Emperor Akihito officially abdicated the throne during a ceremony in his final address to the people. He thanked the Japanese people for their support and trust during his 30 year reign as symbolic head of state and wished "peace and happiness" to the nation under his son Naruhito.

Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko performed an abdication ritual in the Pine Room of the Imperial Palace. The so-called Three Sacred Treasures of Japan — a sword, mirror and sacred jewel — play a major role in the Taiirei-Seiden-no-gi abdication ceremony. The Imperial Regalia have been handed down to the emporor for more than 2,000 years.

Before the official ceremony, Emperor Akihito wore a traditional brown robe and black hat to report his retirement to the gods at the Shrine of Kashikodokoro.

A 1945 photo shows then-Crown Prince Akihito going to school in Tokyo. The eldest of five children of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako, he was groomed to be successor to the throne. Breaking with tradition, Hirohito did not want his son to be commissioned as a military officer as the country entered a pacifist era following World War II.

Akihito ascended to the throne in 1989 after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito. Here, he is seen pledging to observe Japan's constitution during his reign. He devoted his time to bringing the monarchy closer to the people and embraced his role as a peacemaker. Akihito was very popular, with an approval rating of 80%.

Emperor Hirohito took the throne in 1926 at a time when Japan was a rising political, military and economic power. He was emperor during the Japanese invasion of China and World War II, but historians are divided on how much power the constitutional monarch had under ultranationalist politicians and the military. After World War II, he was stripped of power and became symbolic head of state.

The 59-year-old Naruhito's reign as emperor will usher in the era of "Reiwa" — meaning "beautiful harmony." The Oxford-educated Naruhito faces the challenge of replacing his popular father and maintaining imperial traditions. He is expected to give the monarchy a cosmopolitan and open image.

An aerial view shows the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. The 1.15 square kilometer (0.44 square miles) area includes the Imperial Family's residence, administrative buildings, gardens and villas. The Imperial Palace has served as the residence of successive emperors since 1868. During the 1980s property bubble, the grounds were assessed at a value greater than all the real estate in California.

The first round of tariffs in 2018 were on all imported washing machines and solar panels — not just those from China. A study by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University, and Princeton University found that the burden of Trump's tariffs — including taxes on steel, aluminum, solar panels falls entirely on US consumers and businesses who buy imported products.

On Friday May 10, 2019 President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on $200 billion (€178 billion) worth of Chinese goods. The move raised tariffs from 10% to 25% on a range of consumer products, including cell phones, computers and toys. China's Commerce Ministry said it "deeply regrets" the US decision.

In April 2019, the United States said it wanted to put tariffs on $11.2 billion worth of goods from the EU. The list includes helicopters and aircraft from Airbus as well as European exports like famous cheeses such as Stilton, Roquefort and Gouda, wines and oysters, ceramics, knives and pajamas.

The EU imposed import duties of 25% on a $2.8 billion range of imports from the United States in retaliation for US tariffs on European steel and aluminum. Targeted US products include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, peanuts, blue jeans, steel and aluminum.

May 17, 2019 is the deadline for President Trump to decide on imposing tariffs on vehicle imports from the EU. According to diplomats, Germany, whose exports of cars and parts to the United States are more than half the EU total, wants to press ahead with talks to ward off tariffs on automakers Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW.

India, the world's biggest buyer of US almonds, on June 21, 2018 raised import duties on the nuts by 20% and increased tariffs on a range of other farm products and US iron and steel, in retaliation for US tariffs on Indian steel. Trump said last month that he would end preferential trade treatment for India, which would result in US tariffs on up to $5.6 billion of imports from India.

Mexico on June 5, 2018 imposed tariffs of up to 25% on American steel, pork, cheese, apples, potatoes and bourbon, in retaliation for US tariffs on Mexican metals. While to the north, Canada on July 1 imposed tariffs on $12.6 billion worth of U.S. goods, including steel, aluminum, coffee, ketchup and bourbon whiskey in retaliation for US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Kim Jong Un traveled from Pyongyang and across China in his armored train, but then disembarked at the Vietnamese border and boarded a limo provided by the Vietnamese government. He arrived to Hanoi few hours ahead of Donald Trump, who traveled by plane.

The Durty Bird restaurant in Hanoi is selling Trump- and Kim-inspired burgers. The venue's co-owner and head chef, Colin Kelly, told the Guardian the "Durty Donald" was as "extravagant" as Trump, with double-beef and double-bacon topped with strands of yellow chicken and some Russian dressing. The "Kim Jong Yum" is made of smoked pork belly, wild boar, kimchi mayonnaise and crispy fried kimchi.

If a Trump or Kim burger doesn't take your fancy, perhaps a summit-inspired cocktail will. Here a bartender in Hanoi places the finishing touches on a "Rock It, Man" cocktail, inspired by Trump's tweet where he called Kim a "little rocket man" after North Korea carried out a ballistic missile test.

Le Tuan Duong, the owner of the Tuan Duong Beauty Academy hair salon in Hanoi's Dong Da district, has been offering haircuts in the style of Kim and Trump. Those who choose the Kim look — the more popular of the two — get their hair molded and slicked back just like the North Korean leader, while those want a Trump hairdo have their hair dyed in the president's distinctive blond hue.

Other entrepreneurs are trying their luck with novelty T-shirts, a wise option for those who want a memento that will last — unlike a burger or a cocktail. There is a wide range to choose from and they can be found at lots of small road-side shops.

Young Pioneer Tours has put together a "Trump-Kim Vietnam Summit Tour." The company's media officer, Matt Kulesza, told DW the tour would follow the summit, and the company would be chatting with journalists and using their contacts to get the inside story of what’s happening at the meeting. It will also include visits to key historical sites in Vietnam. He said three people had signed up so far.