Japanese Emperor Akihito officially declared his abdication
On April 30, 2019, Japanese Emperor Akihito officially declared his abdication during his speech that he delivered during the state ceremony held at the Imperial Palace on his last day on the throne. Thereby, he officially handed over the throne to his son Crown Prince Naruhito. 300 guests including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, presidents of two wings of Japanese parliament Diet, ministers, High Court judges and members of the royal family attended the ceremony held for the emperor.
Tomorrow morning, Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne as the 126th emperor of Japan. Thus, a new era - called Reiwa, meaning order and harmony - will begin in Japan's unique calendar, which will end Heisei, the name of Akihito's era.
Akihito and his wife Michiko will not attend the official ceremony to be held tomorrow. In place of them, their son, 59 years old, Crown Prince Naruhito will be present at the ceremony as the Emperor of Japan.
According to the Japanese press, on May 4, the new Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other members of the imperial family will greet the people from the balcony of the palace in Tokyo.
