Never in the Japanese history had an Emperor stepped down from his position. Yet, Akihito, 85 years old, has thanked the people of Japan for their support during his 30-year-long reign, as he becomes Japan’s first monarch to abdicate in two centuries. He feared that his age would eventually make it difficult for him to be present for his people and to carry out public duties.

The imperial House of Japan is known to be the oldest continuing monarchical house in the world. The Emperor of Japan is considered to be the head of the Imperial Family and the head of the State of Japan. The 1947 Constitution reshaped the status of the Emperor defining him as “the symbol of the state and the unity of the people”. Thus, the end of the war marked a new era and Akihito was the first Japanese monarch that spent his entire reign stripped of political influence. A parallel could be done with the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, that cannot influence her country’s political affairs since she only has a symbolic role.

After a series of official ceremonies, the now “former Emperor” gave the power to his eldest son Naruhito, 59 years old, married to Masako, 55 years old. Akihito’s reign was built on the ashes of a weakened Japan after the war. And while it was marked by many catastrophic natural disasters like the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the 2011 northeast tsunami or financial crisis, many people hope that Reiwa would be calmer and more serene. Reiwa is the current Naruhito imperial era that followed the Heisei era.

Even if this time the people of Japan are not mourning the loss of their Emperor, the imperial couple was really respected and admired. It was mainly due to the close relationship they have built with their citizens. Akihito’s wife, the Empress Michiko, is very popular and according to Nagoya University’s professor Hideya Kawanishi, they both developed their relationship with the people by getting closer to them, for example by shaking hands, which was unimaginable in previous imperial eras.

Some of the people interviewed expressed their wish to have a more peaceful era in a Japan where everyone would live happier. The former Emperor himself spoke at a brief ceremony and said that he hoped his successor’s time on the chrysanthemum throne will be “stable and fruitful”. While Akihoito “redesigned” his role, Naruhito has to follow his path. He already promised to continue to make sure that Japan’s actions during the war would not be forgotten or hidden to future generation, for them to be better and learn from their ancestors’ mistakes. He also promised that he would keep supporting natural disasters victims. Yet, some people expect him to go further and to build his own identity, his own path. He always showed concern for climate issues like water resources and it could become one of his international commitments.