There is a new Emperor in Japan. Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne on April 30, 2019, making him Japan’s 126th Emperor. This is the mark of a new era since Naruthito’s father, Emeritus Akihito, took the throne 30 years ago. Akihito had resigned from the thrown due to health reasons. The resignation is the first of its kind in over 200 years, as most emperors died on the throne.

Naruhito was educated in Tokyo and at Oxford as a historian and water transportation researcher. One of his main concerns is environmental issues, which he has focused on in for many decades. Just like Akihito, Naruhito is a pacifist. He has indicated that he wishes to follow in his father’s footsteps by focusing on global issues. For example, Naruhito has established his want for world peace, and will likely try to bring attention to environmental issues plaguing the world.

“The new emperor sounds like an interesting person,” said Riley Glassing,12. “Hopefully he tires to do good for the world.”

As an actual political figure, the Japanese emperor has no concrete power. Just like other constitutional monarchies of the world, like the United Kingdom or Denmark, the emperor is simply a symbol of the state. The role exists for the unity of the people, as opposed to having any real influence on the political system