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Akihito 明仁
125th Emperor of Japan
Official Photo wearing the traditional ceremonial dress on his coronation at the Imperial Palace (1990)
Reign	7 January 1989 – present
Coronation	12 November 1990
Predecessor	Emperor Shōwa
Heir-Apparent	Crown Prince Naruhito
Consort	Empress Michiko
Offspring	Prince Naruhito Prince Akishino Sayako Kuroda
Royal House	House of Yamato
Father	Emperor Shōwa
Mother	Empress Kōjun

Akihito (明仁, Akihito^? born December 23, 1933) is the current Emperor (天皇, tennō^?) of Japan, and the 125th Emperor according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989, and is the 21st most senior monarch or lifelong leader. He is the world's only reigning monarch whose title is customarily translated into English as "Emperor".

Contents 1 Name 2 Biography 3 Marriage and children 4 Official functions 5 Awards 6 Ichthyological research 7 Ancestors 8 References 9 See also 10 External links

Name

In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" (天皇陛下, tennō heika^?), which may be shortened to "His Imperial Majesty" (陛下, heika^?). In writing, the emperor is also referred to formally as "The Reigning Emperor" (今上天皇, kinjō tennō^?). The Era of Akihito's reign bears the name "Heisei" (平成), and according to custom he will be renamed "Emperor Heisei" (平成天皇; see "posthumous name") after his death by order of the cabinet, in which the name of the next era under his successor will also be established.^[1]

Biography

Akihito is the eldest son and the fifth child of the Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and Empress Kōjun (Nagako). Titled Prince Tsugu (継宮, Tsugu-no-miya^?) as a child, he was raised and educated by his private tutors and then attended the elementary and secondary departments of the Peers' School (Gakushuin) from 1940 to 1952.^[2] Unlike his precedents in the Imperial Family, he did not receive a commission as an Army officer, at the request from his father, Emperor Shōwa.

During the American firebombing raids on Tokyo in March 1945, he and his younger brother, HIH Prince Masahito, were evacuated from the city. During the American occupation of Japan following World War II, Prince Akihito was tutored in English by Elizabeth Gray Vining. He briefly studied at the Department of Political Science at Gakushuin University in Tokyo, though he never received a degree. Although he was Heir-Apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne from the moment of his birth, his formal Investiture as Crown Prince (立太子礼, Rittaishi-no-rei^?) was held at the Kokyo Imperial Palace on November 10, 1952. In June 1953, Crown Prince Akihito represented Japan at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.^[2]

Then-Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko made official visits to thirty-seven countries. The Crown Prince assumed the throne after the death of his father on January 7, 1989, thus becoming the 125th Japanese monarch, according to the traditional order of succession. Emperor Akihito was formally enthroned as the Emperor of Japan on November 12, 1990.^[2] In 1998, during a state visit to the United Kingdom, he was invested with The Most Noble Order of the Garter.^[3]

On December 23, 2001, during his annual birthday meeting with reporters, the Emperor, in response to a reporter's question about the tensioned relation with Korea, remarked that he felt a kinship with Korean peninsula and went on to explain his feeling as resulting from the classical book Shoku Nihongi that the mother of Emperor Kammu (736–806), was one of 10th descendants of the king of Baekje, Muryeong, a Korean King from a Korean Empire.^[4] The Emperor also noted that Koreans who migrated to Japan in ancient times introduced some aspects of culture and technology to the country, and that the regrettable fact that Japan’s exchanges with Korea have not all been so friendly should never be forgotten. These remarks were reported and became headlines in the South Korean Media^[5].

Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer in January, 2003.^[6] Since succeeding to the throne, Emperor Akihito has made an effort to bring the Imperial Family closer to the Japanese people. The Emperor and Empress of Japan have made official visits to eighteen countries, as well as all forty-seven Prefectures of Japan.^[2]

Marriage and children

On April 10, 1959, he married Miss Michiko Shōda (born October 24, 1934), the eldest daughter of Mr. Hidesaburo Shōda, the president and later honorary chairman of Nisshin Flour Milling Company.^[2] The new Crown Princess was the first commoner to marry into the imperial family. The Emperor and the Empress have three children:

• HIH The Crown Prince Naruhito (b. February 23, 1960),
• HIH The Prince Akishino (Fumihito, b. November 30, 1965, titled Akishino-no-miya) and
• Sayako Kuroda, formerly HIH The Princess Sayako (titled Nori-no-miya or Princess Nori, b. April 18, 1969).^[2]

Official functions

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, Emperor Shōwa.

In June 2005, the Emperor visited the U.S. territory of Saipan, the site of one of the most brutal World War II battles from June 15 to July 9, 1944 (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 soldiers, 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, Nagasaki, and Okinawa in 1995.

On September 6, 2006, the Emperor celebrated the birth of his first grandson, Prince Hisahito, the third child of the Emperor's younger son. Prince Hisahito is 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 Emperor's elder son, the Crown Prince, has only one daughter, Princess Aiko. Under Japan's current male-only succession law, Princess Aiko is not eligible for the throne. The birth of Prince Hisahito could mean that proposed changes to the law to allow Aiko to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne will not go through after being temporarily shelved following the announcement of Princess Kiko's third pregnancy in February 2006.

Awards

Japanese Awards

• Collar and Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
• Grand Cordon of The Order of the Rising Sun with the Paulownia Blossoms
  • (Renamed Grand Cordon of The Order of the Paulownia Flowers from 2003)
• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
• Order of the Cuture
• The Golden Medal of Merit of Japanese Red Cross
• The Golden Medal of Hononary Member of Japanese Red Cross

Foreign Awards United Kingdom

• Order of the Garter
• Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
• Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

Denmark

• Order of the Elephant

France

• Order of the Legion of Honour

Spain

• Order of Carlos III Grand Cross with Collar
• Order of the Golden Fleece Knight

Nepal

• Order of Ojaswi Rajanya

Netherlands

• Order of the Netherlands Lion Knight Grand Cross

Jordan

• Order of Hussein ibn' Ali Collar

Sweden

• Royal Order of the Seraphim Knight

Panama

• Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero Gold Collar

Ethiopia

• Order of Solomon Grand Collar

Norway

• Order of St Olav Grand Cross with Collar

Portugal

• Riband of the Three Orders

Italy

• Order of Merit Grand Cross with Cordon

Germany

• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Cross, Special Class

Iran

• Order of Pahlavi Grand Collar

Peru

• Order of the Sun Grand Cross in Brilliants

Argentina

• Order of the Liberator General San Martin Grand Collar

Thailand

• The Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn
• The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri

Finland

• Order of the White Rose Grand Cross with Collar

Mali

• National Order Grand Cordon

Senegal

• Order of the Lion Grand Cordon

Liberia

• Order of the Pioneers of the Republic Knight Grand Band

Côte d'Ivoire

• Order of the Ivory Coast Grand Cordon

Liberia

• Order of the Star of Africa Knight Grand Band

Cameroon

• Order of Valour Grand Cordon

Belgium

• Order of Leopold Grand Cross

Greece

• Order of the Redeemer Grand Cross

Iceland

• Order of the Icelandic Falcon Grand Cross with Collar

Chile

• Order of Merit Grand Collar

Austria

• Decoration of Honour for Merit Grand Star

Brazil

• Order of the Southern Cross Grand Collar

Afghanistan

• Order of the Supreme Sun

Luxembourg

• Order of the Golden Lion of the House of Nassau Knight

Yugoslavia

• Order of the Yugoslavian Grand Star

Mexico

• Order of the Aztec Eagle Grand Collar

Zaire

• Order of the Leopard Grand Cordon

Indonesia

• Star of Adipurna 1st Class

Pakistan

• Order of Pakistan 1st Class

Kenya

• Order of the Golden Heart

The Gambia

• Order of the Republic of Gambia Grand Commander

Malawi

• Order of the Lion Grand Commander

Botswana

• Presidential Order

Nigeria

• Order of the Federal Republic Grand Cordon

Singapore

• Order of Temasek First Class

South Africa

• Order of Good Hope Grand Cross in Gold

Egypt

• Order of the Nile Grand Collar

Kuwait

• Order of Mubarak the Great Collar

Bahrain

• Order of al-Khalifa Collar

Saudi Arabia

• Badr Chain

Qatar

• Collar of Independence

Oman

• Order of Oman Superior Class

Morocco

• Order of Muhammad Grand Collar

The UAE

• Collar of the Federation

Hungary

• Order of Merit Grand Cross

Colombia

• Order of the Cross of Boyaca Grand Collar

Poland

• Order of the White Eagle

Czech Republic

• Order of the White Lion 1st Class (Civil Division) with Collar Chain

Peru

• Order of Merit Grand Cross

Kazakhstan

• Order of the Golden Eagle

Croatia

• Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Grand Star

Lithuania

• Order of Vytautas the Great Grand Cross with Collar

Latvia

• Order of The Three Stars Grand Cross with Collar

Estonia Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Collar of the Cross

Other Awards

• The Royal Society King Charles II Medal

Ichthyological research

An extension of his father's interest in marine biology, the emperor is known as an ichthyological researcher, and has specialized his studies in the taxonomy of the family Gobiidae.^[7] He produced articles for publication in Japanese and English scholarly journals such as Gene or Japanese Journal of Ichthyology^[8].

He also wrote some articles about the early period of the Japanese science history in Edo or Meiji Era, which were published in Science^[9] and Nature^[10]. In 2005 a newly described goby was named Exyrias akihito in his honour.

Ancestors

Akihito's ancestors in three generations

Akihito	Father: Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa	Paternal Grandfather: Yoshihito, Emperor Taishō	Paternal Great-grandfather: Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Adopted: Haruko, Empress Shōken - Biological: Lady Naruko Yanagiwara-no-Fujiwara, concubine
		Paternal Grandmother: Sadako, Empress Teimei	Paternal Great-grandfather: Prince Kujō Michitaka
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Lady Noma Ikuko, concubine
	Mother: Nagako, Empress Kōjun	Maternal Grandfather: Imperial Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni	Maternal Great-grandfather: Prince Kuni Asahiko
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Lady Isume Makiko, concubine
		Maternal Grandmother: Princess Shimazu Chikako of Satsuma	Maternal Great-grandfather: Prince Shimazu Tadayoshi, 29th and last Daimyo of Satsuma, Osumi and Hyuga
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Lady Hiro Sumako, concubine

• Ancestry in Genealogics

References

1. ^ "NATIONAL DAY OF JAPAN TO BE CELEBRATED", Embassy of Japan in Pakistan (2007-12-07). Retrieved on 2007-12-28. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress". Imperial Household Agency (2002). Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
3. ^ "PoWs' anger at Akihito honour", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation (1998-04-10). Retrieved on 2007-12-28. 
4. ^ "Press Conference on the Occasion of His Majesty's Birthday". Imperial Household Agency. Retrieved on 2008-07-07.
5. ^ 일 환무왕 생모‘백제 화씨부인’묘소 탐방기;초라한 왕후릉… 교토 야산에 홀로 잠들어 조선일보 2002.02.05 발행 / 19
6. ^ "Akihito has successful cancer operation", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation (2003-01-18). Retrieved on 2007-12-28. 
7. ^ Hamilton, Alan. "Palace small talk problem solved: royal guest is a goby fish fanatic," The Times (London). May 30, 2007]
8. ^ PubMed Search Results
9. ^ Early cultivators of science in Japan. Science. 1992, 258(5082), 578
10. ^ Linnaeus and taxonomy in Japan. Nature. 12 July 2007

See also

• List of Japanese Emperors
• List of longest reigning current monarchs
• Imperial Household of Japan
• Imperial Household Agency

External links

• The Japanese Imperial Household Agency Homepage, press conferences, extensive biography, official duties and public activities.

Akihito House of Yamato Born: 23 December 1933
Regnal titles
Preceded by Emperor Shōwa Hirohito	Emperor of Japan 1989 – present	Incumbent Designated heir: Crown Prince Naruhito

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