Emperor Akihito of Japan will abdicate today, ending Japan's' Heisei 'era, which began on January 8, 1989. So who will be the next emperor of Japan? From 0:00 a.m. local time on May 1, Crown Prince Naruhito will become the new emperor of Japan and change his year name to 'Linghe'.
In 202 years, the emperor of Japan abdicated again
According to reports, Emperor Akihito will attend the abdication ceremony at 5 p.m. local time to mark the end of the Heicheng era. This is 202 years later, the Japanese emperor abdicated again. The last time was the Guangge emperor in the late Edo era. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will attend the abdication ceremony.
In addition to the royal family, about 300 people, including the Prime Minister of Japan's executive, legislative and judicial powers, as well as Japanese cabinet officials and local government representatives, will also attend the abdication ceremony. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will step in front of Emperor Akihito to explain that his abdication is based on the special law passed in June 2017, and express his gratitude to Emperor Akihito on behalf of his people.
After that, Emperor Akihito will give a final speech to the Japanese people, and at about 7:30 pm, he will join Michiko in paying tribute to the royal family and the staff of the palace hall.
According to reports, Emperor Akihito revealed his intention to abdicate in his speech on August 8, 2016. After abdication, he will withdraw from all official activities and become emperor.
At 0:00 on May 1, Crown Prince Naruhito succeeded to the throne and became the first Japanese emperor born after the war. The era of "Pingcheng" which lasted for more than 30 years ended, and its name was changed to "Linghe".
Japanese Imperial Palace strengthens safety maintenance
Divers searched the moat and police dogs went through the woods to sniff suspicious objects at the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo on the 29th.
During the abdication and accession ceremonies, access to the square in front of the palace will be restricted.
An anonymous Japanese police officer said: 'we will strengthen the safety maintenance of the surrounding areas of the Imperial Palace and Akasaka palace and the connecting roads to prevent terrorist attacks and other illegal incidents. '
According to reports, when new Japanese emperor Naruhito, who will soon take over the throne, publicly salutes the public on May 2, thousands of police will be in charge of maintaining security.