Japan: Emperor is symbol of unity

On Jan. 7, 1989, upon the demise of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, Emperor Akihito acceded to the throne as the 125th Emperor of Japan.
The ceremony of enthronement was held at the Imperial Palace on Nov. 12 1990.
From abroad, representatives of 158 countries, including monarchs and heads of state, and two international organizations attended the ceremony.
As stated in the constitution of Japan, the emperor is “the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people” and derives his position from “the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power”.
Emperor Akihito was born in Tokyo on Dec. 23, 1933, to the great joy of the entire nation, as the first son of Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun.
He has four elder sisters, one younger brother and one younger sister.
Emperor Akihito received his elementary and secondary education at Gakushuin, the then Imperial Household Ministry school which later became a private institution.
During the war, he and his elementary school classmates were evacuated from Tokyo to the countryside of Nikko.
He was still in Nikko when the war came to an end in 1945.
In 1952, He entered Gakushuin University’s Faculty of Political Science and Economics.
The next year, he made his first overseas journey to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, and traveled extensively in North America and Europe.
He completed his university education in 1956.
In addition to his formal education, the Crown Prince received special tutoring from authorities in Japanese history, constitutional law and other areas of learning.
Empress Michiko was born in Tokyo on Oct. 20, 1934 as the first daughter of Hidesaburo and Fumiko Shoda.
The Sho−da family is prominent in both industrial and academic circles, counting among its members two recipients of the order of culture, the highest order given to scholars and artists by the Emperor.
On learning of the crown prince’s choice of Miss Sho−da as his bride, the nation expressed delight and admiration for the family’s modest and dignified way of life.
Miss Shoda attended Futaba Elementary School.
She had to leave the school when She was in the fourth grade, as the ravages of war made living in Tokyo difficult. She returned to Tokyo to graduate from her old school after the war ended.
She then attended Sacred Heart High School in Tokyo and entered the Department of English Literature at the University of the Sacred Heart.
In her senior year, she was elected president of the student government.
She won the trust of her fellow students and helped to enhance the harmonious spirit of the school.
As crown princess, she met with people from various fields and deepened her understanding of problems existing in society.
In her modest and self-effacing manner, she was once heard to say that, as a member of the imperial family, she would like to remain a person who follows with concern what is happening in society, keeping the people and their needs close to her heart and constantly praying for their well-being.