Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito.
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31 Facts About Emperor Naruhito
2.
Emperor Naruhito is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession.
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4.
Emperor Naruhito became the heir apparent upon his father's accession as Emperor on 7 January 1989, following the death of Emperor Showa, and was formally invested as crown prince in 1991.
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5.
Emperor Naruhito attended Gakushuin schools in Tokyo and later studied history at Gakushuin University and English at Merton College, Oxford.
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6.
Emperor Naruhito is interested in water policy and water conservation, and likes to play viola.
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7.
Emperor Naruhito was an honorary president of the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Paralympics and is a supporter of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
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8.
Emperor Naruhito's childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed activities such as mountain climbing, riding, and learning the violin.
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9.
Emperor Naruhito played with the children of the royal chamberlain, and he was a fan of the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League, his favorite player being No 3, later team manager, Shigeo Nagashima.
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10.
One day, Emperor Naruhito found the remains of an ancient roadway in the palace grounds, sparking a lifelong fascination with the history of transportation, which would provide the subject of his bachelor's and master's degrees in history.
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11.
Emperor Naruhito stayed with the family of businessman Colin Harper.
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12.
Emperor Naruhito got along with his host brothers, riding around Point Lonsdale, playing the violin and tennis, and climbing Uluru together.
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13.
When Emperor Naruhito was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushuin school system, where many of Japan's elite families and narikin send their children.
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14.
Emperor Naruhito graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters degree in history.
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15.
In July 1983, Emperor Naruhito undertook a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom, where he studied until 1986.
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16.
Emperor Naruhito did not submit his thesis A Study of Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century until 1989.
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17.
Emperor Naruhito later revisited these years in his book, The Thames and I – a Memoir of Two Years at Oxford.
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18.
Emperor Naruhito visited some 21 historic pubs, including the Trout Inn.
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19.
Emperor Naruhito joined the Japan Society and the drama society, and became the honorary president of the karate and judo clubs.
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20.
Emperor Naruhito played inter-college tennis, seeded number three out of six on the Merton team, and took golf lessons from a pro.
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22.
Emperor Naruhito proposed to her three times before the Imperial Palace announced their engagement on 19 January 1993.
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23.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have one daughter, Aiko, Princess Toshi, born 1 December 2001 at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Palace.
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24.
Emperor Naruhito plays the viola, having switched from the violin because he thought the latter "too much of a leader, too prominent" to suit his musical and personal tastes.
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25.
Emperor Naruhito enjoys jogging, hiking, and mountaineering in his spare time.
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26.
Emperor Naruhito's birthday was named "Mount Fuji Day" by Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures because of his reported love of the mountain.
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27.
The transition took place at midnight, and Emperor Naruhito formally began his reign in a ceremony later that morning.
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28.
Under Article 4 of the Constitution, Emperor Naruhito's role is defined as entirely ceremonial and representative, without even nominal powers related to government; he is barred from making political statements.
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29.
Emperor Naruhito's role is limited to performing ceremonial duties as delineated by the Constitution, and even then he is constrained by the requirements of the Constitution and the binding advice of the Cabinet.
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30.
On 23 July 2021, Emperor Naruhito opened the 2020 Summer Olympics hosted in Tokyo, just as his grandfather, Hirohito, had done in 1964.
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31.
Naruhito's first trip abroad as Emperor took place in September 2022, to the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
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