Name

In Japan, the Emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Majesty the Emperor" (天皇陛下, Tennō Heika?) which may be shortened to "His 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 Heisei Tennō; see "posthumous name") by order of the Cabinet after his death. At the same time, the name of the next era under his successor will also be established.

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 (Gakushūin) from 1940 to 1952. Unlike his predecessors in the Imperial family, he did not receive a commission as an army officer, at the request of his father, Hirohito.

During the American firebombing raids on Tokyo in March 1945, Akihito and his younger brother, Prince Masahito, were evacuated from the city. During the American occupation of Japan following World War II, Prince Akihito was tutored in the English language and Western manners 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, Akihito's formal Investiture as Crown Prince (立太子礼, Rittaishi-no-rei?) was held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on 10 November 1952. In June 1953, Crown Prince Akihito represented Japan at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London.

Then-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; and, he expressed the hope that he would like to help in bringing the Imperial family closer to the people of Japan.

Upon the death of Emperor Hirohito on 7 January 1989, the crown prince succeeded (senso) to the throne. Emperor Akihito's enthronement ceremony took place (sokui) on 12 November 1990. In 1998, during a state visit to the United Kingdom, he was invested with The Most Noble Order of the Garter.

On 23 December 2001, during his annual birthday meeting with reporters, the Emperor, in response to a reporter's question about tensions with 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.

Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer on 14 January 2003. 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.

In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima I nuclear crisis, the Emperor made a historic televised appearance urging his people not to give up hope and to help each other. The Emperor and the Empress also made a visit on Wednesday, 30 March 2011 to a temporary shelter housing refugees of the disaster, in order to inspire hope in the people. This kind of event is also extremely rare, though in line with the Emperor's attempts to bring the Imperial family closer to the people. Later in 2011, he was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. In February 2012, it was announced that the Emperor would be having a coronary examination. He underwent successful heart bypass surgery on 18 February 2012.

Marriage and family

In August 1957, he met Michiko Shōda on a tennis court at Karuizawa near Nagano. The Imperial Household Council (a body composed of the Prime Minister of Japan; the presiding officers of the two houses of the Diet of Japan; the Chief Justice of Japan; and two members of the Imperial family) formally approved the engagement of the Crown Prince to Michiko Shōda on 27 November 1958. At that time, the media presented their encounter as a real "fairy tale", or the "romance of the tennis court". The engagement ceremony took place on 14 January 1959.

The Emperor and Empress married on 10 April 1959. She was the first commoner to marry into the Imperial Family.

The Emperor and Empress have three children: sons Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan (born 23 February 1960, formerly The Prince Hiro) and Fumihito, Prince Akishino (born 30 November 1965, formerly The Prince Aya) and daughter Mrs. Sayako Kuroda (born 18 April 1969, formerly The Princess Nori).

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 a battle in World War II from 15 June to 9 July 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.

Succession

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 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. The supporters of changes criticized the current law as it placed a burden on the few aging males old enough to perform royal duties as females left the family.

Ichthyological research

In extension of his father's interest in marine biology, the Emperor is a published ichthyological researcher, and has specialized studies within the taxonomy of the family Gobiidae. He has written papers for scholarly journals, namely Gene and the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.

He has also written papers about the history of science during the Edo and Meiji eras, which were published in Science and Nature. In 2005, a newly described goby was named Exyrias akihito in his honour.

• 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)

Titles and styles

Styles of Emperor Akihito
Reference style	His Imperial Majesty
Spoken style	Your Imperial Majesty
Alternative style	Sir

• 23 December 1933 - 10 November 1952: His Imperial Highness The Prince Tsugu
• 10 November 1952 - 7 January 1989: His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince
• 7 January 1989 - present: His Imperial Majesty The Emperor

Honours

See also: List of honours of the Japanese Imperial Family by country

National honours

• 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 Culture
• The Golden Medal of Merit of the Japanese Red Cross
• The Golden Medal of Honorary Member of the Japanese Red Cross

Foreign honours

Country	Awards
Afghanistan	Order of the Supreme Sun
Austria	Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria, Grand Star
Bahrain	Order of al-Khalifa, Collar
Belgium	Order of Leopold, Grand Cordon
Botswana	Presidential Order
Brazil	Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Collar
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 the Cross of Boyaca, Grand Collar
Democratic Republic of the Congo / Zaire	National Order of the Leopard, Grand Cordon
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)
Egypt	Order of the Nile, Grand Collar
Estonia	Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, The Collar of the Cross
Ethiopia	Order of Solomon, Grand Collar
Finland	Order of the White Rose, Grand Cross with Collar
France	Légion d'honneur, Grand Cross
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 Adipurna, 1st Class
Ireland	Freedom of the City of Dublin, awarded by Lord Mayor of Dublin
Italy	Order of Merit of the Republic, Grand Cross with Cordon
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
Liberia	Order of the Star of Africa, Knight Grand Band Order of the Pioneers of the Republic Knight Grand Band
Lithuania	Order of Vytautas the Great, the Great Grand Cross with Collar
Luxembourg	Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, Knight
Malawi	Order of the Lion, Grand Commander
Malaysia	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 Ojaswi Rajanya, Member (19 April 1960) King Birendra Coronation Medal (24 February 1975)
Netherlands	Order of the Netherlands Lion, Knight Grand Cross
Nigeria	Order of the Federal Republic, Grand Cordon
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 Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Raja Order of Lakandula, Grand Collar
Poland	Order of the White Eagle
Portugal	Order of Saint James of the Sword, Grand Collar Order of Prince Henry, Grand Collar
Qatar	Collar of Independence
Saudi Arabia	Badr Chain
Senegal	Order of the Lion, Grand Cordon
South Africa	Order of Good Hope, Grand Cross in Gold
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
The Gambia	Order of the Republic of Gambia, Grand Commander
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 (?) Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
FR Yugoslavia*	Order of the Yugoslav Star

• FR Yugoslavia split into Serbia and Montenegro.

Other awards

• The Royal Society King Charles II Medal

Issue

See also: Line of succession to the Japanese throne

Name	Birth	Marriage		Issue
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan	23 February 1960	9 June 1993	Masako Owada	Aiko, Princess Toshi
Fumihito, Prince Akishino	30 November 1965	29 June 1990	Kiko Kawashima	Princess Mako of Akishino Princess Kako of Akishino Prince Hisahito of Akishino
Sayako, Princess Nori	18 April 1969	15 November 2005	Yoshiki Kuroda

Ancestors

Ancestors of Akihito

16. Osahito, Emperor Kōmei 8. Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji 17. Lady Yoshiko Nakayama 4. Yoshihito, Emperor Taishō 18. Count Takamitsu Yanagihara 9. Lady Naruko Yanagihara 19. Lady Utano Hasegawa 2. Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa 20. Prince Kujō Hisatada, Regent of Japan 10. Prince Kujō Michitaka of the Fujiwara Clan 21. Lady Tsuneko Karahashi 5. Lady Sadako Kujō 22. Yorioki Noma 11. Lady Ikuko Noma 23. Lady Kairi Yamokushi 1. Akihito, 125th Emperor of Japan 24. Prince Fushimi Kuniie 12. Asahiko, 1st Imperial Prince Kuni 25. Lady Nobuko Toriikōji 6. Kuniyoshi, 2nd Imperial Prince Kuni 26. Sir Toshimasu Izumitei 13. Lady Makiko Izumi 27. Lady Mako Yatoshi 3. Princess Nagako of Kuni 28. Prince Shimazu Hisamitsu 14. Prince Shimazu Tadayoshi 29. Lady Chimoko Shimazu of Echizen-Shimazu 7. Princess Chikako Shimazu 15. Lady Sumako Yamazaki

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent

Akihito's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations, which means that Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan. Imperial House of Japan Descent prior to Keitai is unclear to modern historians, but traditionally traced back patrilineally to Emperor Jimmu Emperor Keitai, ca. 450-534 Emperor Kimmei, 509-571 Emperor Bidatsu, 538-585 Prince Oshisaka, ca. 556-??? Emperor Jomei, 593-641 Emperor Tenji, 626-671 Prince Shiki, ???-716 Emperor Kōnin, 709-786 Emperor Kammu, 737-806 Emperor Saga, 786-842 Emperor Ninmyō, 810-850 Emperor Kōkō, 830-867 Emperor Uda, 867-931 Emperor Daigo, 885-930 Emperor Murakami, 926-967 Emperor En'yū, 959-991 Emperor Ichijō, 980-1011 Emperor Go-Suzaku, 1009-1045 Emperor Go-Sanjō, 1034-1073 Emperor Shirakawa, 1053-1129 Emperor Horikawa, 1079-1107 Emperor Toba, 1103-1156 Emperor Go-Shirakawa, 1127-1192 Emperor Takakura, 1161-1181 Emperor Go-Toba, 1180-1239 Emperor Tsuchimikado, 1196-1231 Emperor Go-Saga, 1220-1272 Emperor Go-Fukakusa, 1243-1304 Emperor Fushimi, 1265-1317 Emperor Go-Fushimi, 1288-1336 Emperor Kōgon, 1313-1364 Emperor Sukō, 1334-1398 Prince Yoshihito Fushimi, 1351-1416 Prince Sadafusa Fushimi, 1372-1456 Emperor Go-Hanazono, 1419-1471 Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado, 1442-1500 Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, 1464-1526 Emperor Go-Nara, 1495-1557 Emperor Ōgimachi, 1517-1593 Prince Masahito, 1552-1586 Emperor Go-Yōzei, 1572-1617 Emperor Go-Mizunoo, 1596-1680 Emperor Reigen, 1654-1732 Emperor Higashiyama, 1675-1710 Prince Naohito Kanin, 1704-1753 Prince Sukehito Kanin, 1733-1794 Emperor Kōkaku, 1771-1840 Emperor Ninkō, 1800-1846 Emperor Kōmei, 1831-1867 Emperor Meiji, 1852-1912 Emperor Taishō, 1879-1926 Emperor Shōwa, 1901-1989 Emperor Akihito, b. 1933

[ Source: Wikipedia ]