Insta
End Of An Era: Japanese Emperor Akihito Abdicates After Three-Decade Reign, First Such Instance In 200 Years
Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko (Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)
Japanese Emperor Akihito, 85, on Tuesday (30 April) announced his abdication to Sun Goddess Shinto at a ritual at Imperial Gardens. His abdication is first in two centuries marking an end to the three decade reign at the throne, according to Reuters.
The emperor seen as a symbol of reconciliation, peace and democracy was the first monarch to have taken over the throne after the post war constitution that defines the emperor as a symbol of the people without any political power.
The monarch is also the first to have married a commoner, his wife Empress Michiko and together they have been a source of encouragement for the people of Japan during disasters and other such incidents.
The abdication will be conducted at the Imperial Palace's prestigious Matsu no ma and will be marked by a brief and simple ceremony. The ceremony will attendance from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako along with the heads of both houses of parliament and supreme court as attendees.
Next to throne Naruhito, 59, who along with his wife Masako will play an active role in crown affairs. Naruhito is Oxford Educated while Masako if from Harvard.
The ceremony will mark the end of Heisei imperial era which began on 8 Jan (1989).
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
