Everyone knows about the British monarchy, but few know that the oldest of all the ruling dynasties in the world today is the Japanese dynasty of emperors. It is believed that the ancestor of Emperor Akihito, who rules today, came to power in 660 BC. It is believed that he was a direct relative of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the supreme goddess of the pantheon of Shinto deities. In our review, the story is about Emperor Akihito, who, by the way, recently announced his desire to retire.
Despite being a liberal democracy in Japan, it is also the oldest continuous monarchy in the world. According to the official (albeit somewhat legendary) genealogy, the Akihito family has ruled for 2,700 years. Although little is known today about the first 25 emperors (dating back to 600 BC with Emperor Jimmu, who is said to have descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu), there is compelling evidence of an unbroken lineage extending from 500 AD. ... up to this day.
The Japanese monarchy is often referred to as the Chrysanthemum Throne. Although it is primarily a metaphor, it is also a real physical thing. The Takamikura Throne, which is kept in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, is used for coronation ceremonies. It was last used during the coronation ceremony of the current Emperor Akihito in 1990.
The Chrysanthemum Throne is the term commonly used to refer to the throne of the Emperor of Japan. However, the term is also used to refer to the physically existing throne of Takamikura at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. At the same time, various other thrones that are used by the emperor during official functions are never called the "Chrysanthemum Throne".
Japan has a unique calendar system in which the year is determined according to the reign of the emperor. For example, 2016 is displayed as Akihito's 28th year on the throne. When his successor ascends the throne, the calendar will begin again from the first year. According to modern Japanese tradition, when emperors die, they are given new names that reflect the era in which they ruled. Akihito's father, Hirohito, who ruled Japan during World War II, was posthumously known as "Showa" ("Enlightened World"). Akihito, who was crowned in 1989, will become "Heisei" ("Making Peace") after his death.
Akihito broke with tradition by becoming the first Japanese monarch to marry a commoner. Until the 20th century, emperors usually had a main wife and several concubines (all from noble families). Akihito was the first emperor to refuse such privileges.
He met his future wife Shoda Michiko in 1957 on a tennis court. The Imperial Household Council (a body composed of the Prime Minister of Japan, the Presidents of the two Houses of the Japanese Parliament, the Chief Justice of Japan, and two members of the Imperial Family) formally approved the Crown Prince's infatuation on November 27, 1958.
The media spoke of their acquaintance as a real "fairy tale" and "romance on a tennis court." For the first time in Japanese history, a commoner married a member of the imperial family. The engagement took place on January 14, 1959, and Akihito and Shodu Michiko were married on April 10, 1959. The imperial couple had three children.
In August 2016, Emperor Akihito only addressed the Japanese public for the second time during his reign (and for the third time in the history of the monarchy). The emperor's first public address was broadcast on Japanese television in 2011 after the terrible tragedy that struck Japan.
The emperor tried to calm the nation after devastating earthquake and the tsunami on the northeast coast of Japan, which caused the disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. After these terrible events, Emperor Akihito and his wife personally visited the disaster area and met with the evacuees.
Akihito's address to the people brought back memories of his father's unprecedented appeal to the nation in August 1945. Then he announced on the radio the defeat of Japan in World War II. Many Japanese people heard the voice of the emperor for the first time in their lives during Hirohito's speech.
On September 6, 2006, Emperor Akihito celebrated the birth of his first grandson, Prince Hisahito, the third child of the emperor's youngest son. Prince Hisahito is the first male heir to be born into the Japanese imperial family in 41 years (the emperor's eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, has only one daughter, Princess Aiko).
Since in Japan only men have the right to inherit the throne, Princess Aiko is not entitled to the throne. Prince Hisahito is the only male born into the imperial family in Japan since 1965, so Akihito's possible resignation could rekindle talks about amending the law to include Princess Aiko on the succession list.
Everything in Japan is special, even criminals. It is enough to see to be convinced of this.
Akihito is the current emperor of Japan and concurrently the only holder of this title on the planet at the moment. In terms of the scale of media coverage, his figure is quite comparable to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
Akihito was born on December 23, 1933, and became the fifth child in the family of the then reigning Emperor Hirohito. Like other members of the imperial family, he received an excellent education. In addition to the private school, a teacher from America took an active part in the formation of the young man. With her help, Akihito learned the features western culture and studied english language, which he speaks as well as he speaks Japanese.
At the age of 19, the prince began his studies at Gakushuin University, where he took a course in politics and economics. Almost immediately after this, an official statement was made that Akihito became the crown prince and at some point the title of father would pass to him.
In 1953, the prince left his home country for the first time to travel to America and Europe. The trip took just over a year and allowed Akihito to learn firsthand how other countries live. Interestingly, during his visit to Great Britain, the future emperor attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1956, Akihito completed his university studies and received his diploma. As is often the case with representatives of ruling families, the young man began looking for a bride. His choice fell on a girl named Michiko Shode.
Michiko became the first wife of a member of the imperial family, unable to boast of aristocratic origins. Her father was employed in the flour-milling industry and moved up the career ladder to the director of a large enterprise, but the family did not belong to the noble category.
Thus, Akihito decided to break the centuries-old traditions and asked the management of the imperial court to approve his choice. After a short consultation, the prince was allowed to marry Michiko, and in the spring of 1959 a magnificent wedding took place.
Akihito can be considered the founder of a new way of life in the imperial family. Despite the fact that the prince often traveled to Japan and made visits to other countries, he decided to abandon the governesses and raised children with his wife (the couple had two sons and a daughter).
For several decades, the heir to the throne has earned a reputation for himself. He achieved the fact that they spoke about him exclusively in positive tones, not only in the press, but also in society. This is not surprising, because the prince was regularly interested in the fate of people and sought to make their life a little better.
In the fall of 1988, Akihito's father fell ill and he took over most of the government's responsibilities. A year later, Hirohito died and the rightful heir was officially crowned. From that moment on, Akihito's full-fledged activities began as the reigning emperor of Japan.
During the audience, the emperor announced that he would do everything possible to ensure that Japan flourished, and the current constitution was rigorously observed in all aspects by each of the officials and ordinary citizens.
As you know, the imperial family is in many ways only a symbol of statehood, and the main management is carried out ... Thanks to this, the emperor has free time, which he spends on the study of historical works, biology and ichthyology. Akihito also loves to play tennis, because it was thanks to this game that he at one time met a woman who became his wife.
In the summer of 2016, the news appeared in a number of media that Akihito was ready to resign from his duties as an emperor and retire, leaving the title to his eldest son, Prince Naruhito. However, the imperial court almost immediately issued a press release in which it denied this information, noting that Akihito, despite his venerable age, is ready to continue to fulfill the duties assigned to him.
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A Kihito(Japanese; December 23, 1933, Tokyo) - the reigning emperor of Japan, 125th in the dynasty. His posthumous name will be Heisei.
Akihito is the eldest son and fifth child of Emperor Shёwa (Hirohito) and Empress Nagako. Prince Akihito attended the Gakushuin School of Peers from 1940 to 1952. Along with the traditional Japanese mentor of the imperial family, S. Koizumi, the prince also had an American teacher, Elizabeth Gray Vining, a well-known author of children's books, who helped the prince in learning English and Western culture.
In 1952, the prince entered the Politics Department of the Faculty of Politics and Economics of Gakushuin University, in November of the same year he was officially declared Crown Prince.
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The university was successfully graduated in March 1956, and in April 1959 the crown prince married Shoda Michiko, the eldest daughter of Shoda Hidesaburo, president of a large flour mill. Thus, centuries-old traditions were violated, which instructed members of the imperial family to choose their wives from girls of exclusively aristocratic origin.
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And Empress Michiko(born October 20, 1934, Tokyo, Japan), née Michiko Shoda - Empress of Japan since January 7, 1989, wife of the current Emperor of Japan Akihito.
Two members of the Michiko family were awarded the Order of Cultural Merit, the highest academic honor bestowed by the emperor for distinguished scholars.
She met Crown Prince Akihito on the tennis court. The wedding took place on April 10, 1959.
Despite the need to participate in many official events, Akihito and Michiko raised three children on their own: sons Naruhito and Akishino; and daughter Sayako.
After the death of Emperor Hirohito, Michiko, as the wife of the new Emperor Akihito, received the title of Empress of Japan.
Michiko plays the piano and harp, and enjoys embroidery and knitting. In addition, she is interested in literature and flowers.
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N aruhito(Japanese February 23, 1960, Tokyo) - The eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Crown Prince of Japan, became heir to the throne after the death of Emperor Showa (Hirohito) on January 7, 1989.
In 1983-85 he studied in England at Merton College, Oxford. Has a master's degree historical sciencesfrom Gakushuin University in 1988. In his spare time, the prince plays the viola, loves jogging, loves hiking, and also goes in for mountaineering.
The prince has courted and twice proposed to 29-year-old Owada Masako, who was a diplomat at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs under her fatherOwada Hisashi, who is currently a judge at the UN International Court of Justice and was previously Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Japan's Ambassador to the United Nations. ... On January 19, 1993, the engagement was announced.
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On June 9, 1993, the Crown Prince of Japan and Owada Masako were married at the Imperial Shinto Shrine in Tokyo in front of 800 invited guests and 500 million people around the world watching them through the media. Many of the crowned heads and most of the heads of state of Europe were also present at the wedding.
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M asako owada(December 9, 1963) - wife of Crown Prince Naruhito, first son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. A member of the Japanese Imperial Family since her marriage on June 9, 1993, Masako is the eldest daughter of Hisashi Owada. She has two younger sisters, the twins Setsuko and Reiko.
Masako moved to Moscow with her parents when she was two years old, where she attended and graduated kindergarten... After returning to Japan, she studied at private school for girls Denenchofu Futaba in Tokyo with primary class up to the second year of senior high school.
Masako entered Harvard, where she received higher education with a degree in economics, as well as at Balliol College in Oakford for specialist courses in international relationsbut did not finish them. In 1986 g.
Besides the native japanese, Masako knows English and French, and can speak German, Russian and Spanish.
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Only 8 years after her marriage, Masako was able to give birth to her only child, Princess Aiko, born on December 1, 2001. Prior to that, all Masako's pregnancies ended in miscarriages. The surrounding people began to accuse Masako of not being able to give birth to the Heir. All this was aggravated with the birth of a daughter, who did not have the right to the throne, after which Masako's health finally deteriorated. Masako began to suffer from severe depression, diagnosed as "Adaptation disorder syndrome"and has become rarely seen in public.
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Prints Akishino (Fumihito) (November 30, 1965, Tokyo) - Youngest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. He is the second in the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne. After his marriage in June 1990, he received the title of Akishino no Miya (Prince of Akishino) and became the head of his sovereign branch of the Imperial House. After the death of his grandfather Emperor Shёwa (Hirohito) in January 1989, he became the second in line to the throne after his older brother Crown Prince Naruhito ...
In April 1984, he entered the law department of Gakushuin University, where he studied law and biology. After graduating from university, Fumihito studied fish taxonomy at St John's College Oxford University in the UK from October 1988 to June 1990. In 1996 he was awarded the degree of Doctor National University for extensive research.
Prince Fumihito is a big fan of the Beatles as well as an active tennis player. As a student, Prince Fumihito was among the top ten tennis doubles players in the Kanto region.
On June 29, 1990, Prince Fumihito married Kiko Kawashima.
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K iko, princess Akishino, nee Kiko Kawashima (born 11 September 1966 at 11:40 pm (JST) in Shizuoka) is the wife of Prince Akishino, the youngest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. The daughter of a university professor, she became the second commoner to marry a member of the imperial family; her mother-in-law, Empress Michiko, was the first in 1959.
Princess Kiko is the eldest daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima, a professor of economics at Gakushuin University, and his wife, Kazuyo Sugimoto. As a child, friends and relatives, she affectionately called Kiki. Prior to school, she lived in the United States, where her father received his Ph.D. in regional economics from Pennsylvania State University and later taught there.
Prince Akishino first proposed to Kiko Kawashima on June 26, 1986, when they were students at Gakushuin. The couple, however, did not announce their intention to get married for three years. The engagement received formal approval from the 10 members of the Imperial Household Council on September 12, 1989.
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The wedding took place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on June 29, 1990. The Imperial Household Economic Council had previously granted the prince permission to create a new sovereign branch of the imperial family, and the Emperor allowed him to be titled Akishino-no-miya (Prince of Akishino) on his wedding day. Following the marriage, his fiancée became Her Imperial Highness Princess Akishino, known informally as Princess Kiko.
Princess Kiko continued her graduate studies in psychology with her formal duties and received her Magister Artium in Psychology in 1995. She is known for her active attention and involvement in people with deafness and as a qualified simultaneous interpreter from their sign language.
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Prince and Princess Akishino have two daughters and one son:
Princess Mako Akishino(born 23.10.1991)
Princess Kako Akishino(born 29.12.1994)
Prince Hisahito Akishino (born 6.09.2006)
Since the third child is a boy, he is a direct contender for the throne and will eventually inherit it if Hisahito's uncle, Crown Prince Naruhito, does not produce a male heir, or if the laws of succession do not change.
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With Ayako Kuroda(born April 18, 1969 at 20.36 (JST) Tokyo), previously Her Imperial Highness Princess Nori of Japan (Sayako) - the third child and only daughter of the Emperor of Japan Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko. She married Yoshiki Kuroda on November 15, 2005. As a result of the misalliance, she was forced to leave the aristocratic title and leave the imperial family, in accordance with the requirements of Japanese law.
Graduated from the Faculty of Japanese Language and Literature, Gakushuin University (1992). Later she was accepted as a research fellow at the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology. In 1998 she was promoted to researcher. Author of articles and academic publications on birds.
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On December 30, 2004, the Imperial Household Administration announced that Princess Nori was betrothed to Yoshiki Kuroda, a 40-year-old urban designer working in the planning department of the Tokyo City Government and a longtime friend of Prince Akishino. After the wedding, which took place at noon on November 15, 2005 at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Princess Nori left the imperial family, taking the name of her husband, a man of non-aristocratic origin.
Sayako Kuroda quit her job as an ornithologist to focus on family life and eventual motherhood. Although she is no longer eligible for Imperial stipends after the wedding, she received a dowry of $ 1.3 million, according to a spokesman for the Imperial Household Administration.
In Tokyo (Japan).
Direct descendant of Jimmu, the legendary first emperor of Japan. Born into the family of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kojun, becoming their fifth child but their first son. At birth, he received the name Tsugu no miya.
Following the tradition of receiving education by members of the Japanese imperial family, from 1940 to 1952 he studied with personal mentors, as well as at the school for members of the imperial family and the highest aristocracy (Gakushuin).
AT last years During World War II, Akihito was temporarily taken with his fellow practitioners 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: mainly functions of a ceremonial nature were left to him. New conditions and new limits of imperial power demanded changes in the nature of the education received by the heir to the throne: the prince learned English and acquired wide knowledge of Western culture. In this he was assisted by the American educator Elizabeth Gray Vining, a famous author of children's books.
In 1952, the prince entered the Politics Department of the Department of Politics and Economics at Gakushuin University.
In November 1952, he came of age and was officially declared Crown Prince.
Akihito graduated from university in March 1956 with specialized education in a wide range of subjects, including Japanese history and constitutional law.
On April 10, 1959, in violation of 1,500 years of tradition, Akihito entered into a morganatic marriage with Michiko Shoda (born October 20, 1934), the daughter of a wealthy Japanese businessman, a student of the Women's Roman Catholic University in Tokyo. The marriage of the crown prince to a commoner was unanimously approved by the Council of the Imperial Household, headed by the Prime Minister.
Foreign trips became the hallmark of the heir to the Japanese throne: before his enthronement, he had visited 37 countries.
In September 1988, due to his father's illness, Akihito assumed a number of duties as emperor.
On January 7, 1989, after the death of Emperor Hirohito, Akihito was 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", "the formation of peace."
After the emperor passed away, the name of the era becomes his posthumous name. The previous emperor Hirohito is supposed to be called "Emperor Shёwa" 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 Japanese constitution, the emperor is not vested with powers related to the exercise of state power. Akihito maintains complete neutrality in relation to current politics, but occasionally (in agreement with the Japanese political leadership) makes statements and acts 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 remained. He performs rituals at the palace and in the great temple of Ise, 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 an ichthyologist and traveler. He is the author of several dozen scientific articles on ichthyology issues, co-author of two books on fish in Japan, including the collective work The Fishes of the Japanese Archipelago (1984). He is also an honorary member of the Linnean Society of London (1986), the Zoological Society of London (1992) and the Research Institute for Natural Science of Argentina (1997).
The imperial couple have three children: the current Crown Prince Naruhito (Hiro no Miya), Prince Akishino (Aya no Miya) and Princess Sayako (Nori no Miya). Together with his wife Akihito, he changed the way of life in the imperial family. Despite being constantly busy with official events, they raised their children themselves, not leaving them in the care of nannies and valets.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
In Japan, the emperor is called mikado, it is not just the ruler of the state, it is the Living God, the Symbol of the unification of the nation.
Among ruling dynasties the whole world, the Japanese dynasty of emperors is the oldest of all existing, it began more than 800 years ago. Although, the first mentions of the imperial dynasty indicate even earlier dates of its emergence: the ancestor of the real emperor, Jimmu Tenno, began to rule the country of Yamato in 660 BC. Then it turns out that the family tree of the Japanese mikado began to develop over 2670 years ago. It is believed that the first Japanese ruler was a direct relative of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the supreme goddess of the pantheon of Shinto deities.
The Japanese emperor Akihito, who currently rules the country, is the 125th emperor. Prior to his accession to the throne, his name was Prince Tsugunomiya. The prince was born on December 23, 1933 in a family that already had four girls, but since he was still the eldest son, at the age of 19 he became the official crown prince.
His father was Emperor Hirohito (Showa), who remained in power for 63 years, the longest term in office. His mother is Empress Nagako, wife of the emperor. This is not an empty remark. The fact is that after the birth of four daughters in a family during 9 years of marriage, the couple was under pressure from the ruling elite due to the fact that, according to tradition, the crown prince may not be born from the lawful wife of Mikado, the main thing is that his the blood from the father's side belonged to the imperial dynasty. There was a proposal to choose a mother for the future prince, to find a "concubine".
The Crown Prince, according to established traditions, is taken from the family at an early age. He must be brought up according to the same canons that have developed over the centuries, according to the rules by which the previous generations of the heirs to the throne were brought up. The prince met with his parents a maximum of 2 times a week while observing the court. There can be no parental education, they just looked at each other, and then the boy again fell into the hands of the tutors.
At the age of seven, the boy went to school, of course, not a regular one, but a special one for noble aristocratic circles. But there he was also not one of all and could not be equal to the rest of the guys. He did not play with the children and he could not be naughty like other children. After all, he is the Living God. He attended school for the prescribed 12 years (in Japan, education is 12 years) and graduated in 1952.
During his studies, an important life event took place in the life of the future emperor; in 1946, he chose the famous American writer Elizabeth Gray Weining as his mentor, who helped him learn English and introduced him to Western literature. She recalls that he was a modest boy who communicated mainly with his fish. By the way, the emperor is still fond of this topic and is the author of 28 scientific works on ichthyology. In 1986 he became an honorary member of the International London Linnaeus Society.
E. Vining throughout her life was a close friend of Emperor Akihito, to which he is very happy and proud of his choice of her as a mentor. Elizabeth died in 1999 at the age of 97.
Prince Tsugunomiya ascended the throne in 1989, succeeding his deceased father. Akihito's motto is "Peace and Calm". From the moment of accession to the throne, a new chronology began - the Heisei era. After the death of the emperor, he will remain in history under the name Heisei.
During his reign, he made some changes to the traditions of the court. In particular, this applies to marriage. He met his fiancée on a tennis court. Shёda Michiko's future wife was the daughter of the owner of a flour mill. And although it was an intelligent family, it was not aristocratic. Contrary to the prevailing traditions, the prince nevertheless married Shoda, thereby violating the regulations.
Another change was the ability to raise children independently, without the participation of governors. The current emperor has two sons and one daughter.
According to the Japanese Constitution, the emperor is a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. Those. he has nominal, not real, power. He is not a public person and even just hearing his voice is not so often possible. But during the tragic earthquake in 2011, the people of the country heard the voice of the Living God, and this emphasized the importance and tragedy of the moment.
TOKYO, 23 Dec - RIA Novosti, Ksenia Naka. The most powerful memory in the life of Emperor Akihito of Japan, who celebrates his 80th birthday on Monday, was the Second World War.
“It hurts me endlessly when I think of those young people who had a variety of dreams and plans for the future, but who died during the war. I am deeply grateful to the people of Japan who were able to overcome the post-war devastation and rebuild the country. years we managed to bring up (generations) who, even in such difficult trials as it became<…> earthquake<…> 2011, carefully preserve human relations, behave with dignity and make every effort to restore the country. This gives me strength, "said the emperor in front of the journalists admitted to the palace in connection with his anniversary.
Emperor Akihito of Japan, who turned 80 on Monday, named his wife Empress Michiko the greatest happiness in his life.
"It is believed that being an emperor is loneliness, but thanks to my marriage with Empress Michiko, I have acquired a companion next to me, who cares about the same thing that is important to me. The Empress treats me with unwavering respect and her presence gives me rest and comfort. I am happy that I was able to fulfill my duties until this hour, "the emperor told reporters.
Emperor Akihito became the first Crown Prince in Japanese history to tied the knot with a girl from an ordinary family. The young people met on a tennis court and the future emperor, according to him, was amazed at the beauty of Michiko Shoda. 54 years after the wedding, the imperial couple still often play tennis in pairs. The couple had three children, whom they, contrary to previous traditions, at the insistence of Princess Michiko raised on their own. Their eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, also married for love a girl of non-aristocratic origin. The imperial couple have four grandchildren, but only one of them - eight-year-old Prince Hisahito - has the right to inherit the throne in the future.
More than 23 thousand people came to the square in front of the imperial palace to personally congratulate the monarch. Akihito appeared in front of his subjects three times along with his family members and made a short welcoming speech in which he thanked everyone for their congratulations and wished them happiness in the coming new year.
The emperor's birthday is celebrated in Japan as a public holiday and a day off. All institutions, schools, ministries and police stations fly state flags.