End of an era as Japan's emperor abdicates

Emperor Akihito of Japan formally stepped down Tuesday, the first abdication for 200 years in the world's oldest monarchy, as his son Naruhito prepared to take the Chrysanthemum Throne and usher in a new imperial era.

In the "Room of Pine" in Tokyo's Imperial Palace, the popular 85-year-old performed the abdication ritual in the presence of the imperial regalia -- an ancient sword and sacred jewel.

Dressed in a Western-style morning coat, Akihito stood on a small stage before an invited audience and members of the royal family and offered his "deepest heartfelt gratitude to the people of Japan."

He said he would "pray for the peace and happiness of all the people in Japan and around the world."

Empress Michiko stood by his side in a white and silver gown and the outgoing emperor paused briefly after exiting the stage, to help his wife of 60 years down the steps.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe praised the royal couple, saying they had offered "courage and hope" to the Japanese people, particularly in times of suffering.

"His Majesty has fulfilled his responsibility as the symbol of Japan," Abe said.

Despite near-constant rain in Tokyo, several hundred wellwishers congregated outside the Palace during the historic ceremony attended by around 300 people.

"I feel overwhelmed emotionally," said a tearful Yayoi Iwasaki, a 50-year-old bank employee, standing outside the palace.

"In the past, enthronements followed the death of emperors and people weren't sure whether they should be happy and celebrating, but with this transition, I am sure that we can celebrate while welcoming the new era," she said.

- High security -

Akihito will technically remain emperor until the stroke of midnight when Naruhito takes over and the new era of "Reiwa" -- meaning "beautiful harmony" -- begins, lasting for as long as he reigns.

Earlier Tuesday, draped in ornate golden-brown robes and wearing a towering black hat, Akihito reported his abdication to his ancestors and Shinto gods at several sanctuaries in the palace.

On Wednesday, the 59-year-old Naruhito will inherit the imperial regalia in a 10-minute ceremony that is off-limits to female royals, even his wife Masako. He will shortly afterwards make his first address to the nation as its 126th emperor.

Crowds were expected to gather to count down to the new era outside the palace and at the scramble crossing in Tokyo's lively Shibuya district, although the drizzle threatened to dampen some of the enthusiasm.

Security has been beefed up with extra police patrols on the streets, sniffer dogs scouring the palace grounds and even divers inspecting the moat.

A more public enthronement ceremony will take place on October 22, during which Naruhito will parade through the streets of the capital and be congratulated by other world leaders and royalty.

President Donald Trump sent congratulations, offering "heartfelt appreciation" to the outgoing imperial couple and stressing the "close relationship" between the US and Japan.

He will become the first foreign leader to meet the new emperor on a trip in May.

- 'Felt close to him' -

Born in 1933 as Japan was embarking on a militaristic sweep across Asia in the name of his father Hirohito, the 11-year-old Akihito listened in tears as his nation's defeat in World War II was announced in an unprecedented radio address.

He has broken new ground in the sensitive role, expressing regret over Japan's wartime actions and gradually modernising the royal family and bringing it closer to the people.

Akihito and Michiko, whom he met at a tennis tournament in 1959, touched hearts in Japan and around the world when they knelt before survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and listened to stories of terrible suffering.

"It is true the emperor is seen to be like a god, but at the same time, you felt that you were close to him," Rikia Iwasaki, a 13-year-old schoolboy, told AFP outside the Imperial Palace.

The Oxford-educated Naruhito now faces the delicate balancing act of continuing his father's popular legacy while upholding the traditions of the Chrysanthemum Throne that stretch back centuries.

He has called for "new royal duties" to fit modern times and has criticised the sometimes stifling lifestyle imposed on royals, especially as his wife Masako has struggled to adapt to palace life.

The abdication has resulted in a 10-day holiday in Japan, although polls show many famously hard-working Japanese were opposed to such a long break.

They have nonetheless taken the opportunity to travel, with bullet trains and airports overflowing and Tokyo's usually packed commuter trains eerily empty at rush hour.

Entrepreneurs have sold everything from "Reiwa" bottles of sake to $10 cans of air from the "Heisei" era of Akihito's reign.

Japan's Emperor Akihito ends reign marked by modernisation
Tokyo (AFP) April 30, 2019 - Japan's outgoing Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko dramatically modernised the tradition-bound monarchy, bringing themselves closer to the public and boosting popular support for the household.

Akihito has broken new ground with everything from his decision to marry for love to his outspoken calls for peace and expressions of regret over Japan's wartime role.

His approach has at times unsettled those who view the emperor as a divine priest meant to inspire awe, but it has won him broad respect and popularity.

Born in 1933 just as Japan was embarking on its militaristic sweep across Asia, Akihito was 11 when World War Two ended in defeat.

He inherited the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989, becoming Japan's 125th emperor upon the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito.

Hirohito's rule saw aggressive expansionism by Japan that resulted in the war's devastation, but also the institutionalised pacifism of the post-war constitution drafted by US occupying forces.

Hirohito was kept on the throne after the war but his status was downgraded from a semi-divine sovereign to a figurehead with no political power.

Akihito embraced that new role and quietly parted from tradition that had kept emperors away from common people.

- A modern touch -

He was the first imperial heir to marry a commoner, Michiko Shoda, daughter of a flour magnate.

She was born in 1934 in Tokyo and attended the exclusive all-girls Christian Sacred Heart School before studying English literature at its university.

The two met at a tennis tournament and married in 1959 in a wedding that fuelled a media frenzy.

The then-crown prince's decision to buck a traditional arranged marriage and wed for love was seen as a powerful affirmation of democratic Japan.

The young couple also chose to live with their children rather than allowing nannies to raise them as had been customary.

But their new ways fuelled some criticism inside the palace and beyond, and Michiko faced relentless scrutiny, especially in the early years of the marriage.

She gave birth to now-Crown Prince Naruhito in 1960 but suffered a miscarriage three years later, withdrawing from public life for a period.

Her second son, Prince Akishino, was born in 1965, and she has continued to suffer bouts of stress-related illness reportedly linked to criticism by hardliners and tabloid gossip.

Her supporters, however, credit her with introducing a modern touch to the imperial household, including showing Akihito how to crouch down or kneel when visiting disaster victims or people with disabilities.

- 'Deepest regrets' -

The pair have come to be known for their presence at the side of survivors of disasters.

After the 2011 killer earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, Akihito made an unprecedented television address to calm a panicky public.

The couple were in Fukushima two months later, shrugging off the view of purists who asserted the emperor's primary duty was to offer prayers, not meet his subjects.

The wider public however has cheered the couple's displays of compassion and relative closeness to the people, something Naruhito has pledged to continue.

Akihito's popularity has been seen as allowing him to voice opinions that sail close to the wind given the prohibition on a political role for the emperor.

In particular, he has made clear his opposition to nationalism and expressed "deep remorse" for Japan's actions during World War Two in remarks sometimes seen as a rebuke of nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

In a landmark 1992 trip to China, Akihito said Japan had "inflicted great suffering on the people of China", adding "I deeply deplore this".

And while he never visited South Korea, he has voiced "deepest regrets" for the suffering of Koreans during Japan's brutal 1910-1945 rule of the Korean peninsula.

He even said there could be Korean blood in his family -- an unthinkable assertion for those who place great store in the supposed purity of the Japanese monarchy.

To end his reign, Akihito again broke new ground by making a televised plea in 2016 to essentially ask the public to let him abdicate.

It prompted parliament and the government to make an exception to the existing law, which forces emperors to serve until their deaths, so that Naruhito could replace him.

In the address, he said he had "spent my days searching for and contemplating on what is the desirable role of the Emperor".

"I sincerely hope for your understanding," he said.

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