Naruhito

Naruhito (born 23 February 1960) is Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019 following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign is known as the Reiwa era.

Naruhito is the elder son of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko. He was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Hirohito. He became heir apparent following his father's accession in 1989, and was formally invested as Crown Prince in 1991. He attended Gakushūin schools in Tokyo and later studied history at Gakushuin University and English at Merton College, Oxford. He married the diplomat Masako Owada in 1993. They have one daughter: Aiko, Princess Toshi.

Continuing his grandfather's and father's boycott over the enshrinement of convicted war criminals, he has never visited Yasukuni Shrine. He is an advocate in the fields of water policy and water conservation. He was an honorary president of the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and is a supporter of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.