Akihito (redirected from Akihito of Japan)

Akihito (äkē`hētō), 1933–, emperor of Japan (1989–). As crown prince, he traveled widely, visiting Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and many countries of Asia and South America. Like his father, Hirohito, Akihito is an accomplished amateur marine biologist. In Apr., 1959, he married Michiko Shoda, a commoner; it was the first time that an heir to the Japanese throne had wed outside the court nobility. Tradition was also abandoned when their three children, Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino, and Princess Nori, were raised at home. When Akihito ascended to the throne, the Heisei ("achieving peace") era was proclaimed. As emperor, Akihito has continued his efforts to humanize and modernize the royal family.

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Akihito

 or Heisei emperor

(born Dec. 23, 1933, Tokyo, Japan) Emperor of Japan from 1989. Son of Hirohito, his role, like that of his father after 1945, has been largely ceremonial. He is the first Japanese emperor to have married a commoner, in what was hailed at the time as a love match rather than the customary arranged marriage. His children are Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino, and Princess Nori.

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Akihito

born 1933, Emperor of Japan from 1989