How Japan’s First Abdication in 202 Years Will Work
Emperor Akihito will abdicate on April 30 and his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1.
Japan will see its first imperial abdication in two centuries at the end of April, a rare event even for a hereditary monarchy said to stretch back almost three millennia. In a succession of traditional ceremonies, Emperor Akihito, 85, will abdicate on April 30 after a reign of 31 years, and his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1. To mark the occasion, the country is extending its annual spring holidays -- known as Golden Week -- to an unprecedented 10 days off.
In 2016, Akihito said he may no longer be physically fit enough to carry out his duties. The emperor’s powers were restricted after World War II, so Parliament had to pass a one-time law to allow for abdication. A special panel then set April 30, 2019, as the end of his imperial era known as Heisei, which can be translated as “achieving peace.” Akihito’s health problems have included heart bypass surgery in 2012 and a hospitalization for pneumonia in 2011. The last emperor to abdicate was Kokaku in 1817, who stepped down to make way for his son.