Records of heads of state
Officially, the current Emperor of Japan, Akihito is the 125th in line from the first emperor Jimmu, who is variously believed to have reigned in the 1st or 7th century BC. The earliest documentary evidence is only for the 29th emperor, Kinmei (AD 509–571); however, this is sufficient such that even the most conservative of estimates still places the Japanese imperial family as among the oldest lines in the world today.
1 yen coin
The following are circulation dates which cover Emperor Hirohito's reign. The dates below correspond with the 30th to the 64th year (last) of his reign. Coins for this period will all begin with the Japanese symbol 昭和 (Shōwa).The following are circulation dates in the reign of the current Emperor. Akihito was crowned in 1989, which is marked with a 元 symbol on the coin as a one year type. Coins for this period all begin with the Japanese symbol 平成 (Heisei). One-yen coins dated between 2011 and 2013 were only released in mint sets. Although regular production resumed in 2014, the mintage was again halted in 2016 as exclusive to mint sets only.