This Day in History: 12 November 2020
12 November 1990
30 years ago, today, Crown Prince Akihito was enthroned as the emperor of Japan, making him the 125th Japanese monarch along an imperial line dating back to 660 B.C. He was the only son of the late Emperor Hirohito and became the first Japanese monarch to reign solely as an official figurehead. His father had begun his reign in 1926 as absolute, but his powers were very limited in practise. After the Japanese defeat in World War II, Hirohito was stripped of his power by the United States and forced to renounce his divinity. With this signing, amending the Japanese constitution, the emperor became the official figurehead of Japan.
In 1959, Akihito had caused controversy when he broke a 1,500-year-old tradition by marrying a commoner. She was Shoda Michiko, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. The imperial couple subsequently had three children: Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino, and Princess Nori. When Akihito became emperor, he commenced a new Japanese era, known as 'Heisei', meaning 'achieving peace'. However, in April 2019, he stepped down from the throne, making him the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in over 200 years. He was succeeded by Naruhito.
Want to find out more about Akihito? Click here for more information, or here for a video of his abdication ceremony.
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