[ad_1]
TOKYO: The Japanese Emperor Akihito will abdicate on Tuesday in favor of his eldest son, ending a reign of three decades in which he sought to appease the painful memories of the Second World War and to dialogue with people, including the marginalized.
This abdication, the first of a Japanese monarch for two centuries, will be marked by a fairly simple and relatively simple ceremony in the prestigious Matsu no ma, or Hall of Pine of the Imperial Palace. Approximately 300 people will attend and will be broadcast live on television.
Akihito, 85, was the first Japanese monarch to take the throne under a post-war constitution that defines the emperor as a symbol of the people without political power.
His father, Hirohito, in whose name Japanese troops fight during the Second World War, is considered a living deity until the defeat of Japan in 1945, when he renounced his deity.
Akihito, along with Empress Michiko, his 60-year-old wife and the first citizen to marry an imperial heir, played an active role as a symbol of reconciliation, peace and democracy.
"I think the emperor is loved by the people. His image is to encourage people, after disasters, to be close to people, "said Morio Miyamoto, 48, while he was waiting near a train station in the west. of Tokyo.
"I hope the next emperor will do it. like Emperor Heisei, be close to people in the same way, "he said.
Akihito, who received treatment for prostate cancer and heart surgery, said in a statement. a televised speech in 2016 that he feared that his age would allow it.
Akihito will report his abdication Tuesday morning in the sanctuaries located inside the imperial palace.
The ceremony abdication will take place in the afternoon in the presence of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, as well as the Presidents of both Houses of Parliament and Judges of The Supreme Court.
Imperial chamberlains will bring state seals and private police seals as well as two of the "Three sacred treasures of Japan." es "- a sword and a jewel – which, with a mirror are symbols of the throne. e ancient mythology.
Abe will announce the abdication and Akihito will make his last remarks as an emperor.
Naruhito, 59, will become emperor at separate ceremonies on Wednesday. Naruhito, who studied at Oxford, will probably continue to play an active role and, with Masako, who studied at Harvard, gives the monarchy a cosmopolitan hue.
Police have reinforced security near the Imperial Palace, a 115-hectare site that houses emperor and empress in the heart of Tokyo. The media announced that several thousand police officers would be mobilized in the capital in the coming days.
Tuesday marks the last day of the imperial era Heisei, which began on January 8, 1989 after Akihito inherited the throne. The era was marked by economic stagnation, natural disasters and rapid technological changes.
Akihito officially remains emperor until midnight, at which time begins the new era Reiwa, which means "beautiful harmony".
The Japanese traditionally refer to the date. , or "gengo", a system originally imported from China on documents, calendars and coins, but many people also use the Western calendar.
Source link
