Japan's ageing Emperor Akihito will step down in April 2019, marking the end of an imperial era for Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the abdication date shortly after a government and ...

Akihito has sought to modernize the imperial ... to imperial life and has long battled stress-induced illness. The abdication has also reignited concerns about a potential succession crisis.

TOKYO, June 9. /TASS/. The upper chamber of the Japanese parliament unanimously passed a bill paving the way for the abdication of Emperor Akihito and the ascension of his son Crown Prince Naruhito.

Emperor Akihito attended a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to mark his abdication. He will formally step down as Emperor at midnight on April 30, bringing to a close the three-decade-long ...

Akihito moved to his current residence in Tokyo’s Minato Ward in March 2020, following his abdication a year earlier. He still regularly visits the Biological Laboratory on the Imperial Palace ...

Akihito, 85, was the first monarch to take the Chrysanthemum Throne under a post-war constitution that defines the emperor as a symbol of the people without political power. His abdication is the ...

More than 80,000 people have paid their respects to Japan's Emperor Akihito as he gave his final birthday address before his abdication in April. The emperor, 85, said he took "deep comfort" that ...

The rituals started following Akihito’s abdication in April 2019. Akihito continues to take a daily stroll with Michiko and watches recorded TV programs documenting the lives of animals and ...

the panel released a report recommending a one-time provision for abdication. After lengthy discussion in the Diet, the bill was approved and the plans got the green light. Emperor Akihito made an ...

Emperor Akihito, known for his emphasis on reconciliation and peace, gave his last speech at Japan’s annual ceremony for WWII dead. Japan’s imperial couple will be on a state visit from 26 to ...

The Reiwa period follows the Heisei era under Naruhito's father and previous emperor, Akihito, who declared his historic abdication, becoming the first emperor to stand down in more than 200 years.