Akihito, << ah kih HEE toh >> (1933-…), was emperor of Japan from 1989 until 2019. He became emperor upon the death of his father, Hirohito (see Hirohito ). Heisei was chosen as Akihito’s reign name, and he is known as the Heisei Emperor.
Akihito was born on Dec. 23, 1933, in Tokyo. He spent his early years in the rigid seclusion that had been preferred by tradition for sacred emperors. After World War II (1939-1945) ended, the life of Japan’s imperial family changed. Akihito studied with an American tutor, Elizabeth Gray Vining. In 1953, he toured the West. His marriage to a commoner, Michiko Shoda, in 1959 was considered symbolic of Japan’s new democracy. The couple had two sons and a daughter. In December 2017, Akihito announced plans to retire in April 2019. He abdicated (gave up the throne) on April 30, 2019. His elder son, Naruhito , became emperor on May 1.
