The name of the next era under his successor will be established after his death or before hisabdication.[5]
Early life
Naruhito in February 1961
Naruhito was born on 23 February 1960 at 4:15 p.m. in theImperial Household Agency Hospital inTokyo Imperial Palace.[6] As a prince, he later quipped, "I was born in a barn inside the moat".[7] His parents,Emperor Akihito andEmpress Michiko, were then crown prince and crown princess of Japan, while his paternal grandfather, Hirohito, reigned as emperor.Reuters news agency reported that Naruhito's paternal grandmother,Empress Kōjun, had driven her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to depression in the 1960s by persistently accusing Michiko of not being suitable for her son.[8]
His childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed activities such asmountain climbing,riding, and learning the violin. He played with the children of the royalchamberlain, and he was a fan of theYomiuri Giants in theCentral League, his favorite player being No. 3, later team manager,Shigeo Nagashima. One day, Naruhito found the remains of an ancientroadway on the palace grounds, sparking a lifelong fascination with the history oftransportation, which would provide the subject of his bachelor's and master's degrees in history.[9] He later said, "I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood. On roads, you can go to the unknown world. Since I have been leading a life where I have few chances to go out freely, roads are a precious bridge to the unknown world, so to speak."[10]
In August 1974, when the prince was 14, he was sent toMelbourne, Australia, for a homestay. His father, then the crown prince, had a positive experience there on a trip the year before and encouraged his son to go as well.[11] He stayed with the family of a businessman named Colin Harper.[12] He got along with his host brothers, riding aroundPoint Lonsdale, playing the violin and tennis, and climbingUluru together.[13] Once he even played the violin fordignitaries at a state dinner atGovernment House hosted by Governor-GeneralJohn Kerr.[14]
Education
Prince Naruhito, aged 9, with his parents and siblings, 1969
When the prince was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushūin school system, where many of Japan's elite families andnarikin (nouveaux riches) send their children.[15] In senior high, Naruhito joined the geography club.[16]
He graduated fromGakushuin University in March 1982 with aBachelor of Letters degree in history.[17] In July 1983, he undertook a three-month intensive English course before enteringMerton College of theUniversity of Oxford in the United Kingdom,[18] where he studied until 1986. He did not, however, submit his thesisA Study of Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century until 1989.[19] He later revisited these years in his book,The Thames and I – a Memoir of Two Years at Oxford. He visited some 21 historic pubs, includingthe Trout Inn.[20] He joined the Japan Society and the drama society, and became the honorary president of thekarate andjudo clubs.[21] He played inter-college tennis, seeded number three out of six on the Merton team,[21] and took golf lessons from a pro.[21] In his three years at Merton he also climbed the highest peaks in three of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom: Scotland'sBen Nevis, Wales'sSnowdon andScafell Pike in England.[22]
Upon his return to Japan, he enrolled once more in Gakushūin University to earn aMaster of Humanities degree in history, successfully earning his degree in 1988.[25]
Personal life
Marriage and family
The newly married crown prince and crown princess in traditional court dress, with the prince wearing asokutai, the princess ajūnihitoe (1993)
A 500-yen coin issued to commemorate the Imperial Wedding
Naruhito first met Owada Masako, a staff member working at theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, at a tea gathering forInfanta Elena of Spain in November 1986,[26][21] during her studies at theUniversity of Tokyo. The prince was immediately captivated by her,[27] and arranged for them to meet several times over the next few weeks.[28] Because of this, they were pursued relentlessly by the press throughout 1987.[29]
Despite the Imperial Household Agency's disapproval of her, and her attendingBalliol College, Oxford, for the next two years, he remained interested in her. He proposed to her three times before the Imperial Palace announced their engagement on 19 January 1993. The wedding took place on 9 June the same year at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo before 800 invited guests, including many of Europe's heads of state and royalty.[30]
By the time of their marriage, his father had ascended the throne, so the prince had been invested as the crown prince with the titlePrince Hiro (浩宮,Hiro-no-miya) on 23 February 1991.[25]
Her first pregnancy was announced in December 1999, but shemiscarried.[31] They finally had one daughter,Aiko, Princess Toshi (敬宮愛子内親王,Toshi-no-miya Aiko Naishinnō), born 1 December 2001 at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital at Tokyo Imperial Palace.[32][33]
TheJapanese imperial succession debate started around the time when it became increasingly clear over the following years that Princess Aiko would be their only child. The emperor made unprecedented remarks on the issue on June 19, 2024 at a news conference in the imperial palace.[34]
Hobbies and interests
He is interested in water policy and water conservation. In March 2003, in his capacity as honorary president of the ThirdWorld Water Forum, he delivered a speech at the forum's opening ceremony titled "Waterways ConnectingKyoto and Local Regions". Visiting Mexico in March 2006, he gave the keynote address at the opening ceremony for the Fourth World Water Forum, "Edo and Water Transport". And in December 2007, he gave a commemorative talk at the opening ceremony for the First Asia-Pacific Water Summit, "Humans and Water: From Japan to the Asia-Pacific Region".[25]
He plays the viola, having switched from the violin because he thought the latter "too much of a leader, too prominent" to suit his musical and personal tastes.[35] He enjoys jogging, hiking, and mountaineering in his spare time.[14]
For two weeks in 2012, the crown prince temporarily took charge ofhis father's duties while Emperor Akihito underwent and recovered from heart bypass surgery.[38] Naruhito's birthday was named "Mount Fuji Day" byShizuoka andYamanashi Prefectures because of his reported love of the mountain.
Reign
The Emperor and Empress with their daughter, Princess Aiko, inNasu, Tochigi, 2019
On 1 December 2017, Prime MinisterShinzo Abe announced that Naruhito's father, Emperor Akihito, wouldabdicate on 30 April 2019, and that Naruhito would become the 126th emperor of Japan as of 1 May 2019.[39][40] Following an abdication ceremony on the afternoon of 30 April, Akihito's reign and theHeisei era continued until the end of the day. Naruhito then succeeded him as emperor at the beginning of the day on 1 May, ushering in theReiwa era. The transition took place at midnight, and Naruhito formally began his reign in a ceremony later that morning. In his first statement as emperor, he pledged to reflect deeply on the course followed by his father, and fulfill his constitutional responsibility "as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan".[1]
Under Article 4 of theJapanese constitution, the emperor's role is defined as entirely ceremonial and representative. Unlike most other constitutional monarchs, the emperor lacks even nominal powers related to government;[41] he is barred from making political statements.[1] His role is limited to performing ceremonial duties as delineated by the constitution, and even then he is constrained by the requirements of the constitution and the binding advice of the cabinet. For instance, while he formally appoints the Prime Minister, he is required to appoint the person designated by theNational Diet.[42]
Theenthronement ceremony took place on 22 October 2019,[43] where he was duly enthroned in an ancient-style proclamation ceremony. On 23 July 2021, the new emperor opened the 2020 Summer Olympics (originally scheduled to be played in 2020, postponed by theCOVID-19 pandemic) hosted in Tokyo, just as his grandfather, Emperor Shōwa, had done in1964.
The imperial couple's first trip abroad as emperor and empress took place in September 2022, to the United Kingdom to attend thestate funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.[44][45] They visited Indonesia in June 2023, their first state visit.[46][47]
In February 2024, the emperor marked his 64th birthday with a message mourning the victims of theNoto earthquake, and expressed desire to visit the affected areas.[48][49] He had previously received condolences for the victims from King Charles III of the United Kingdom in early January.[50] The emperor and empress visitedWajima andSuzu, two earthquake-stricken cities in theNoto Peninsula, on 22 March. The couple later visited an evacuation center inAnamizu on 12 April.[51]
In April 2024, the Imperial Household Agency launched anInstagram account for the imperial family, which received 300,000 followers by the end of its debut on the platform. The account was reportedly launched to "reach out" to Japan's younger generations.[52]
The Emperor and Empress embarked on a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom in late June 2024, at the invitation of King Charles III.[36] The imperial couple had originally planned to visit in 2020 as guests of Queen Elizabeth II, but the state visit was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[53] The rescheduled visit went ahead despite concerns of postponement due to theBritish general election campaign that began in late May.[54] It was the first state visit in modern times to take place during an active election campaign.[55]
^"浩宮徳仁親王（現皇太子）誕生" [Showa News: Birth of Imperial Prince Hironomiya Naruhito (current Crown Prince)].Mainichi Shimbun. Tokyo. 23 February 1960. Archived fromthe original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved30 April 2019.
^"Enthronement ceremony for new emperor mulled for Oct. 2019".Mainichi Shimbun. Tokyo. 31 December 2017. Retrieved31 December 2017.The government is mulling scheduling the enthronement ceremony for the next emperor for October 2019, months after Crown Prince Naruhito accedes to the Imperial Throne on May 1 that year upon his father Emperor Akihito's abdication, it has been learned.
^abc"1960年 浩宮徳仁さま誕生 東京は奉祝ムード" [1960 Naruhito Hiromiya is born; Tokyo is in a celebratory mood].TV Morning News (in Japanese). 30 October 2021. Retrieved2 January 2023.
^abc"天皇・皇族の「お名前」：御称号から親王まで…" ["Names" of the Emperor and the Imperial Family: From titles to Imperial Princes...].Murao's historical information site "Lemuria" (in Japanese). 12 June 2019. Retrieved18 September 2022.
^ボーイスカウト日本連盟 きじ章受章者 [Recipient of the Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan](PDF).Reinanzaka Scout Club (in Japanese). 23 May 2014. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 11 August 2020.
^"Modtagere af danske dekorationer" [Recipients of Danish decorations].Royal House of Denmark (in Danish). 12 December 2017. Archived fromthe original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved2 January 2023.
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