Emperor of Japan
The current Emperor on the throne is typically referred to as "Tennō Heika" (, "His (Imperial) Majesty the Emperor"), "Kinjō Heika" (, "His Current Majesty") or simply "Tennō", when speaking Japanese. The current Emperor will be renamed "Daijō Tennō" (, Retired Emperor), often shortened to "Jōkō" (), upon his planned retirement on 30 April 2019, and renamed "Heisei Tennō" () after his death and will then be referred to exclusively by that name in Japanese. In Japanese culture, it is considered a major faux pas to refer to a living Emperor by his posthumous name, although the posthumous name is the same as the era, which is used in official documents.
1980s in Japan
Emperor Showa died in the year 1989 after serving his people for more than 60 years. Akihito acceded to the throne in 1989, and is the 20th most senior monarch or lifelong leader. He is the world's only reigning monarch whose title is customarily translated into English as "Emperor".