Emperor Akihito is the one hundred twenty-fifth representative of the dynasty. In 2016, the imperial family will turn 2776 years old.
Crown Prince
Prince Tsigunomiya was born on December 23, 1933. The country's traditions are such that the child was immediately taken away from the parents, and he was brought up by tutors. Only a few times a month did he meet with his parents. Conversations were not allowed. They looked at each other, and then the boy was led away. Such strict regulations in Japan.
Prince’s childhood
When the child was seven years old, he was sent to a closed elite school at Gakushiyun University. The young prince studied English, Western traditions and culture with the help of an American teacher. From children's entertainment, he was allowed only communication with fish, and children's games are not for him, a descendant of the gods. The hobby for fish was reflected later in a deep knowledge of ichthyology, according to which an adult already wrote several serious works.
Imperial family
Emperors of Japan are considered the descendants of the great deity who illuminates the heavens - Amaterasu. Their position on the throne is so strong that they do not need a surname. Divine origin led to the fact that rivals on the throne of the representatives of the imperial dynasty never had. To this day, emperors, except in Japan, are no longer in any country. Only Japonia retained the titles. Emperors Akihito and Hirohito are representatives of the dynasty, which has not been interrupted since 660 BC. True, the reign of the first sixteen emperors is based only on legends. Emperor Akihito has three attributes of power - a mirror, a sword, and a jasper seal. They are passed on by the father to his son when the prince takes office. Emperor Akihito received them in 1989.
Emperor power
Starting from the XII century, the power of the emperors is only formal. Now Japan is a constitutional monarchy, and Akihito, the emperor of Japan, does not have real powers. He, according to the constitution, is only a symbol of the country, like a coat of arms, flag and anthem. The Japanese emperor Akihito also serves as a symbol for the unification of a nation. “Peace and tranquility” is the motto of his reign. This is the translation of his name, Heisei, who will call him after death.
Family life
Prince Tsigunomiya married in 1959, breaking the thousand-year tradition, on the girl Michiko Shde, who did not belong to the aristocratic society.
She was the daughter of a very wealthy and influential businessman, an intelligent person whose family members were awarded the Order of Merit in the Field of Culture. The girl received a brilliant both Japanese and Western education. She became a bachelor of arts majoring in English Literature. She has free English, she plays the piano, in her youth she was actively involved in sports and met the prince on the court. Members of the imperial family did not approve of the alleged marriage, but the community supported the young people. The wedding was traditional and televised.
Parenting
The future Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko again broke the established traditions and began to raise their children, and their three (two princes and a princess) independently. It came to the point that the Crown Princess was engaged in their breastfeeding, not giving the nurse. They managed to do everything: to deal with children, and to carry out protocol activities. It is enough to say that from 1959 to 1989 they visited 37 foreign countries.
To date, they have a large friendly family, which is shown in the photo above.
What does the emperor do
Emperor Akihito has an inner need to be closer to his people. After 1989, he and his wife visited all forty-seven prefectures in Japan, as well as 18 foreign countries.
He issued several large-scale statements of repentance to Asian countries for their suffering during the Japanese occupation. In the USA, the imperial family visited the territory of Saipan, where the battle took place during the Second World War, and laid flowers at the memorial of not only Japanese, but also American soldiers. This found the lively support of the Japanese people, as well as visits to war memorials in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Okinawa. The emperor’s appeal to them in 2011 in connection with the tragedy in Fukushima was very important in the life of the country's inhabitants. He did not stop there. A month after heart surgery, he attended events that were held in memory of the victims of the earthquake. Residents of the country appreciated this as a feat on his part.
Birthday
This is a national holiday when His Imperial Majesty, along with his wife and children, comes to the windows made of bulletproof glass and thanks his people, wishing him prosperity and prosperity. On this day, all the streets are decorated with state flags, and there are tables with writing accessories near the palace, on which everyone can leave their congratulations.
In Japan, the emperor is not mentioned by name, but only as "His Majesty the Emperor." After death, he will receive the name Emperor Heisei, the era of his reign will also be called.