Akihito, Japanese emperor
Akihito (明仁, Japanese: [akiꜜçi̥to]; English: (listen) or ; born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and ichthyologist who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, from 7 January 1989 until 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, Heisei being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.Born in the Empire of Japan in 1933, Akihito is the 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. The next year, he made his first journey overseas and represented Japan at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He completed his university education in 1956. In 1959, he married Michiko Shōda, a Catholic; it was the first imperial wedding to be televised in Japan, drawing about 15 million viewers. The couple have three children: Naruhito, Fumihito, and Sayako.
Upon the death of his father Emperor Showa, in 1989, he succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne. His enthronement ceremony followed in 1990. He has made efforts to bring the imperial family closer to the Japanese people, and has made official visits to all forty-seven prefectures of Japan and to many of the remote islands of Japan. He also has a keen interest in natural life and its conservation, as well as Japanese and world history.Akihito abdicated in 2019, citing his advanced age and declining health, and assumed the title Emperor Emeritus. He was succeeded by his elder son, Naruhito.