Who is the current emperor of Japan?
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.
Politics of Japan
On 2 June 2010, Hatoyama resigned due to lack of fulfillments of his policies, both domestically and internationally and soon after, on 8 June, Akihito, Emperor of Japan ceremonially swore in the newly elected DPJ's president, Naoto Kan as prime minister. Kan suffered an early setback in the Japanese House of Councillors election, 2010. In a routine political change in Japan, DPJ’s new president and former finance minister of Naoto Kan’s cabinet, Yoshihiko Noda was cleared and elected by the Diet as 95th prime minister on 30 August 2011. He was officially appointed as prime minister in the attestation ceremony at imperial palace on 2 September 2011.
Japan
The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government and is appointed by the Emperor after being designated by the Diet from among its members. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet, and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State. Following the LDP's landslide victory in the 2012 general election, Shinzō Abe replaced Yoshihiko Noda as the Prime Minister on December 26, 2012.
Heisei period
In August 2016, Emperor Akihito gave a televised address to the nation, in which he expressed concern that his age would one day stop him from fulfilling his official duties. This was an implication of his wish to retire. The Japanese Diet passed a law in June 2017 to allow the throne to pass to Akihito's son, Naruhito. After meeting with members of the Imperial House Council, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced that 30 April 2019 would be the date set for Akihito's abdication. The Era of Naruhito's reign will begin the next day.
2019 Japanese imperial transition
On 8 August 2016, the Emperor gave a rare televised address, where he emphasized his advanced age and declining health; this address was interpreted as an implication of his intention to abdicate.
List of ambassadors of Japan to the United States
Shinsuke J. Sugiyama is the current Japanese ambassador to the United States, having presented his credentials on March 28th, 2018.
Shou Lung
The official head of the government is the Emperor, but in practice everyday affairs of state are handled by the Chancellor, who executes the Emperor's decrees, oversees the bureaucracy and controls the information that reaches the emperor's ears. The current Emperor is Kai Tsao Shou Chin (LG lvl 10 Samurai/Noble). The Wu Jen is the Emperor's official court wizard, who advises the Emperor's policies with divinations and deals with magical threats.
Prince Hisahito of Akishino
Prince Hisahito is the only son and youngest child of Fumihito, Prince Akishino, and Kiko, Princess Akishino. He has two older sisters, Princess Mako of Akishino and Princess Kako of Akishino. He was first seen in public on 15 September 2006, outside Aiiku Hospital.
Hisahito was the first male child born to the Imperial House of Japan since his father in 1965. In January 2007, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, announced that he would drop an earlier proposal to alter the Imperial Household Law so as to allow females to inherit the throne. The proposal had been made on the basis of the fact that the two sons of Emperor Akihito had, at the time, no sons of their own. Given Hisahito's birth, it now seems increasingly unlikely that the laws will be changed to allow Hisahito's cousin, Princess Aiko, the daughter and only child of the heir apparent to the throne, Crown Prince Naruhito, to become a reigning Empress and thus end the Japanese succession controversy. The supporters of changes criticized the current law as it placed a burden on the few aging males old enough to perform royal duties as females left the family.
Ryūjin
Ryūjin was the father of the beautiful goddess Otohime who married the hunter prince Hoori. The first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu, is said to have been a grandson of Otohime and Hoori's. Thus, Ryūjin is said to be one of the ancestors of the Japanese imperial dynasty.
Emperor Kinmei
His reign is said to have spanned the years from 539 through 571. Kinmei is the first Japanese emperor for whom contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates.
Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
The current Deputy Prime Minister is Tarō Asō, who took the post on 26 December 2012.
Emperor Chūai
, also known as "Tarashinakatsuhiko no Sumeramikoto (足仲彦天皇)", was the 14th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. The dates of his reign are conventionally given as 192 to 200. He was the first emperor who was not the child of the previous emperor, being instead the nephew of his predecessor Emperor Seimu.
Chrysanthemum Throne
According to legend, the Japanese monarchy is said to have been founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu; Akihito is the 125th monarch to occupy the Chrysanthemum Throne. The extant historical records only reach back to Emperor Ōjin, who is considered to have reigned into the early 4th century. 
In the 1920s, then-Crown Prince Hirohito served as regent during several years of his father's reign, when Emperor Taishō was physically unable to fulfill his duties. However, the Prince Regent lacked the symbolic powers of the throne which he could only attain after his father's death.
Emperor Buretsu
Buretsu was a son of Emperor Ninken and his mother is "Kasuga no Ōiratsume no Kōgō" (春日大郎皇后). His name was Ohatsuse no Wakasazaki no Mikoto (小泊瀬稚鷦鷯尊). He had no children.If Emperor Keitai began a new dynasty as some historians believe, then Buretsu is the last emperor of the first recorded dynasty of Japan.
Emperor Tenji
, also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Emperor Go-Komatsu
He is officially considered to have been the Northern pretender from May 24, 1382 to October 21, 1392, when upon Emperor Go-Kameyama's abdication, Go-Komatsu is understood to have been a legitimate emperor (the 100th sovereign) from that date. In 1392, following the post"-Nanboku-chō" unification of the two formerly contending courts, the Southern Emperor Emperor Go-Kameyama reached an agreement with Go-Komatsu to alternate control of the throne between the Northern and Southern courts on a ten-year plan which effectively signaled the end of the southern court's claims to sovereignty. However, Go-Komatsu reneged, not only ruling for 20 years until his own abdication on October 5, 1412, but was succeeded by his own son, rather than by one from the former Southern Court. According to pre-Meiji scholars, Go-Komatsu's reign as a legitimate emperor spanned the years from 1392 through 1412. The present Japanese Imperial Family is descended from the Northern Court emperors.
Prime Minister of Japan
To date, 62 people have served this position. The current Prime Minister is Shinzō Abe, who re-took office on December 26, 2012. He is the first former Prime Minister to return to office since 1948, and the 5th longest serving Prime Minister to date.
Emperor Kōmei
Emperor Kōmei was the last Japanese Emperor who had more than one era name ("nengō") during a single ruling term. Beginning with his successor, Emperor Meiji, a single era name (identical to the Emperor's official title) was selected and did not change until his death. There were seven "nengō" during Kōmei's reign.
Article 96 of the Japanese Constitution
Shinzo Abe, the current Prime Minister of Japan, has been a vocal proponent of revising Article 96, stating that "It's unfair that just more than one-third of lawmakers could block revisions even if 50 percent or more of the public want to amend the Constitution". Given that his Liberal Democratic Party controls both Houses of the National Diet (for the first time in nearly a decade), political pundits say that he has a fair chance to succeed. However, the Liberal Democratic Party's coalition partner, New Komeito, may be unwilling to support such a change, and in fact, the Liberal Democratic Party appeared to drop the issue from its platform in the run up to the House of Councillors election in 2013. Moreover, the Japanese population appears to be roughly divided regarding the revision of Article 96, with 42% in favor and 46% against according to a recent Mainichi Shimbun poll. A separate NHK survey showed that nearly 50% of Japanese had no opinion on the subject.
Kumazawa Hiromichi
In 1946-1947, Hiromichi was only the first of roughly nineteen men who put themselves forward as Japan's rightful Emperor. As a direct descendant of the Southern Court emperors of the Nanboku-chō period, he argued that Emperor Hirohito was illegitimate. He pointed out that Hirohito's entire line is descended from the Northern Court emperors. He produced a koseki detailing his bloodline back to Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino, but his claims and rhetoric failed to inspire anything other than sympathy.
Emperor Keitai
, also known as Keitai-okimi, was the 26th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Emperor of Japan
Unlike most constitutional monarchs, the Emperor is not even the "nominal" chief executive. explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader. The Emperor is also not the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954 also explicitly vests this role with the Prime Minister.
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
On 1 December 2017, the government announced that the crown prince would be proclaimed emperor upon the abdication of his father, making this the first time in history that such a move would be officially made public in advance.
Emperor of Japan
Outside Japan, the previous Emperor is usually called Hirohito in English, although he was never referred to as Hirohito in Japan, and was renamed "Shōwa Tennō" after his death, which is the only name that Japanese speakers currently use when referring to him.
Emperor of Japan
The role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1199, the Emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, unlike many Western monarchs. Japanese Emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political forces, to varying degrees. In fact, between 1192 and 1867, the "shōguns", or their "shikken" regents in Kamakura (1203–1333), were the "de facto" rulers of Japan, although they were nominally appointed by the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1867, the Emperor was the embodiment of all sovereign power in the realm, as enshrined in the Meiji Constitution of 1889. Since the enactment of the 1947 Constitution, he has been a ceremonial head of state without even nominal political powers.
List of Emperors of Japan
This list of Emperors of Japan presents the traditional order of succession. Records of the reigns of the Emperors of Japan are compiled according to the traditional Japanese calendar. In the "nengō" system which has been in use since the late-seventh century, years are numbered using the Japanese era name and the number of years which have taken place since that "nengō" era started.
Emperor Go-Sai
, also known as , was the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
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.
Constitution of Japan
Under the constitution, the Emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". The Emperor carries out most functions of a head of state, formally appointing the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, convoking the National Diet and dissolving the House of Representatives, under the advice of the Cabinet, and also promulgating statutes and treaties and exercising other enumerated functions.
Emperor of Japan
Until recent centuries, Japan's territory did not include several remote regions of its modern-day territory. The name "Nippon" came into use only many centuries after the start of the current imperial line. Centralized government only began to appear shortly before and during the time of Prince Shōtoku (572–622). The Emperor was more like a revered embodiment of divine harmony than the head of an actual governing administration. In Japan, it has always been easy for ambitious lords to hold actual power, as such positions have not been inherently contradictory to the Emperor's position. The parliamentary government today continues a similar coexistence with the Emperor as have various shoguns, regents, warlords, guardians, etc.
Enthronement
The Emperor of Japan attends an enthronement ceremony soon after his accession; the last such ritual was held in 1990 for the current sovereign, Akihito. The Imperial Regalia consist of a sword, known as "Kusanagi", a jewel, known as "Yasakani no magatama", and a mirror, called "Yata no Kagami". Unlike most other monarchies, Japan has no crown for its ruler.
Ise Grand Shrine
During the Empire of Japan and the establishment of State Shinto, the position of chief priest of the Ise Shrine was fulfilled by the reigning emperor and the Meiji, Taisho and Shōwa Emperors all played the role of chief priest during their reigns.
Since the disestablishment of State Shinto during the Occupation of Japan, the offices of chief priest and most sacred priestess have been held by former members of the imperial family or their descendants. The current chief priest of the shrine is Takatsukasa Naotake, adoptive son of Takatsukasa Kazuko. He succeeded Kitashirakawa Michihisa, a great-grandson of the Meiji Emperor, in 2007. Kitashirakawa Michihisa succeeded his cousin Kuni Kuniaki, the eldest son of former Prince Kuni Asaakira (brother of Empress Kōjun), in 2001. Kitashirakawa's grandmother, Kitashirakawa Fusako, the seventh daughter of the Meiji Emperor, served as most sacred priestess of the Ise Shrine from 1947 until her death in 1974. She was succeeded in that post by Takatsukasa Kazuko, third daughter of the Emperor Shōwa, who held the post until ill health forced her retirement in 1988. Takatsukasa Kazuko was succeeded by her younger sister, Ikeda Atsuko. In 2012, Ikeda was joined by her niece Kuroda Sayako, sole daughter of reigning Emperor Akihito, to serve as a high priestess under her. On 19 June 2017, Kuroda officially replaced her aunt as supreme priestess.
List of rulers of Japan
The rulers of Japan have been its Emperors, whether effectively or nominally, for its entire recorded history. These include the ancient legendary emperors, the attested but undated emperors of the Yamato period (early fifth to early 6th centuries), and the clearly dated emperors of 539 to the present. Political power was held in various eras by regents and "shōguns", and since 1946 has been exercised exclusively by the Prime Minister as leader of a representative government.
Emperor Go-Saga
Emperor Go-Saga (後嵯峨天皇 "Go-Saga-tennō") (April 1, 1220 – March 17, 1272) was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1242 through 1246.
Cabinet of Japan
In practice, much of the Cabinet's authority is exercised by the Prime Minister. Under the Constitution, the Prime Minister exercises "control and supervision" over the executive branch, and no law or Cabinet order can take effect without the Prime Minister's countersignature (and the Emperor's promulgation). While Cabinet Ministers in most other parliamentary democracies theoretically have some freedom of action (within the limits of cabinet collective responsibility), the Japanese Cabinet is effectively an extension of the Prime Minister's authority.
The members of the current cabinet of Japan headed by the Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Shinzō Abe as of 2 October 2018 are as follows:
Emperor Kenzō
, also spelled Ghen-so"-tennō", was the 23rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Emperor Yōzei
Yōzei was succeeded by his father's uncle, Emperor Kōkō; and in the reign of Kōkō's son, Emperor Uda, the madness re-visited the tormented former emperor:Yōzei lived in retirement until the age of 80.
The actual site of Yōzei's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Kyoto.
Yasuhira Kiyohara
Seicho Matsumoto (松本 清張, Matsumoto Seicho) was one of the influential writers of the history of modern Japan as well as mysterious novels. In his "Showa Shi Hakkutsu" 『昭和史発掘』,Matsumoto cited what Yasuhira Kiyohara later revealed in 1986, in characterizing the incident, that Kiyohara led his group of soldiers to the front of the Imperial Palace without any machine guns or weapons. Matsumoto saw in this fact that they were so immature and misunderstood Emperor Hirohito. Kiyohara said in a round-table discussion that "it was our program that we enter the Palace with the permission of Emperor Hirohito through Military Officer General to his Majesty Honjo. However, Emperor Hirohito was very furious at our coup d'état."
He wrote a book titled "Konpaku" in which he describes the coup and Chizuko Mifune, a younger sister of his mother.
Emperor
As of the early 21st century, Japan's succession law prohibits a female from ascending the throne. With the birth of a daughter as the first child of the current crown prince, Naruhito, Japan considered abandoning that rule. However, shortly after the announcement that Princess Kiko was pregnant with her third child, the proposal to alter the Imperial Household Law was suspended by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. On 3 January 2007, after the birth of her son, Prince Hisahito, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would drop the proposal.
Christianity in Japan
It is estimated that the Japanese Orthodox Church has some 30,000 adherents today. The current primate of Japan is Daniel Nushiro, Metropolitan of all Japan and Archbishop of Tokyo, who was elevated to the primacy in 2000. The primate's seat is the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Founded in 1891, the cathedral has been known as Nikolai-do in honor of its founder Nicholas Kasatkin, now venerated as St. Nicholas of Japan. The cathedral serves as the seat of the national primate of Japan and continues to be the main center of Orthodox Christian worship in Japan.
Emperor Murakami
In 944, he was appointed crown prince and ascended the throne two years later.Murakami's maternal uncle Fujiwara no Tadahira remained as the "Sessho" regent until 949. After the death of Tadahira, there was no regent and although contemporaries praised Murakami as the emperor who governed the state directly, in reality the Fujiwara clan seized power and ruled Japan. The brothers Fujiwara no Saneyori and Fujiwara no Morosuke became the "de facto" rulers of Japan.Murakami was a central figure in Heian period culture. He was also a skilled flute and koto (Japanese harp) player.The actual site of Murakami's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ("misasagi") at Kyoto.
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 "Go-Daigo-tennō") (November 26, 1288 – September 19, 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He successfully overthrew the Kamakura shogunate in 1333 and established the short lived Kenmu Restoration to bring the Imperial House back into power. This was to be the last time the emperor had any power until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Kenmu restoration was in turn overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji in 1336, ushering in the Ashikaga shogunate, and split the imperial family into two opposing factions between the Ashikaga backed Northern Court situated in Kyoto and the Southern Court based in Yoshino led by Go-Daigo and his later successors.
Emperor of Japan (disambiguation)
Emperor of Japan may also refer to:
Monarch
The Japanese monarchy is now the only monarchy to still use the title of Emperor.
Nakayama Tadayasu
Marquess Nakayama Tadayasu (Japanese 中山 忠能, 17 December 1809 – 12 June 1888) was a Japanese nobleman and courtier of the Edo period and then one of the Kazoku of the post-1867 Empire of Japan. He was the father of Nakayama Yoshiko (1834–1907), mother of the Emperor Meiji, who was born and brought up in Nakayama's household. He had the rare honour of being awarded the Order of the Chrysanthemum while still alive.
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇 "Go-Shirakawa-tennō") (October 18, 1127 – April 26, 1192) was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, while he remained effectively in power for almost 37 years.
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".
Fourth Abe Cabinet
The Fourth Abe Cabinet was formed in November 2017 by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and is the current government of Japan. The government is a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito (which had changed its name from "New Komeito" in the 2012–2014 term) and controls both the upper and lower houses of the National Diet.
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors
Head of state
The was drawn up under the Allied occupation that followed World War II and was intended to replace the previous militaristic and quasi-absolute monarchy system with a form of liberal democracy parliamentary system. The constitution explicitly vests all executive power in the Cabinet, who is chaired by the prime minister (articles 65 and 66) and responsible to the Diet (articles 67 and 69). The emperor is defined in the constitution as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" (article 1), and is generally recognized throughout the world as the Japanese head of state. Although the emperor formally appoints the prime minister to office, article 6 of the constitution requires him to appoint the candidate "as designated by the Diet", without any right to decline appointment. He is a ceremonial figurehead with no independent discretionary powers related to the governance of Japan.
Suzaku Kururugi
Suzaku Kururugi, born on July 10, 2000 a.t.b., is the son of Japan's last prime minister, Genbu Kururugi. His existence was kept a secret from the public until after the war. Suzaku met Lelouch vi Britannia and his sister Nunnally vi Britannia when they moved to the Kururugi residence as a diplomatic peace trade. At first, Suzaku despised Lelouch because he thought that he was a prince who didn't care about anyone. As time passed by, however, he came to know Lelouch better, and they soon became best friends. They become separated when Britannia invaded Japan, but are reunited in the Shinjuku Ghetto.
Emperor of Japan
In Japanese mythology, according to "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki", the Emperor and his family are said to be direct descendants of the sun-goddess Amaterasu. During World War II, the role of the Emperor as head of the Shinto religion was exploited, which resulted in the creation of State Shinto and an Imperial cult. Following the end of the Second World War, the Allies issued the Shinto Directive which abolished the state support for the Shinto religion, leading to the Humanity Declaration of the incumbent Emperor which refuted the idea that the Emperor is a living divine being, and dismissed the importance of "myths and legends" for the Emperor's status. However, the Emperors have continued to perform many traditional ceremonies privately.
Emperor
Currently, many believe the new prince of Japan will ascend the throne, as the law defines. Historically, Japan has had eight reigning empresses who used the genderless title "Tennō", rather than the female consort title "kōgō" (皇后) or "chūgū" (中宮). There is ongoing discussion of the Japanese Imperial succession controversy.
Empress Jingū
, occasionally known as , was a Japanese empress who ruled beginning in the year 201.
Her father is Okinaganosukunenomiko (息長帯比売命) and her mother is Kazurakinotakanukahime (葛城高顙媛) who is the descendant of Amenohiboko (天日槍) the legendary prince of Korea. The consort to Emperor Chūai, she also served as Regent from the time of her husband's death in 201 until her son Emperor Ōjin acceded to the throne in 269. Up until the Meiji period, Jingū was considered to have been the 15th Japanese imperial ruler, according to the traditional order of succession (hence her alternate title "Jingū tennō" 神功天皇); but a re-evaluation of the extant historical records caused her name to be removed from that list; and her son, Emperor Ōjin, is today considered to have been the 15th sovereign.
Emperor Kōrei
Kōrei is regarded by historians as a "legendary emperor" and there is a paucity of information about him. There is insufficient material available for further verification and study. The reign of Emperor Kinmei ( – 571 AD), the 29th emperor, is the first for which contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates; However, the conventionally accepted names and dates of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as "traditional" until the reign of Emperor Kanmu (737–806), the 50th sovereign of the Yamato dynasty. 
In the "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki" only his name and genealogy were recorded. He is believed to be son of Emperor Kōan; and his mother is believed to have been Oshihime, who was the daughter of Ametarashihiko-Kunio-shihito-no-mikoto. The Japanese have traditionally accepted this sovereign's historical existence, and an Imperial "misasagi" or tomb for Kōrei is currently maintained; however, no extant contemporary records have been discovered that confirm a view that this historical figure actually reigned. He was the sixth of eight emperors without specific legends associated with them, also known as the .
Japanese era name
The current Emperor is scheduled to abdicate on 30 April 2019, necessating a change in nengō. It is believed that the new name will be made public in advance.
Japanese imperial family tree
The following is a family tree of the Emperors of Japan, from the legendary Emperor Jimmu to the present day.
Emperor Meiji
Since the modern era, deceased Emperors of Japan have been given a posthumous name, which is the name of the era coinciding with the Emperor's time on the throne. Therefore, while publicly known in his lifetime merely as "The Emperor", the Japanese monarch historically known as "Emperor Meiji" obtained his current title in reference to the Meiji period which spanned almost the entirety of his reign. His personal name, which is not used in any formal or official context, except for his signature, was .
Government of Japan
The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, containing forty-seven administrative divisions, with the Emperor as its head of state. His role is ceremonial and he has no powers related to Government. Instead, it is the Cabinet, comprising the Ministers of State and the Prime Minister, that directs and controls the Government. The Cabinet is the source of power of the Executive branch, and is formed by the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. He or she is designated by the National Diet and appointed to office by the Emperor.
Emperor of Japan
There are two Japanese words equivalent to the English word "Emperor": "tennō" (, "heavenly sovereign"), which is used exclusively to refer to the Emperor of Japan, and "kōtei" (皇帝, the title used for all other foreign Emperors), which is used primarily to describe non-Japanese Emperors. "Sumeramikoto" ("the Imperial person") was also used in Old Japanese. The term "tennō" was used by the Emperors up until the Middle Ages; then, following a period of disuse, it was used again from the 19th century. In English, the term "mikado" ( or ), literally meaning "the honorable gate" (i.e. the gate of the imperial palace, which indicates the person who lives in and possesses the palace), was once used (as in "The Mikado", a 19th-century operetta), but this term is now obsolete. (Compare Sublime Porte, an old term for the Ottoman government.)
Emperor of Japan
The law was repealed in the aftermath of World War II. The present Emperor, Akihito, became the first crown prince for over a thousand years to marry a consort from outside the previously eligible circle.
Emperor Rokujō
Emperor Rokujō (六条天皇 "Rokujō-tennō") (December 28, 1164 – August 23, 1176) was the 79th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168.
Emperor of Japan
The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights. Under its terms, the Emperor of Japan is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and exercises a purely ceremonial role without the possession of sovereignty.
List of Emperors of Japan
The sequence, order and dates of the first 28 Emperors of Japan, and especially the first 16, are based on the Japanese calendar system.
Emperor Kōgen
, also known as "Ooyamatonekohikokunikuru no Mikoto (大倭根子日子国玖琉命)", was the eighth emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Emperor of Japan
The title of Emperor was borrowed from China, being derived from Chinese characters and was retroactively applied to the legendary Japanese rulers who reigned before the 7th–8th centuries AD.
Emperor
Japanese monarchs were given their official title by the Chinese emperor. The new Japanese monarch after coming into power would send a representative to China and receive the anointment. They would receive their official title on several golden plates of several meters tall. Since the Japanese monarchs changed their title to 天皇 (Heavenly Emperor) in 607, the Chinese emperor refused to anoint the Japanese king, thus, ending relations with Japan for the next few hundred years. Although the Japanese emperors used Chinese imperial titles, rarely was the Chinese-style "Son of Heaven" used. In the Japanese language, the word "tennō" is restricted to Japan's own monarch; "kōtei" (皇帝) is used for foreign emperors. Historically, retired emperors often kept power over a child-emperor as de facto regent. For a long time, a "shōgun" (formally the imperial generalissimo, but made hereditary) or an imperial regent wielded actual political power. In fact, through much of Japanese history, the emperor has been little more than a figurehead.
Emperor (film)
Fellers and his staff compile a list of people who advised Emperor Hirohito when the war started. None of the Japanese who are friendly to the Americans are among them and they resort to Tojo for more information. He gives them the name of Fumimaro Konoe, the former prime minister. Fellers then asks Konoe's if the Emperor was responsible for starting the war and Konoe gives no conclusive evidence, but directs Fellers to Kōichi Kido, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. While Fellers waits to meet with Kido, Takahashi informs Fellers Kido will not show up. Fellers soon after recalls his 1940 visit to Tokyo when he reunited with Aya, then an English teacher. He learns Aya returned to Japan after her father became ill and died. After a banquet at MacArthur's residence, Takahashi informs Fellers that Shizuoka was bombed; Fellers immediately travels there. He is devastated by the damage and orders Takahashi to find a list of the dead.
Government of Japan
The Emperor is known to hold the nominal ceremonial authority. For example, the Emperor is the only person that has the authority to appoint the Prime Minister, even though the Diet has the power to designate the person fitted for the position. One such example can be prominently seen in the 2009 Dissolution of the House of Representatives. The House was expected to be dissolved on the advice of the Prime Minister, but was temporarily unable to do so for the next general election, as both the Emperor and Empress were visiting Canada.
Hirohito
The Emperor was succeeded by his son, the current Emperor Akihito, whose enthronement ceremony was held on November 12, 1990.
Masaharu Kono
Masaharu Kono ( b. 1948) is the current Government Representative of Japan and the past Ambassador of Japan to Italy, presenting his credentials to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on 29 May 2009 when he still was Ambassador of Japan to Russia. In March 2011, was relieved of his position as ambassador to Russia.
Denmark–Japan relations
Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin is the current Ambassador of Denmark to Japan. His term of appointment began September 1, 2008 and he presented his credentials to the Emperor of Japan, Akihito on November 4, 2008.
Controversies surrounding Yasukuni Shrine
According to the memorandum, the emperor expressed his strong displeasure in 1988 at the decision made by Yasukuni Shrine to include Class A war criminals in the list of war dead honored there by saying, "At some point, Class-A criminals became enshrined, including Matsuoka and Shiratori. I heard Tsukuba acted cautiously", Tsukuba is believed to refer to Fujimaro Tsukuba, the former chief Yasukuni priest at the time, who decided not to enshrine the war criminals despite receiving in 1966, the list of war dead compiled by the government containing their names. "What's on the mind of Matsudaira's son, who is the current head priest?". "Matsudaira had a strong wish for peace, but the child didn't know the parent's heart. That's why I have not visited the shrine since. This is my heart", Matsudaira is believed to refer to Yoshitami Matsudaira, who was the grand steward of Imperial Household immediately after the end of World War II. His son, Nagayoshi, succeeded Fujimaro Tsukuba as the chief priest of Yasukuni and he decided to enshrine the war criminals in 1978. Nagayoshi Matsudaira died the previous year (July 10, 2005), which is speculated as a reason for the release of the memo.
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government and chief executive of Japan. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the National Diet and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. He is the chairman of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses the other Ministers of State. The literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is "Minister for the Comprehensive Administration of ("or" the Presidency over) the Cabinet".
Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (自由民主党 "Jiyū-Minshutō") is the ruling party of Japan, with Party President Shinzō Abe being the Prime Minister of Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party (as well as the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition party) is characterized by factionalism, where factions are sub-groups within a larger organisation. While factions characterize other political parties in Pacific Asia, Japanese factionalism is distinguished by its stability and institutionalization. Since the genesis of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1955, factions have existed, but they have changed over time. Despite this change, factions in the party today can be traced back to their 1955 roots, a testament to the stability and institutionalized nature of Liberal Democratic Party factions.
Masatsugu Nagato
Masatsugu Nagato (born 18 November 1948) is a Japanese businessman, the president and CEO of Japan Post Holdings since April 2016, when he succeeded Taizo Nishimuro, following his hospitalization, having previously been president and CEO of Japan Post Bank.
Reserve power
Unlike most other constitutional monarchs, the Emperor of Japan has no reserve powers. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the emperor's role is defined in Chapter I of the 1947 Constitution of Japan, as decided by the foreign powers that had defeated Japan in the war. It states that the sovereignty of Japan rests with the people, not the emperor, and that the emperor is merely the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people.
Emperor Go-Nara
Emperor Go-Nara (後奈良天皇 "Go-Nara-tennō") (January 26, 1495 – September 27, 1557) was the 105th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from June 9, 1526 until his death in 1557, during the Sengoku period. His personal name was Tomohito (知仁).
Japanese imperial family tree
Modern scholars have come to question the existence of at least the first nine Emperors; Kōgen's descendant, Emperor Sujin (98 BC – 30 BC?), is the first for which many agree that he might have actually existed. These monarchs are regarded by historians as "legendary emperors", since there are insufficient material available for further verification and study.
List of Prime Ministers of Japan
This is a list of Prime Ministers of Japan, including those of the Empire of Japan, from when the first Japanese prime minister (in the modern sense), Itō Hirobumi, took office in 1885, until the present day. The office is currently held by Shinzō Abe. Those Prime Ministers under the Meiji Constitution had a mandate from the Emperor. The "electoral mandates" shown are for the lower house of the Imperial Diet that was not constitutionally guaranteed to have any influence on the appointment of the Prime Minister.
Imperial House of Japan
There are currently 18 members of the Imperial Family:
The Princess Mikasa is the widow of the Prince Mikasa (2 December 1915 – 27 October 2016), the fourth son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei and an uncle of Emperor Akihito. The Princess was born on 4 June 1923, the second daughter of Viscount Masanori Takagi. Princess Mikasa has two daughters and three sons with the late Prince Mikasa.
Controversies regarding the role of the Emperor of Japan
There have been several controversies regarding the role and the status of the Emperor of Japan. This is due in part to the variety of roles the Emperor has historically filled, as well as the competition for power with other parts of Japanese society at several points in history.
Controversies regarding the role of the Emperor of Japan
In the Meiji Constitution of 1889, the emperor was sovereign and was the focus of the state's legitimacy. The preamble stated, "The rights of sovereignty of the State, We have inherited from Our Ancestors, and We shall bequeath them to Our descendants." In the postwar constitution, the emperor's role in the political system was drastically redefined. A prior and important step in this process was Emperor Hirohito's 1946 New Year's speech, made at the prompting of General Douglas MacArthur, renouncing his status as a divine ruler, without however repudiating that he was a descendant of Amaterasu as arahitogami. Hirohito declared that relations between the ruler and his people cannot be based on "the false conception that the emperor is divinity in human form ("akitsumikami") or that the Japanese people are superior to other races."
Enthronement
This ancient rite was held in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, until 1990 when the enthronement ceremony for Emperor Akihito took place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The ceremony is not public, and the regalia are generally seen only by the emperor himself and a few Shinto priests. However, an account in "Time" from the enthronement of Akihito's father Hirohito in 1928 reveals a few details. First is a three-hour ceremony in which the emperor ritually informed his ancestors that he had assumed the throne. This was followed by the enthronement itself, which took place in an enclosure called the "Takamikura", which contained a great square pedestal upholding three octagonal pedestals topped by a simple chair. This was surrounded by an octagonal pavilion with curtains, surmounted by a great golden phoenix.
Emperor of Japan
Historically, the succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne has always passed to descendants in male line from the imperial lineage. Generally, they have been males, though over the reign of one hundred monarchs there have been nine women (one pre-historical and eight historical) as Emperor on eleven occasions.
Emperor Annei
In "Kojiki" and "Nihonshoki" only his name and genealogy were recorded. The Japanese have traditionally accepted this sovereign's historical existence, and an Imperial "misasagi" or tomb for Annei is currently maintained; however, no extant contemporary records have been discovered that confirm a view that this historical figure actually reigned. He is considered to have been the second of eight emperors without specific legends associated with them, also known as the .
Empress of Japan
Empress of Japan or Japanese Empress means an . The current empress consort is Empress Michiko (from 7 January 1989). The term can also mean a .
Ugayafukiaezu
Ugayafukiaezu no Mikoto "Unfinished Cormorant-Feather Thatching" , commonly shortened to Ugayafukiaezu, is a Japanese kami, and in Japanese mythology, he is the father of Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jimmu.
Emperor of Japan
There have been six non-imperial families who have controlled Japanese emperors: the Soga (530s–645), the Fujiwara (850s–1070), the Taira (1159-1180s), the Minamoto (and Kamakura bakufu) (1192–1333), the Ashikaga (1336–1565), and the Tokugawa (1603–1867). However, every shogun from the Minamoto, Ashikaga, and Tokugawa families had to be officially recognized by the Emperors, who were still the source of sovereignty, although they could not exercise their powers independently from the Shogunate.
Emperor Nijō
Emperor Nijō (二条天皇 "Nijō-tennō") (July 31, 1143 – September 5, 1165) was the 78th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1158 through 1165.
Empress Kōjun
, born , was the wife of Emperor Shōwa of Japan. She was the mother of the present emperor, Akihito.
Japanese absolute primogeniture debate
Some conservative lawmakers opposed Koizumi and said the debate was premature. The current emperor's cousin, Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, also opposed the proposal, saying that the official male members of the Japanese imperial family might take up concubines in order to produce male members because it was previously possible for a male illegitimate child to assume the imperial throne. Later he said that this remark was just a joke. Another solution would be to restore the Shinnoke (agnatic collateral branches of the imperial dynasty which had been disinherited by the United States) to the line of succession.
Prince Kuni Asahiko
Three of Prince Asahiko's sons, Prince Kaya Kuninori, Prince Kuni Taka, and Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, successively served as lord custodian priests of the Ise Shrine between 1891 and 1947. Prince Asahiko's son Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi was the father of Princess Nagako of Kuni, who married the future Emperor Shōwa and became the mother of the present Japanese emperor.
Emperor of Japan (disambiguation)
The Emperor of Japan is the ceremonial monarch in Japan's system of constitutional monarchy and is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Emperor Kōkaku
In 1817, Kōkaku abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Ninkō. In the two centuries before Kōkaku's reign most emperors died young or were forced to abdicate. Kōkaku was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne past the age of 40 since the abdication of Emperor Ōgimachi in 1586. He was also the last Emperor to rule as a Jōkō (上皇), an emperor who abdicated in favor of a successor (it has been announced that the current Emperor, Akihito, has plans to abdicate in 2019, however, and would thus be the first Jōkō since then). Kōkaku travelled in procession to Sento Imperial Palace, a palace of an abdicated emperor. The Sento Palace at that time was called Sakura Machi Palace. It had been built by the Tokugawa shogunate for former-Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
Emperor Go-Nijō
Emperor Go-Nijō (後二条天皇 "Go-Nijō-tennō") (March 9, 1285 – September 10, 1308) was the 94th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from March 3, 1301, until September 10, 1308.
Akihito
On 13 July 2016, national broadcaster NHK reported that the Emperor intended to abdicate in favor of his eldest son Crown Prince Naruhito within a few years, citing his age. An abdication within the Imperial Family has not occurred since Emperor Kōkaku in 1817. However, senior officials within the Imperial Household Agency denied that there was any official plan for the monarch to abdicate. Abdication by the Emperor required an amendment to the Imperial Household Law, which had no provisions for such a move. On 8 August 2016, the Emperor gave a rare televised address, where he emphasized his advanced age and declining health; this address was interpreted as an implication of his intention to abdicate.
On 19 May 2017, the bill that would allow Akihito to abdicate was issued by the Japanese government's cabinet. On 8 June 2017, the National Diet passed a one-off bill allowing Akihito to abdicate, and for the government to begin arranging the process of handing over the position to Crown Prince Naruhito. The Japanese government announced in December 2017 that Akihito would abdicate on 30 April 2019.
Emperor Heizei
, also known as "Heijō-tennō", was the 51st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Heizei's reign lasted from 806 to 809.
Regnal year
The official Japanese system or numbers years from the accession of the current emperor, regarding the calendar year during which the accession occurred as the first year. The current emperor Akihito succeeded to the throne on 7 January 1989 on the death of his father Emperor Shōwa, and the new era name Heisei was decreed by the Cabinet. Thus the year 1989 corresponds to . The system was in use sporadically from 645 and continuously from 701. Until 1867 several era names were used during each emperor's reign. From 1868 only one has been used by each emperor. Since 1868 each emperor has been known posthumously by his era name.
Line of succession to the Japanese throne
Before September 2006, there was a potential succession crisis since no male child had been born into the imperial family since Prince Akishino in 1965. Following the birth of Princess Aiko, there was significant public debate about amending the Imperial House Law to allow female descendants of an emperor and their descendants to succeed to the throne. In January 2005, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed a special panel of judges, university professors, and civil servants to study changes to the Imperial House Law and to make recommendations to the government.
Pretender
Since 1911, the Japanese government has declared the southern claimants were actually the rightful emperors despite the fact that all subsequent emperors including the then-Emperor Meiji were descended from the Northern Court, reasoning the Southern Court retained possession of the Three Sacred Treasures, thus converting the emperors of the former Northern court into mere pretenders. In other words, six former emperors of the Northern Court have been counted as pretenders instead since then. As a result of this compromise, the present Japanese Imperial Family is descended of the Northern Court Emperors.
Emperor of Japan
Article 2 of the Constitution of Japan, promulgated in 1947 by influence of the U.S. occupation administration, provides that "The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial Household Law passed by the Diet." The Imperial Household Law of 1947, enacted by the ninety-second and last session of the Imperial Diet, retained the exclusion on female dynasts found in the 1889 law. The government of Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru hastily cobbled together the legislation to bring the Imperial Household in compliance with the American-written Constitution of Japan that went into effect in May 1947. In an effort to control the size of the imperial family, the law stipulates that only legitimate male descendants in the male line can be dynasts; that imperial princesses lose their status as Imperial Family members if they marry outside the Imperial Family; and that the Emperor and other members of the Imperial Family may not adopt children. It also prevented branches, other than the branch descending from Taishō, from being imperial princes any longer.