Emperor Naruhito
Life and reign
A historian who wrote his Oxford thesis on navigation and traffic on the upper Thames in the 18th century, he became the 126th emperor in the traditional order of succession on 1 May 2019. His era name Reiwa is usually translated as beautiful harmony. He and Empress Masako have focused on disaster relief and water issues.
Related Monarchs and Houses
Emperor Jimmu
The legendary first emperor, said to descend from the sun goddess Amaterasu and to have founded the throne in 660 BC. Historians...
Emperor Meiji
Mutsuhito, the teenage emperor whose 1868 restoration ended 260 years of shogun rule. Under the Meiji slogan of a rich country...
Emperor Showa
Hirohito, whose 62 year reign spanned the war in China, the Pacific war, defeat, occupation and the transformation into a...
Emperor Akihito
Heisei emperor, who with Empress Michiko brought the throne close to the people, comforting disaster victims and marrying the...