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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan's Emperor Akihito ends reign marked by modernisation |
| 2019-04-01 |
| [PULSE.NG] Japan's outgoing Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko dramatically modernised the tradition-bound monarchy, bringing themselves closer to the public and boosting popular support for the household. Akihito has broken new ground with everything from his decision to marry for love to his outspoken calls for peace and expressions of regret over Japan's wartime role. His approach has at times unsettled those who view the emperor as a divine priest meant to inspire awe, but it has won him broad respect and popularity. Born in 1933 just as Japan was embarking on its militaristic sweep across Asia, Akihito was 11 when World War Two ended in defeat. He inherited the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989, becoming Japan's 125th emperor upon the death of his father Emperor Hirohito. Hirohito's rule saw aggressive expansionism by Japan that resulted in the war's devastation, but also the institutionalised pacifism of the post-war constitution drafted by US occupying forces. Hirohito was kept on the throne after the war but his status was downgraded from a semi-divine sovereign to a figurehead with no political power. Akihito embraced that new role and quietly parted from tradition that had kept emperors away from common people. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 IIRC the longest royal bloodline still in existence. Their game of thrones involved capturing the royal person and mating him with as much of the clan's blood as possible. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-04-01 07:49 |