
Iceland	Order of the Falcon, Grand Cross with Collar
Indonesia	Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Adipurna Class
Ireland	Freedom of the City of Dublin, awarded by Lord Mayor of Dublin
Italy	Order of Merit of the Republic, Grand Cross with Collar
Jordan	Order of al-Hussein bin Ali, Collar
Kazakhstan	Order of the Golden Eagle
Kenya	Order of the Golden Heart
Kuwait	Order of Mubarak the Great, Collar
Latvia	Order of the Three Stars, Commander Grand Cross with Chain[53]
Liberia	Order of the Star of Africa, Knight Grand Band Order of the Pioneers of Liberia, Grand Cordon
Lithuania	Order of Vytautas the Great, the Great Grand Cross with Collar[54]
Luxembourg	Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, Knight
Malawi	Order of the Lion, Grand Commander
Malaysia	Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm
Mali	National Order of Mali, Grand Cordon
Mexico	Order of the Aztec Eagle, Grand Collar
Morocco	Order of Muhammad, Grand Collar
Nepal	Order of the Benevolent Ruler, Member (19 April 1960)[55] King Birendra Coronation Medal (24 February 1975)[56]
Netherlands	Order of the Netherlands Lion, Knight Grand Cross
Nigeria	Order of the Federal Republic, Grand Commander
Norway	Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, Grand Cross with Collar
Oman	Order of Oman, Superior Class
Pakistan	Nishan-e-Pakistan, 1st Class
Panama	Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero, Gold Collar
Peru	Order of the Sun, Grand Cross in Brilliants
Philippines	Philippine Legion of Honor, Chief Commander[57] Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Raja[58] Order of Lakandula, Grand Collar
Poland	Order of the White Eagle
Portugal	Order of Saint James of the Sword, Grand Collar (2 December 1993) Order of Prince Henry, Grand Collar (12 May 1998)[59]
Qatar	Collar of Independence
Saudi Arabia	Badr Chain
Senegal	National Order of the Lion, Collar
South Africa	Order of Good Hope, Grand Cross in Gold (4 July 1995)[60]
Spain	Order of the Golden Fleece, Knight Order of Charles III, Grand Cross Order of Charles III, Collar
Sweden	Royal Order of the Seraphim, Knight with Collar
Thailand	The Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Accession to the Throne of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Ukraine	Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, First Class
United Arab Emirates	Collar of the Federation
United Kingdom	Stranger Knight of Order of the Garter (985th member; 1998) Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1953) Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (2 June 1953)
FR Yugoslavia*	Order of the Yugoslav Star
Zaire*	National Order of the Leopard, Grand Cordon

• FR Yugoslavia split into Serbia and Montenegro. As of 2006 this order is аbolished.
• Zaire is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other awards

• The Royal Society King Charles II Medal
• Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan (1971)[61]

The following table includes the official visits made by Emperor Akihito, along with Empress Michiko, following succession to the throne on 7 January 1989.[62][63][64] The list includes all the visits made up to 31 December 2017. 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 table.

Overseas visits

Serial no.	Dates	Country	Purpose
1	26 September – 6 October 1991	Thailand,  Malaysia,  Indonesia	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia"
2	23–28 October 1992	China	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of China"
3	6–9 August 1993	Belgium	"To attend the funeral ceremony of King Baudouin of Belgium" In gratitude for defending their marriage to the then emperor and for the longlasting friendship.[11]
4	3–19 September 1993	Italy,  Belgium,  Germany,   Vatican City	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Italy, Belgium and Germany"
5	10–26 June 1994	United States	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of the United States"
6	2–14 October 1994	France,  Spain	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of France and Spain"
7	30 May – 13 June 1997	Brazil,  Argentina	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Brazil and Argentina"
8	23 May – 5 June 1998	United Kingdom,  Denmark	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of the United Kingdom and Denmark"
9	20 May – 1 June 2000	Netherlands,  Sweden	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of the Netherlands and Sweden"
10	6–20 July 2002	Czech Republic,  Poland,  Hungary	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary"
11	7–14 May 2005	Norway	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Norway"
12	27–28 June 2005	United States	"To pay tribute to those who died in the war and to pray for world peace in the 60th year after the end of the war"
13	8–15 June 2006	Singapore,  Thailand	"To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the invitation of Singapore and to attend celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand"
14	21–30 May 2007	Sweden,  Estonia,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  United Kingdom	"To mark presence as an honorary member of the Linnean Society on the 300th birth anniversary of Carl von Linné at the invitation of Sweden and the United Kingdom and to foster friendly relations at the invitation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania"
15	3–17 July 2009	Canada,  United States	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Canada, and to celebrate the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation (Visit to Hawaii)"
16	16–20 May 2012	United Kingdom	"To attend a luncheon in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II"
17	30 November – 6 December 2013	India	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of India"
18	8–9 April 2015	Palau	"To pay tribute to those who died in the war and to foster international goodwill in the 70th year after the end of the war"
19	26–30 January 2016	Philippines	"To foster friendly relations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations at the invitation of the Philippines"
20	28 February – 6 March 2017	Vietnam	"To foster friendly relations at the invitation of Vietnam"

• The Emperor's Birthday
• Imperial Household Agency
• Imperial House of Japan
• Japanese era name
• List of Emperors of Japan

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