Emperor of Japan

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"Japanese Emperor" and "Tennō" redirect here. For the butterfly, see Sasakia charonda. For other
uses, see Tenno (disambiguation).

Emperor of Japan

天皇

IMPERIAL

Imperial Standard

Incumbent

Akihito
since 7 January 1989
 Details

Style His Imperial Majesty or His Majesty

Heir apparent Crown Prince Naruhito

First monarch Emperor Jimmu

(mythical)

Formation 660 BC

Residence Tokyo Imperial Palace

as official residence

Website The Imperial Household Agency

Japan

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The Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and the head of state of Japan. Under
the 1947 constitution, he is defined as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people."
Historically, he was also the highest authority of the Shintoreligion. In Japanese, the Emperor is
called Tennō (天皇), literally "heavenly sovereign". In English, the use of the term Mikado (帝 or 御門
) for the Emperor was once common, but is now considered obsolete.[1]
Currently, the Emperor of Japan is the only head of state in the world with the English title of
"Emperor". The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing monarchical house in the
world.[2] The historical origins of the Emperors lie in the late Kofun periodof the 3rd–7th centuries AD,
but according to the traditional account of the Kojiki(finished 712) and Nihon Shoki (finished 720),
Japan was founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu, who was said to be a direct descendant of the
sun-goddess Amaterasu.[3][4] The current Emperor is Akihito. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum
Throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), in 1989. The Japanese government
announced in December 2017 that Akihito will abdicate on 30 April 2019.[5]
The role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic
role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1199, the
Emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, unlike many
Western monarchs. Japanese Emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political
forces, to varying degrees. In fact, between 1192 and 1867, the shōguns, or their shikken regents
in Kamakura (1203–1333), were the de facto rulers of Japan, although they were nominally
appointed by the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1867, the Emperor was the embodiment of
all sovereign power in the realm, as enshrined in the Meiji Constitution of 1889. Since the enactment
of the 1947 Constitution, he has been a ceremonial head of state without even nominal political
powers.
 Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Imperial Palace has been called Kyūjō (宮城), later Kōkyo (皇
居), and is on the former site of Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo (the current capital of Japan).
Earlier, Emperors resided in Kyoto (the ancient capital) for nearly eleven centuries. The Emperor's
Birthday(December 23) is a national holiday.

Contents
[hide]

 1Role
 2History
o 2.1Origin
o 2.2Factional control
o 2.3Disputes
o 2.4Territorial matters
o 2.5Shōguns
o 2.6Meiji restoration
o 2.7World War II
o 2.8Current constitution
o 2.9Relation to Shinto
o 2.10Education
 3Addressing and naming
o 3.1Origin of the title
 4Marriage traditions
 5Burial traditions
 6Succession
o 6.1Current status
 7Wealth
 8Notes
 9See also
 10References
o 10.1Citations
o 10.2Sources
 11External links

Role[edit]
Unlike most constitutional monarchs, the Emperor is not even the nominal chief executive. Article
65 explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader. The
Emperor is also not the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The Japan Self-
Defense Forces Act of 1954 also explicitly vests this role with the Prime Minister.
The Emperor's powers are limited only to important ceremonial functions. Article 4 of the Constitution
stipulates that the Emperor "shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in the
Constitution and he shall not have powers related to government." It also stipulates that "the advice
and approval of the Cabinet shall be required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state" (Article
3). Article 4 also states that these duties can be delegated by the Emperor as provided for by law.
While the Emperor formally appoints the Prime Minister to office, Article 6 of the Constitution
requires him to appoint the candidate "as designated by the Diet", without giving the Emperor the
right to decline appointment.
Article 6 of the Constitution delegates the Emperor the following ceremonial roles:
1. Appointment of the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet.
2. Appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as designated by the Cabinet.