Japan celebrated their new emperor as symbols of power officially passed to Naruhito after his father's three-decade rule. In his speech, Naruhito pledged to "think of the people" and serve as a symbol of their unity.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/K. Nogi
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Japanese people cheered new Emperor Naruhito as he drove through the streets of Tokyo on Wednesday, heading to the country's royal palace to formally claim the symbols of royal power.
Naruhito then accepted the royal regalia, including a sacred sword and a jewel, at a brief and simple ceremony. His father officially gave up the objects a day before. The sword and the jewel, alongside an ancient mirror, make up the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan with links to Japanese mythology.
While modern Japanese emperors wield little actual power, previous generations of Japanese worshiped them as living gods.
Naruhito succeeds his father who abdicated after 30 years on the throneImage: Reuters
On Wednesday, the Oxford-educated Naruhito said he would "reflect deeply" on the path taken by his father and other emperors.
"I pledge that I will always think of the people, and while drawing close to them, fulfil my duties as a symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people in accordance with the constitution," the 59-year-old said in a speech after the ceremony.
"I sincerely hope for the happiness of the people and further progress of the country, and for world peace," he added.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe congratulated Naruhito and pledged to create a "bright future" during his reign.
No (royal) women allowed
Female members of the royal family did not attend the handover in accordance to tradition. However, the custom only applies to women of royal blood, which allowed a female cabinet minister to witness Wednesday's ritual.
Naruhito's wife Masako has said she was feeling 'insecure' about serving as empressImage: picture-alliance/AP Images/The Yomiuri Shimbun
Naruhito's wife, Empress Masako, and their 17-year-old daughter Aiko joined the new monarch after the ceremony was done. The 55-year-old empress is a former diplomat who has struggled with stress since entering the spotlight as a member of the royal family. Masako also faced public pressure for the lack of male children that could inherit the throne after Naruhito. Japan's Imperial Law does not allow for female heirs, leaving Aiko out of the running.
While the handover ceremony was held on Wednesday morning, Naruhito legally became the nation's 126th emperor at midnight, following his father's abdication. Midnight also marked the beginning of Naruhito's imperial era of Reiwe, or "beautiful harmony."
Residents of Osaka and other Japanese cities celebrated Naruhito's accession to the throneImage: Getty Images7AFP/Jiji Press
The Japanese marked the change on the throne with midnight celebrations across the country. Others flocked to the royal palace on Wednesday morning, or gathered around Tokyo's Meiji Shrine where Shinto priests conducted a special ceremony. Authorities handed out free sake and organized a display of horseback archery around the shrine. Many couples also decide to get married on the first day of the Reiwe era.
A much bigger celebration is planned for October this year, with Naruhito and Masako scheduled to parade through the streets of Tokyo and accept congratulations from world leaders and fellow royals.
Emperor Akihito abdicates in Japan
Emperor Akihito has resigned, ushering in a new era under his son, Naruhito.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. Hoshiko
Departing words
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.
Image: Reuters/Japan Pool
Sacred ceremony
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.
Image: Reuters/Japan Pool
Reporting to the gods
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.
Image: Reuters/Japan Pool
Groomed from birth
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.
Image: Reuters/Kyodo
Peacemaker
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%.
Image: Reuters/Imperial Household Agency of Japan
Emperor Hirohito
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Pan-Asia
Naruhito ushers in Reiwa era
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.
Image: Reuters/Kyodo
Imperial Palace
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.
