Japan’s Emperor Akihito (right) and Crown Prince Naruhito wave to the crowd at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2, after the emperor delivered his final New Year’s address. Photo: AFP
Opinion
Opinion
When Japan’s Emperor Akihito steps down, will his pacifist legacy persist despite resurgent nationalism?
- The Japanese emperor, who will abdicate in favour of his son Naruhito, was the nation’s chief emissary of post-war reconciliation in Asia. His pacifist leanings have been at odds with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s revisionist view of history
Japan’s Emperor Akihito (right) and Crown Prince Naruhito wave to the crowd at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2, after the emperor delivered his final New Year’s address. Photo: AFP
Japan's outgoing Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Photo: AFP
Updating software, shaping history: New imperial era name looms large in Japan
- When Crown Prince Naruhito takes the Chrysanthemum throne on May 1, a new era or ‘gengo’ will begin in Japan
- City offices and government agencies, which use the imperial era name in their computer systems and paperwork, are worried about glitches
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Japan
Japan's outgoing Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Photo: AFP