- Akihito
-
For the Japanese general, see Prince Komatsu Akihito.
Akihito
明仁Emperor of Japan Reign 7 January 1989 – present Enthronement 12 November 1990 Predecessor Shōwa Heir apparent Crown Prince Naruhito Prime Ministers Spouse Michiko Issue Crown Prince Naruhito
Prince Akishino
Sayako KurodaHouse House of Yamato Father Hirohito Mother Kōjun Born 23 December 1933
Tokyo, JapanReligion Shintoism Akihito /akiçito/ (明仁 , born 23 December 1933) is the Emperor of Japan (天皇 tennō ), the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.
Contents
Name
In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" 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 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.[1]
Biography
Akihito is the eldest son and the fifth child of Emperor Hirohito (the Showa Emperor) and Empress Kōjun. 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 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, 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 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, his 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.[2]
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.[3]
After the death of Emperor Hirohito on 7 January 1989, the crown prince received the succession (senso).[4] Emperor Akihito formally acceded to the throne (sokui)[4] on 12 November 1990.[2] In 1998, during a state visit to the United Kingdom, he was invested with The Most Noble Order of the Garter.
Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer in January 2003.[5] 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]
In response to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima I nuclear crisis, the Emperor made a historic televised appearance[6] urging his people not to give up hope and to help each other. The Emperor had never been featured in a prerecorded televised message before, and so this event is historic and showed the scale of this disaster.[7] 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.[8]
Marriage and children
Imperial House of Japan - HIM The Emperor
HIM The Empress
Monarchical styles of
Emperor Akihito of JapanReference style His Imperial Majesty Spoken style Your Imperial Majesty Alternative style Sir On 10 April 1959, he married Michiko Shōda (born 24 October 1934), the eldest daughter of Hidesaburo Shōda, the president and later honorary chairman of Nisshin Flour Milling Company.[2][9] 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. 23 February 1960, titled Hiro-no-miya or Prince Hiro),
- HIH The Prince Akishino (Fumihito, b. 30 November 1965, titled Aya-no-miya or Prince Aya) and
- Sayako Kuroda, formerly HIH The Princess Sayako (titled Nori-no-miya or Princess Nori, b. 18 April 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 Hirohito.
In June 2005, the Emperor visited the US 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.
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.
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.[10] He has written papers for scholarly journals, namely Gene and the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.[11]
He has also written papers about the history of science during the Edo and Meiji eras, which were published in Science[12] and Nature.[13] In 2005, a newly described goby was named Exyrias akihito in his honour.
Awards
National
- 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
International
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 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 National Order of the Leopard Grand Cordon Côte d'Ivoire 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 Knight Grand Cross Egypt Order of the Nile Grand Collar Estonia Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Collar of the Cross[14] 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 Hungary Grand Cross Iceland Order of the Falcon Grand Cross with Collar Indonesia Star of Adipurna 1st Class Italy Order of Merit of the Republic Grand Cross with Cordon Jordan Order of Hussein ibn' 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 Grand Cross with Collar Liberia Order of the Star of Africa Knight Grand Band
Order of the Pioneers of the Republic Knight Grand BandLithuania Order of Vytautas the Great the Great Grand Cross with Collar[15] Luxembourg Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Knight Malawi Order of the Lion Grand Commander Malaysia Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara Mali National Order Grand Cordon Mexico Order of the Aztec Eagle Grand Collar Morocco Order of Muhammad Grand Collar Nepal Order of Ojaswi Rajanya 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[16] Poland Order of the White Eagle Portugal Order of Prince Henry Grand Collar[17] 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 Sweden Royal Order of the Seraphim Knight Thailand The Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn
The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of ChakriThe 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 984th Knight of Order of the Garter
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation MedalSerbia and Montenegro Order of the Yugoslav Star Zaire Order of the Leopard Grand Cordon Other Awards
- The Royal Society King Charles II Medal
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. Princess Sadako Kugō 22. Yorioki Noma 11. Lady Ikuko Noma 1. Akihito, 125th Emperor of Japan 24. Prince Fushimi Kuniye, 20th and 23rd of the miyake of Fushimi 12. Asahiko, 1st Imperial Prince Kuni 25. Lady Nobuko Toriikōji 6. Kuniyoshi, 2nd Imperial Prince Kuni 26. Sir Toshimasu Izumitei, Custodian of Shimogamo Shrine 13. Lady Makiko Izumi 3. Princess Nagako of Kuni 28. Prince Shimazu Hisamitsu, 1st Prince of Tamazato-Shimazu 14. Prince Shimazu Tadayoshi, 29th Daimyo of Satsuma, Osumi and Hyuga 29. Lady Chimoko Shimazu of Echizen-Shimazu 7. Princess Chikako Shimazu 15. Lady Sumako Yamazaki Patrilineal descent
Ancestors of Akihito 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
- 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 Hirohito, 1901–1989
- Emperor Akihito, b. 1933
See also
- The Emperor's Birthday
- Imperial Household Agency
- Imperial Household of Japan
- Japanese era name
- List of Japanese Emperors
- List of longest reigning current monarchs
References
- ^ "National Day of Japan to be celebrated". Embassy of Japan in Pakistan. 2007-12-07. http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp/PRESS/Press%202007/JPNEMPAK%2007-041,%20NATIONAL%20DAY%20OF%20JAPAN%20TO%20BE%20CELEBRATED.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ a b c d e f "Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress". Imperial Household Agency. 2002. Archived from the original on 2007-12-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20071201092521/http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e03/ed03-01.html. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ "Those Apprentice Kings and Queens Who May -- One Day -- Ascend a Throne," New York Times. 14 November 1971.
- ^ a b Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, p. 44.
- ^ "Akihito has successful cancer operation". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 2003-01-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2671271.stm. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ "Six days later, Japanese still confronting magnitude of quake crisis". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/16/japan.disaster/index.html?hpt=T1#.
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/16/us-japan-quake-emperor-idUSTRE72F23520110316 Archived 16 March 2011 at WebCite
- ^ http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/news_asia/2011-03-31/japanese-emperor-visits-evacuation-center.html
- ^ Fukada, Takahiro, "Emperor — poise under public spotlight", Japan Times, November 24, 2009, p. 3.
- ^ Hamilton, Alan. "Palace small talk problem solved: royal guest is a goby fish fanatic," The Times (London). 30 May 2007
- ^ PubMed Search Results
- ^ Akihito (Oct 1992). "Early cultivators of science in Japan". Science 258 (5082): 578–80. doi:10.1126/science.1411568. PMID 1411568. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=1411568.
- ^ His Majesty The Emperor of Japan (Jul 2007). "Linnaeus and taxonomy in Japan". Nature 448 (7150): 139–140. doi:10.1038/448139a. PMID 17632886.
- ^ "Akihito". Bearers of decorations. president.ee. http://www.president.ee/en/estonia/decorations/bearers.php?id=751. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
- ^ Decree 1K-974
- ^ OPS.gov.ph
- ^ "Cidadãos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas" (in pt). presidencia.pt. http://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=154. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
External links
- The Japanese Imperial Household Agency Homepage, press conferences, extensive biography, official duties and public activities.
- Complete transcript and audio mp3 and video of 'Do Not Lose Hope' Address to the Nation at AmericanRhetoric.com
AkihitoBorn: 23 December 1933Regnal titles Preceded by
Emperor ShōwaEmperor of Japan
1989–presentIncumbent
Heir apparent:
Crown Prince NaruhitoMonarchs of Japan (List) - Family Tree
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- Akihito (current)
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