Who rules Japan today. Imperial family of Japan
This has never happened before in Japan. Alive, albeit not quite healthy, the emperor publicly asks the parliament and the government to let him go to rest, allowing him to abdicate the throne. The people do not mind, but they are sad: for many, Emperor Akihito has become a symbol of post-war Japan. What threatens the Chrysanthemum Throne with the current state of affairs - I figured it out.
Let me leave
235 votes for, none against, the solemn announcement: "The law is passed!", A deep bow to the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihida Sugi, who oversaw the passage of the bill. So on June 9, Japan, allowing Emperor Akihito to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne, took the first step on the road leading to a new era. Presumably, this era will begin in January 2019 - after Akihito resigns his royal title in December 2018.
"I realize the importance of the fact that this law has received the approval of almost 100 percent of legislators: this means that almost the entire nation supports it," said Tadamori Oshima, speaker of the lower house. A week earlier, the document passed the House of Representatives - with the approval of almost all deputies. Only two members of the Liberal Party abstained, explaining that they did not consider it necessary to adopt a special law for the sake of the emperor's abdication.
Ordinary Japanese, according to polls, took the parliament's decision positively - more than 85 percent of respondents were in favor of letting the emperor retire. In the end, 83-year-old Akihito, who suffers from prostate cancer and underwent major heart surgery, asked for it himself: in a televised address to the nation, he announced that his health condition did not allow him to properly perform his duties.
Photo: imago stock&people / Globallookpress.com
For the majority of the world's population, nothing special has happened - just an elderly person retires. But for Japan, this is a real shock: nothing like this has happened there for 200 years.
Reigns but does not rule
There were times when Japanese emperors considered abdication to be the usual way to transfer power to an heir.
The Japanese Imperial House has experienced many ups and downs throughout its history. In the 7th-8th centuries, the leaders of one of the clans united the country and became its sovereign rulers, at the same time establishing Shintoism as the state religion with the cult of the supreme sun goddess Amaterasu. The emperors of Japan were at the same time unlimited overlords and high priests, raising their family to Jimmu, the great-great-great-grandson of the goddess. Generations of the Japanese were born and died knowing that their country is ruled by a direct descendant of a deity who owns three great treasures - a sacred mirror, a sword and a jasper necklace.
Everything changed in the XIII century, when the shoguns, talented commanders, representatives of influential families, took power into their own hands. The emperor was allowed to reign, but not to rule. His figure retained a sacred meaning, but the shoguns ruled everything in the country.
During this era, Japanese emperors tended to either die young or abdicate. For such cases, there was a special title - "dajo tenno", "emperor who ceded the throne." Most often, the former rulers went to Buddhist monks, devoting the rest of their lives to trying to achieve enlightenment. Or they retired to palaces and estates specially built for them, where they lived in formal seclusion, actively influencing politics. In total, there are 62 "dajo tenno" in Japanese history.
This continued until 1868, when the emperors, with the help of part of the nobility, dissatisfied with the rule of the shoguns and hoping to rise in the event of a coup, regained power. This event became known as the Meiji Restoration. The shogunate was abolished and direct imperial rule restored. The rights of the emperor, formally prescribed in the constitution, were, in fact, unlimited. The emperor was the head of the executive branch and the supreme commander in chief, he could dissolve parliament or pass laws bypassing it. During World War II, the emperor - a man and a Shinto high priest - became for the Japanese a symbol of boundless faith in victory. With his name, the soldiers rose in suicidal banzai attacks, and kamikazes sent their planes to enemy ships. But the sacred name did not save Japan from defeat.
God or no god
“The connections between Us and Our people have always been built on mutual trust and affection and do not depend on any legends and myths. They are not defined by the false notion that the emperor is divine in nature and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and destined for world domination."
With these words, Emperor Hirohito addressed his subjects on January 1, 1946. Japan lay in ruins, the Americans who occupied the country were seriously considering the complete abolition of imperial power. As a result, it was decided to limit the monarch to public denial of his divine nature.
With regard to this speech, called the "Declaration of human nature, has been debated for more than 70 years. Americans see it as a recognition that the emperor - a common person and is not descended from the goddess Amaterasu. According to most Japanese, Hirohito simply announced that he was not a deity.
Be that as it may, according to the constitution of 1947, the head of state has become a living symbol of the country, having lost the right to interfere in state affairs (which is why the current emperor cannot simply abdicate - he must first obtain the approval of parliament and government). There are many loopholes left in the text of the basic law, allowing the emperor to block the decision of the government or parliament at almost any moment. But the main thing - according to the constitution, the emperor performs his functions for life.
All hope for Hisahito
All these loopholes the emperor - neither the former nor the current one - never took advantage of.
Emperor Akihito, although he has ruled only since 1989, is a real personification of post-war Japan. He grew up under the care of an American teacher, thanks to whom he learned English and got acquainted with Western culture.
In 1959, the crown prince married Michiko Shoda, the daughter of a milling businessman who came from a commoner family. For many centuries in a row, Japanese emperors married only aristocrats. The story of a young prince who challenged mossy traditions in the name of love won the hearts of the Japanese. An exemplary married couple, they raised their children themselves, not giving them to tutors. Michiko personally prepared breakfast for them at school, regularly paid visits to her husband's parents.
After it became known about the desire to recant, BBC correspondents conducted a poll on the streets of Tokyo. People spoke mostly kind words about the reigning emperor and admitted that they could hardly imagine life without him. They can be understood: the future of the Chrysanthemum Throne now hangs in the balance.
According to the current constitution, the successor to the emperor can only be chosen from men who inherit through the male line. Not only do women not have the right to occupy the throne - by marrying a commoner, they lose their right to the title. This is exactly what happened to Akihito's daughter Sayako and his granddaughter Mako.
Photo: Antonio Cruz / ABr / Wikimedia
The emperor has two sons - the elder Naruhito and the younger Fumihito, but only one grandson - 10-year-old Hisahito. The Chrysanthemum Throne should go to him if Naruhito does not suddenly acquire an heir, which is very unlikely: he is now 57 years old, his wife Masako is 53. With the current order of the transfer of the throne, there is too much chance that the continuous line will be interrupted: Hisahito is the only male heir sex in the third generation, and if he has no sons, then the dynasty will end.
In the early 2000s, under cabinet rule, the government raised the issue of changing the succession to allow power to pass through the female line. But, having come to power, he announced that he was withdrawing the proposal - as experts believe, so as not to lose the support of conservative elements in his own party. But it seems that in a couple of generations the question of the fate of the dynasty will again be on the agenda.
Emperor Akihito is the 125th representative of the dynasty. In 2016 imperial family will be 2776 years old.
crown prince
Prince Tsigunomiya was born on December 23. The traditions of the country are such that the child was immediately taken away from his parents, and he was raised by tutors. He only met with his parents a few times a month. Conversations were not allowed. They looked at each other, and then the boy was taken away. Such strict regulations in Japan.
Prince's childhood
When the child was seven years old, he was sent to a closed elite school at the University of Gakushiun. The young prince studied English, Western traditions and culture with the help of an American teacher. From children's entertainment, he was allowed only communication with fish, and children's games are not for him, a descendant of the gods. Passion for fish was later reflected in a deep knowledge of ichthyology, on which, already an adult, he wrote several serious works.
Imperial family
The emperors of Japan are considered descendants of the great deity that illuminates the heavens - Amaterasu. Their position on the throne is so strong that they do not need a surname. The divine origin led to the fact that representatives of the imperial dynasty never had rivals on the throne. To this day, there are no more emperors in any country except in Japan. Only Japonia retained the titles. Emperors Akihito and Hirohito are representatives of a dynasty that has not been interrupted since 660 BC. True, the times of the reigns of the first sixteen emperors are based only on legends. Emperor Akihito has three attributes of power - a mirror, a sword and a jasper seal. They are given by a father to his son when the prince takes office. Emperor Akihito received them in 1989.
Emperor's power
Starting from the XII century, the power of the emperors is only formal. Japan is now a constitutional monarchy, and Akihito, Emperor of Japan, has no real powers. He, according to the constitution, is only a symbol of the country, like the coat of arms, flag and anthem. The Japanese Emperor Akihito also serves as a symbol for the unification of the nation. "Peace and Tranquility" is the motto of his reign. This is the translation of his name, Heisei, which will be called after his death.
Family life
Prince Chigunomiya married in 1959, breaking the millennial tradition, the girl Michiko Shoda, who did not belong to the aristocratic society.
She was the daughter of a very wealthy and influential businessman, intelligent person, whose family members were awarded the Order of Merit in the field of culture. The girl received a brilliant both Japanese and Western education. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature". She speaks fluent English, she plays the piano, in her youth she was actively involved in sports and met the prince on the court. Members of the imperial family did not approve of the proposed marriage, but society supported the young people. The wedding was traditional and televised.
Parenting
The future emperor Akihito again broke the established traditions and began to raise their children, and their three (two princes and a princess) on their own. It got to the point that the crown princess took up breastfeeding them, not giving them to nurses. They managed to do everything: to take care of children, and to carry out protocol events. Suffice it to say that from 1959 to 1989 they visited 37 foreign countries.
Today they have a large friendly family, which is shown in the photo above.
What does the emperor do
Emperor Akihito has an inner need to be closer to his people. Since 1989, he and his wife have visited all forty-seven and 18 foreign countries.
He issued several large-scale statements of remorse to the Asian countries for their suffering during the period of Japanese occupation. In the United States, the imperial family visited the territory of Saipan, where the battle took place during World War II, and laid flowers at the memorial of not only Japanese, but also American soldiers. This found the lively support of the Japanese people, as did visits to war memorials in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Okinawa. Very important in the life of the inhabitants of the country was the appeal to them in 2011 by the emperor in connection with the tragedy at Fukushima. He didn't stop there. A month after heart surgery, he attended events that were held in memory of the victims of the earthquake. The inhabitants of the country appreciated this as a feat on his part.
Birthday
It is a national holiday when imperial majesty together with his wife and children, he approaches the windows made of bulletproof glass and thanks his people, wishing them well-being and prosperity. On this day, all the streets are decorated with national flags, and tables with writing accessories are set up near the palace, on which everyone can leave their congratulations.
In Japan, the emperor is not referred to by name, but only as "His Majesty the Emperor". After his death, he will receive the name Emperor Heisei, the same will be called the era of his reign.
Akihito was born on December 23, 1933 in Tokyo, Japan. Direct descendant of Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan. Born in the family of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kojun, becoming their fifth child, but the first son. At birth, he received the name Tsugu no Miya.
Following the tradition of being educated by members of the Japanese imperial family, from 1940 to 1952 he studied with personal tutors, as well as at the school for members of the imperial family and the highest aristocracy Gakushuin. AT last years During the Second World War, Akihito was temporarily taken out with his classmates from Tokyo to the Nikko Mountains, but after the end of the war he returned to his homeland and continued his studies at school.
As a result of Japan's defeat in the war, the power of the Japanese emperor was largely limited: he was left with ceremonial functions.
New conditions and new limits of imperial power required changes in the nature of the education received by the heir to the throne: the prince learned English and acquired broad knowledge of Western culture. He was helped in this by the American educator Elizabeth Gray Wining, a well-known author of children's books.
In 1952, the prince entered the department of politics at the Faculty of Politics and Economics at Gakushuin University. In November 1952, he came of age and was officially declared Crown Prince. Akihito graduated from the university in March 1956 with a special education in a wide range of subjects, including Japanese history and constitutional law.
In a break with a 1,500-year tradition, on April 10, 1959, Akihito entered into an unequal marriage with Michiko Seda, the daughter of a wealthy Japanese businessman and a graduate of the Women's Roman Catholic University in Tokyo. The marriage of the crown prince to a commoner is unanimously approved by the Imperial Court Council. Foreign trips have become calling card heir to the Japanese throne: before his enthronement, he visited 37 countries.
In September 1988, due to his father's illness, Akihito assumed a number of emperor's duties. After the death of Emperor Hirohito on January 7, 1989, Akihito was officially proclaimed Emperor of Japan. A new period of national chronology began in the country, corresponding to the period of imperial rule. The era of Akihito's reign began on January 8, 1989 under the motto Heisei, which means "peace everywhere", "becoming peaceful."
After the death of the emperor, the name of the era becomes his posthumous name. The previous emperor Hirohito is supposed to be called "Emperor Showa" in memory of the era of his reign, "enlightenment and harmony."
The official coronation of Emperor Akihito took place on November 12, 1990, in the presence of representatives from 158 countries and two international organizations. According to the constitution of Japan, the emperor is not endowed with powers related to the exercise of state power.
Akihito maintains complete neutrality regarding current politics, but occasionally, in agreement with the Japanese political leadership, he makes statements that have a significant impact on Japan's position in the world and the attitude of other countries towards it.
In Japan, religion and state are formally separated, but the emperor remains the supreme Shinto minister. Akihito performs rituals at the palace and at the great Ise Shrine, dedicated to the progenitor of the imperial family, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu no Omikami, where he is believed to communicate with his divine ancestors.
The emperor is known as a scientist - ichthyologist and traveler. He is the author of several dozen scientific articles on ichthyology, co-author of two books on fish in Japan, including the collective work The Fishes of the Japanese Archipelago.
In July 2016, information emerged that Akihito was planning to abdicate and pass the throne to his son Naruhito, which was immediately denied by the Japanese Imperial Household Office. However, already on August 8, 2016, the same Imperial Court Office released an extraordinary personal video message from the emperor, in which he confirmed his intention to transfer the title.
On March 6, 2018, the Government of Japan approved a special decree on holding the abdication ceremony of the Emperor of Japan on April 30, 2019.
On April 30, 2019, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe announced the abdication of Emperor Akihito from the throne and, as a representative of the people, conveyed gratitude from his subjects to him. Akihito, in turn, addressed the nation with a farewell speech.
Akihito Awards
Cavalier Supreme Order chrysanthemums
Cavalier of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers
Knight of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st class
Cavalier of the Order of Culture
Knight of the Supreme Order of the Holy Annunciation
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus
Knight Grand Cross decorated with the Grand Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Knight of the Order of the Garter
Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Recipient of the Coronation Medal of Elizabeth II Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III
Knight of the Order of Ryamitraborn
Knight Grand Chain of the Order of Santiago (Portugal)
Knight Grand Chain of the Order of the Infante of Don Enrique
Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri
Knight of the Order of the Elephant
Cavalier of the Order of the Seraphim
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olaf
Knight Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
Commander of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Cavalier of the Order of the Banner of Hungary
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Savior
Knight Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit for the Federal Republic of Germany
Knight of the Order of the Golden Eagle
Knight of the Grand Honorary Star "For Merit to the Republic of Austria"
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru
Cavalier of the Order of Vytautas the Great with a golden chain
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
Knight Grand Ribbon of the Order of the Nile
Commander of the Order of the Yugoslav Big Star
Knight Grand Cross of the Chilean Order of Merit
Knight of the Order of Solomon
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
Knight of the Order of the Cross of the Land of Mary on a chain
Knight Grand Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit with chain
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of Nassau
Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali
Cavalier of the Chain of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Sikatuna
Chief Commander of the Philippine Legion of Honor
Cavalier of the Order of Boyaca
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion
Cavalier of the Order of the Sun of Freedom (Afghanistan)
Knight of the Order of Al-Khalifa
Commander of the Order of Good Hope Special Class
Cavalier of the Order of Hussein ibn Ali 1st class
Knight of the Order of the Pioneers of the Republic
Knight Grand Ribbon of the Order of the Star of Africa
Grand Commander of the Order of the Lion (Malawi) Knight of the Order of the Leopard
Recipient of the Order of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia Recipient of the Order of the Star of Mahaputra
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Republic of the Gambia
Commander of the Order of the Golden Heart
Awarded the Birendra Coronation Medal
Cavalier of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class
Knight of the Order of Oman
Akihito family
Wife - Michiko Seda
The imperial couple have three children: the current Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino and Princess Sayako. Together with his wife, Akihito changed the way of life in the imperial family. Despite being constantly busy with official events, they raised their children themselves, not giving them to the care of nannies and valets.
Emperor Akihito or tenno heika (His Majesty the Emperor) was born in Tokyo on December 23, 1933. Crown Prince Tsugunomiya (Akihito) was born as the fifth child and eldest son of Emperor Hirohito (Shouwa) and Empress Kojun, with a total of seven children in the family.
Tsugunomiya means heir to the imperial court, Akihito means radiant virtue.
According to the established tradition, at the age of three years (1936-1937), the crown prince was excommunicated from his parents and transferred to educators and tutors for education. Since 1940 he continued his education in primary and high school peers Gakushuin, created in 1847 to educate the children of the royal aristocracy. All the children of the imperial family studied at this school, starting from the 123rd emperor of Japan, Taisho.
At the end of the war, for safety reasons, Prince Akihito was evacuated from Tokyo. During the American occupation, from 1946 to 1950, his tutor and teacher was the American writer Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining. Emperor Hirohito personally chose her as the mentor of the crown prince. During her training, Elizabeth taught Akihito English language, Western values and culture. From 1952-1956, the Crown Prince studied at Gakushuin University in the Department of Political Science.
In 1953, Akihito represented Japan at the coronation of Elizabeth II and visited 13 countries in Europe and North America.
Starting in 1950, the imperial court began to prepare a list of suitable candidates for the role of a wife from families of aristocratic origin, to marry the heir to the throne. The list included 800 names. Despite this, in August 1957, at the tennis court in Karuzawa, the crown prince met Michiko Shoda. The Michiko family was not an aristocratic family, but belonged to a respected family of intellectuals, her father is the president of a large flour milling company. The Council of the Imperial Court officially approved the choice and in November 1958, in the funds mass media Akihito and Michiko's meeting was presented as a romantic meeting on a tennis court.
On April 10, 1959, the marriage was registered, for the first time in history, the crown prince married a girl of non-aristocratic origin. In the future, the future Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko more than once broke the foundations adopted at the imperial court. In particular, they were the first who did not give their children to the care of educators and independently raised their three children, despite their intense activity as representatives of the imperial court.
The following were born in the family: sons - Naruhito, born on February 23, 1960. Crown Prince of Japan, Prince Akishino, born 11/30/1965, second in the line of succession and daughter Princess Nori, born 04/18/1969.
As crown prince and crown princess, Akihito and Michiko have made official visits to 37 countries.
On January 7, 1989, after the death of his father Emperor Hirohito, the crown prince takes possession of the attributes of imperial power - a sword, a bronze mirror and a necklace of precious stones.
05/24/1990 during the visit of the President South Korea Ro De to Japan, Akihito expressed sincere regret about the 35-year occupation of Korea (1910-1935) by Japan. But the media in the following days reacted negatively to this.
After 1 year and 10 months from the date of his father's death, on November 12, 1990, Akihito officially becomes the 125th emperor of the chrysanthemum throne. The enthronement (inauguration) ceremony, which lasted 30 minutes, was attended by 2,500 dignitaries from 158 countries and cost an estimated $80 million or 10 billion yen.
After becoming emperor, Akihito did everything possible to bring the imperial house closer to the people. reigning emperor Japan, during his time on the throne, won the fame of a generous ruler, known for his universal gestures. He repeatedly apologized to his and other peoples if he considered it an objective necessity.
During an official visit to China in October 1992, which was the first visit by a Japanese monarch to China, the emperor expressed regret about the military conflicts with China that occurred before and after World War II, but did not officially apologize.
Considered the greatest achievement of Emperor Akihito is his close attention to social welfare issues. When Japan hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, Emperor Akihito became patron of the then-obscure Paralympics. At that time, the attitude towards was, to put it mildly, negative. Akihito and Michiko spent great amount time, using his authority to draw the attention of society and the state to the problems of people with disabilities.
06/16/2000, at the age of 97, his mother, the Dowager Empress of Japan, dies.
After 2000, the emperor began to have health problems. On January 18, 2003, a five-hour operation for prostate cancer was successfully completed, which was diagnosed in December 2002. In November 2011, he was hospitalized with a diagnosis of bronchitis, and in February 2012, he underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting.
Also in 2000, against the background of the fact that only girls were born to the crown princes and a succession crisis loomed on the horizon, talk began to appear about amending the law on succession to the throne and the possibility of passing the throne through the female line, but the talk subsided when 09/06/2006 was born Akihito's first grandson, Prince Hisahito, is the first heir to the imperial throne in the last 40 years, his father is Emperor Akihito's second son, Prince Akishino. Prince Hisahito is third in line to the throne.
Throughout his life, the emperor is fond of biology and ichthyology, he has published scientific works. He is an honorary member of various societies: a member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan, a researcher at the Australian Museum, an honorary member of the London Zoological Society and more.
The emperor has six highest national awards and 72 awards from various foreign states.
The Japanese people love and idolize their emperor. People tend to go to the imperial palace to congratulate the tenno and wish him all the best. For the older generation, the emperor is still the personification of a deity. And for the whole people, he is a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. Everyone was deeply moved when devastating earthquake In March 2011, Emperor Akihito of Japan made a televised address to his people and urged them not to lose hope, take care of themselves and strive to be strong for tomorrow.
And more recently, in August 2016, the emperor for the second time in his entire reign, in which he expressed his thoughts about the possibility of the emperor voluntarily terminating his powers.
These speeches are very valuable, as the emperors of Japan and Akihito in particular very rarely speak in public, with the exception of speeches in the framework of diplomatic meetings, the annual 10-minute greeting of the people on their birthday and the annual speech to open the parliament.
Articles about the Emperor of Japan.
All can be kings, all can be kings
And they sometimes decide the fate of the whole earth.
But whatever you say, marry for love
Not one, not one king can!
Love is the most beautiful of human feelings. This heavenly gift can be called one of the most generous, but, alas, very few manage to experience a real, eternal feeling. Stories of great love turn into stories and legends that are passed from mouth to mouth. The Japanese consider the union of their 125th emperor Akihito and his wife Michiko Seda as one of such stories.
How the future emperor Akihito and Michiko met
The young people met on the tennis court when the young prince was 24 and his new girlfriend was 23. Well-read, slender, pretty and sweet Michiko immediately fell in love with Akihito. He wanted to see her more often, and the lovers began to meet.
According to the laws of the Land of the Rising Sun, Akihito, being the crown prince, could only choose a girl of noble blood as his wife.
And the Michiko family, although it was not poor, still had nothing to do with the aristocratic strata. But the prince was not one of those who succumbs to the old laws. Such stubborn people write new decrees and carry out reforms.
Despite Michiko's multiple refusals to marry him and the disapproval of the senate, he insisted on his own. Akihito said that he could fulfill the duties of the emperor only if he had a wise assistant next to him.
And he could not imagine a better candidate for the empress than Michiko. As a result, he achieved his goal, and his girlfriend.
Imperial couple Akihito and Michiko
This couple has become a popular favorite. All subordinates felt sincere sympathy for the young emperor and his sweet wife, who became one of the richest housewives in the world. She willingly fulfilled the role of mistress of the house.