Emperor of Japan - wikipedia Emperor of Japan `` Japanese Emperor '' and `` Tennō '' redirect here. For the butterfly, see Sasakia charonda. For other uses, see Tenno ( disambiguation ). Emperor of Japan 天皇 Imperial Imperial Standard Incumbent Akihito since January 7, 1989 Details Style His Imperial Majesty Heir apparent Crown Prince Naruhito First monarch Emperor Jimmu ( mythical ) Formation 660 BC Residence Tokyo Imperial Palace as official residence Website The Imperial Household Agency Japan This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Japan Constitution The Constitution History Laws The Monarchy Emperor ( list ) Akihito Crown Prince Naruhito Imperial House Imperial Household Agency Legislature National Diet House of Representatives Speaker Tadamori Oshima Vice-Speaker Hirotaka Akamatsu House of Councillors President Chuichi Date Vice-President Akira Gunji Leader of the Opposition Yukio Edano Executive Prime Minister ( list ) Shinzō Abe Deputy Prime Minister Tarō Asō Government Cabinet Ministries Administrative Agencies Judiciary Chief Justice ( list ) Itsurō Terada Supreme Court Intellectual Property High Court Administrative Divisions Prefectures Governors ( list ) Subprefectures Districts Municipalities Mergers and Dissolutions Submunicipalities Elections House of Councillors 2007 2013 2016 House of Representatives 2009 2012 2014 2017 Next General Election Political parties Major parties Liberal Democratic Constitutional Democratic Kibō no Tō Other parties Foreign relations Foreign policy Related topics National Police Imperial Guard Special Assault Team Special Investigation Team Self - Defense Force Air Ground Maritime Japan portal Other countries Atlas The Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and the traditional head of state of Japan. According to the 1947 constitution, he is `` the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people '' and he has `` no powers related to government ''. Historically, he was also the highest authority of the Shinto religion. In Japanese, the Emperor is called Tennō ( 天皇 ), which translates to `` heavenly sovereign ''. In English, the use of the term Mikado ( 帝 ) for the Emperor was once common, but is now considered obsolete. Currently, the Emperor of Japan is the only head of state in the world with the English title of `` Emperor ''. The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing monarchical house in the world. The historical origins of the Emperors lie in the late Kofun period of the 5th - 6th centuries AD, but according to the traditional account of the Kojiki ( finished 712 ) and Nihon Shoki ( finished 720 ), Japan was founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu, who was said to be a direct descendant of the sun - goddess Amaterasu. The current Emperor is Akihito. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa ( Hirohito ), in 1989. The Japanese government announced in December 2017 that Akihito will abdicate on 30 April 2019. The role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1192, the Emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, unlike many Western monarchs. Japanese Emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political forces, to varying degrees. In fact, between 1192 and 1867, the shoguns, or their shikken regents in Kamakura ( 1203 -- 1333 ), were the de facto rulers of Japan, although they were nominally appointed by the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1867, the Emperor was the embodiment of all sovereign power in the realm, as enshrined in the Meiji Constitution of 1889. His current status as a figurehead dates from the 1947 Constitution. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Imperial Palace has been called Kyūjō ( 宮城 ), later Kōkyo ( 皇居 ), and is located on the former site of Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo ( the current capital of Japan ). Earlier, Emperors resided in Kyoto ( the ancient capital ) for nearly eleven centuries. The Emperor 's Birthday ( December 23 ) is a national holiday. Contents 1 Role 2 History 2.1 Origin 2.2 Factional control 2.3 Disputes 2.4 Territorial matters 2.5 Shoguns 2.6 Meiji restoration 2.7 World War II 2.8 Current constitution 2.9 Relation to Shinto 2.10 Education 3 Addressing and naming 3.1 Origin of the title 4 Marriage traditions 5 Burial traditions 6 Succession 6.1 Current status 7 See also 8 References 8.1 Citations 8.2 Sources 9 External links Role The Emperor is effectively the ceremonial head of state but not the Chief Executive. Article 65 of the Constitution explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader. The Emperor is also not the commander - in - chief of the Japan Self - Defense Forces. The Japan Self - Defense Forces Act of 1954 also explicitly vests this role with the Prime Minister. The Emperor 's powers are limited only to important ceremonial functions. Article 4 of the Constitution stipulates that the Emperor `` shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in the Constitution and he shall not have powers related to government. '' It also stipulates that `` the advice and approval of the Cabinet shall be required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state '' ( Article 3 ). Article 4 also states that these duties can be delegated by His majesty as provided for by law. While the Emperor formally appoints the Prime Minister to office, Article 6 of the Constitution requires him to appoint the candidate `` as designated by the Diet '', without giving the Emperor the right to decline appointment. Article 6 of the Constitution delegates the Emperor the following ceremonial roles : Appointment of the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet. Appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as designated by the Cabinet. The Emperor 's other duties are laid down in article 7 of the Constitution, where it is stated that the `` Emperor with the advice and approval of the Cabinet, shall perform the following acts in matters of state on behalf of the people '' : Promulgation of amendments of the constitution, laws, cabinet orders, and treaties. Convocation of the Diet. Dissolution of the House of Representatives. Proclamation of general election of members of the Diet. Attestation of the appointment and dismissal of Ministers of State and other officials as provided for by law, and of full powers and credentials of Ambassadors and Ministers. Attestation of general and special amnesty, commutation of punishment, reprieve, and restoration of rights. Awarding of honors. Attestation of instruments of ratification and other diplomatic documents as provided for by law. Receiving foreign ambassadors and ministers. Performance of ceremonial functions. Regular ceremonies of the Emperor with a constitutional basis are the Imperial Investitures ( Shinninshiki ) in the Tokyo Imperial Palace and the Speech from the Throne ceremony in the House of Councillors in the National Diet Building. The latter ceremony opens ordinary and extra sessions of the Diet. Ordinary sessions are opened each January and also after new elections to the House of Representatives. Extra sessions usually convene in the autumn and are opened then. History Although the Emperor has been a symbol of continuity with the past, the degree of power exercised by the Emperor has varied considerably throughout Japanese history. In the early 7th century, the Emperor had begun to be called the `` Son of Heaven '' ( 天子, tenshi, or 天子 様 tenshi - sama ). Origin See also : List of Emperors of Japan The title of Emperor was borrowed from China, being derived from Chinese characters and was retroactively applied to the legendary Japanese rulers who reigned prior to the 7th -- 8th centuries AD. According to the traditional account of the Nihon Shoki, Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu in 660 BC. Modern historians agree that the Emperors prior to the possible late 3rd century AD ruler known traditionally as Emperor Ōjin are legendary. Emperor Ankō of the 5th century AD, traditionally the 20th emperor, is the earliest generally agreed upon historical ruler of all or a part of Japan. The reign of Emperor Kinmei ( c. 509 -- 571 AD ), the 29th emperor, is the first for which contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates ; however, the conventionally accepted names and dates of the early emperors were not to be confirmed as `` traditional '' until the reign of Emperor Kanmu ( 737 -- 806 ), the 50th sovereign of the Yamato dynasty. Archaeological information about the earliest historical rulers of Japan may lie within the ancient tombs known as kofun, built in the 4th - 5th centuries AD. However, since the Meiji period, the Imperial Household Agency has refused to open the kofun to the public nor to archaeologists, citing their desire not to disturb the spirits of the past Emperors. In December 2006, the Imperial Household Agency reversed its position and decided to allow researchers to enter some of the kofun with no restrictions. Factional control There have been six non-imperial families who have controlled Japanese emperors : the Soga ( 530s -- 645 ), the Fujiwara ( 850s -- 1070 ), the Taira ( 1159 - 1180s ), the Minamoto ( and Kamakura bakufu ) ( 1192 -- 1333 ), the Ashikaga ( 1336 -- 1565 ), and the Tokugawa ( 1603 -- 1867 ). However, every shogun from the Minamoto, Ashikaga, and Tokugawa families had to be officially recognized by the Emperors, who were still the source of sovereignty, although they could not exercise their powers independently from the Shogunate. Disputes The growth of the samurai class from the 10th century gradually weakened the power of the imperial family over the realm, leading to a time of instability. Emperors have been known to come into conflict with the reigning shogun from time to time. Some instances, such as Emperor Go - Toba 's 1221 rebellion against the Kamakura shogunate and the 1336 Kenmu Restoration under Emperor Go - Daigo, show the power struggle between the imperial court and the military governments of Japan. Territorial matters Until recent centuries, Japan 's territory did not include several remote regions of its modern - day territory. The name `` Nippon '' came into use only many centuries after the start of the current imperial line. Centralized government only began to appear shortly before and during the time of Prince Shōtoku ( 572 -- 622 ). The Emperor was more like a revered embodiment of divine harmony than the head of an actual governing administration. In Japan, it has always been easy for ambitious lords to hold actual power, as such positions have not been inherently contradictory to the Emperor 's position. The parliamentary government today continues a similar coexistence with the Emperor as have various shoguns, regents, warlords, guardians, etc. Historically the titles of Tennō in Japanese have never included territorial designations as is the case with many European monarchs. The position of Emperor is a territory - independent phenomenon -- the Emperor is the Emperor, even if he has followers only in one province ( as was the case sometimes with the southern and northern courts ). Shoguns From 1192 to 1867, sovereignty of the state was exercised by the shoguns, or their shikken regents ( 1203 -- 1333 ), whose authority was conferred by Imperial warrant. When Portuguese explorers first came into contact with the Japanese ( see Nanban period ), they described Japanese conditions in analogy, likening the Emperor with great symbolic authority but little political power, to the Pope, and the Shogun to secular European rulers ( e.g., the Holy Roman Emperor ). In keeping with the analogy, they even used the term `` Emperor '' in reference to the shogun and their regent, e.g. in the case of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whom missionaries called `` Emperor Taico - sama '' ( from Taikō and the honorific sama ). Meiji Restoration Main article : Meiji Restoration After the United States Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry 's Black Ships forcibly opened Japan to foreign trade, and the shogunate proved incapable of hindering the `` barbarian '' interlopers, the Emperor Kōmei began to assert himself politically. By the early 1860s, the relationship between the imperial court and the Shogunate was changing radically. Disaffected domains and rōnin began to rally to the call of sonnō jōi ( `` revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians '' ). The domains of Satsuma and Chōshū, historic enemies of the Tokugawa, used this turmoil to unite their forces and won an important military victory outside of Kyoto against Tokugawa forces. In 1868, imperial `` restoration '' was declared, and the Shogunate was dissolved. A new constitution described the Emperor as `` the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty '', whose rights included to sanction and promulgate laws, to execute them and to exercise `` supreme command of the Army and the Navy ''. The liaison conference created in 1893 also made the Emperor the leader of the Imperial General Headquarters. World War II The role of the Emperor as head of the State Shinto religion was exploited during the war, creating an Imperial cult that led to kamikaze bombers and other fanaticism. This in turn led to the requirement in the Potsdam Declaration for the elimination `` for all time ( of ) the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest ''. In State Shinto, the Emperor was believed to be a Arahitogami ( a living god ). Following Japan 's surrender, the Allies issued the Shinto Directive separating church and state within Japan. Current Constitution The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights. Under its terms, the Emperor of Japan is `` the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people '' and exercises a purely ceremonial role without the possession of sovereignty. The constitution, also known as the `` Constitution of Japan '' ( 日本 国 憲法, Nihonkoku - Kenpō, formerly written 日本 國 憲法 ( same pronunciation ) ), `` Postwar Constitution '' ( 戦後 憲法, Sengo - Kenpō ) or the `` Peace Constitution '' ( 平和 憲法, Heiwa - Kenpō ), was drawn up under the Allied occupation that followed World War II and was intended to replace Japan 's previous militaristic and quasi-absolute monarchy system with a form of liberal democracy. Currently, it is a rigid document and no subsequent amendment has been made to it since its adoption. Relation to Shinto In Japanese mythology, according to Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the Emperor and his family are said to be direct descendants of the sun - goddess Amaterasu. During World War II, the role of the Emperor as head of the Shinto religion was exploited, which resulted in the creation of State Shinto and an Imperial cult. Following the end of the Second World War, the Allies issued the Shinto Directive which abolished the state support for the Shinto religion, leading to the Humanity Declaration of the incumbent Emperor which refuted the idea that the Emperor is a living divine being, and dismissed the importance of `` myths and legends '' for the Emperor 's status. However, the Emperors have continued to perform many traditional ceremonies privately. Education The Emperors traditionally had an education officer. In recent times, Emperor Taishō had Count Nogi Maresuke, Emperor Shōwa had Marshal - Admiral Marquis Tōgō Heihachirō, and Emperor Akihito had Elizabeth Gray Vining as well as Shinzō Koizumi as their tutors. Addressing and naming There are two Japanese words equivalent to the English word `` Emperor '' : tennō ( 天皇, lit. `` heavenly sovereign '' ), which is used exclusively to refer to the Emperor of Japan, and kōtei ( 皇帝, the title used for all other foreign Emperors ), which is used primarily to describe non-Japanese Emperors. Sumeramikoto ( lit. `` the Imperial person '' ) was also used in Old Japanese. The term tennō was used by the Emperors up until the Middle Ages ; then, following a period of disuse, it was used again from the 19th century. In English, the term mikado ( 御門 or 帝 or みかど ), literally meaning `` the honorable gate '' ( i.e. the gate of the imperial palace, which indicates the person who lives in and possesses the palace ), was once used ( as in The Mikado, a 19th - century operetta ), but this term is now obsolete. ( Compare Sublime Porte, an old term for the Ottoman government. ) Traditionally, the Japanese considered it disrespectful to call any person by his given name, and more so for a person of noble rank. This convention is only slightly relaxed in the modern age and it is still inadvisable among friends to use the given name, use of the family name being the common form of address. In the case of the imperial family, it is considered extremely inappropriate to use the given name. Since Emperor Meiji, it has been customary to have one era per Emperor and to rename each Emperor after his death using the name of the era over which he presided. Prior to Emperor Meiji, the names of the eras were changed more frequently, and the posthumous names of the Emperors were chosen in a different manner. Play media The Emperor of Japan giving a New Year 's address to the people in 2010 Outside Japan, beginning with Emperor Shōwa, the Emperors are often referred to by their given names, both whilst alive and posthumously. For example, the previous Emperor is usually called Hirohito in English, although he was never referred to as Hirohito in Japan, and was renamed Shōwa Tennō after his death, which is the only name that Japanese speakers currently use when referring to him. The current Emperor on the throne is typically referred to by the title Tennō Heika ( 天皇 陛下, `` His ( Imperial ) Majesty the Emperor '' ), Kinjō Heika ( 今 上 陛下, `` His Current Majesty '' ) or simply Tennō, when speaking Japanese. The current Emperor will be renamed Daijō Tennō ( 太 上 天皇, Retired Emperor ), often shortened to Jōkō ( 上皇 ), upon his planned retirement on 30 April 2019, and renamed Heisei Tennō ( 平成 天皇 ) after his death and will then be referred to exclusively by that name in Japanese. Non-Japanese speakers will continue to reference him as Emperor Akihito. In Japanese culture, it is considered a major faux pas to refer to a living Emperor by his posthumous name, although the posthumous name is the same as the era, which is used in official documents. Origin of the title Originally, the ruler of Japan was known as either 大和 大王 / 大 君 ( Yamato - ōkimi, Grand King of Yamato ), 倭 王 / 倭国 王 ( Wa - ō / Wakoku - ō, King of Wa, used externally ) or 治 天下 大王 ( Ame - no - shita shiroshimesu ōkimi or Sumera no mikoto, Grand King who rules all under heaven, used internally ) in Japanese and Chinese sources prior to the 7th century. The oldest documented use of the word `` Tennō '' is on a wooden slat, or mokkan, that was unearthed in Asuka - mura, Nara Prefecture in 1998 and dated back to the reign of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Marriage traditions The current empress, Michiko Throughout history, Japanese Emperors and noblemen appointed the position of chief wife, rather than just keeping a harem or an assortment of female attendants. The Japanese imperial dynasty consistently practiced official polygamy, a practice that only ended in the Taishō period ( 1912 -- 1926 ). Besides the Empress, the Emperor could take, and nearly always took, several secondary consorts ( `` concubines '' ) of various hierarchical degrees. Concubines were allowed also to other dynasts ( Shinnōke, Ōke ). After a decree by Emperor Ichijō, some Emperors even had two empresses simultaneously ( kōgō and chūgū are the two separate titles for that situation ). With the help of all this polygamy, the imperial clan thus was capable of producing more offspring. ( Sons by secondary consorts were usually recognized as imperial princes, too, and could be recognized as heir to the throne if the empress did not give birth to an heir. ) Of the eight female Tennō ( reigning empresses ) of Japan, none married or gave birth after ascending the throne. Some of them, being widows, had produced children prior to their reigns. In the succession, children of the empress were preferred over sons of secondary consorts. Thus it was significant which quarters had preferential opportunities in providing chief wives to imperial princes, i.e. supplying future empresses. Apparently, the oldest tradition of official marriages within the imperial dynasty were marriages between dynasty members, even half - siblings or uncle and niece. Such marriages were deemed to preserve better the imperial blood or were aimed at producing children symbolic of a reconciliation between two branches of the imperial dynasty. Daughters of others remained concubines, until Emperor Shōmu ( 701 - 706 ) -- in what was specifically reported as the first elevation of its kind -- elevated his Fujiwara consort Empress Kōmyō to chief wife. Japanese monarchs have been, as much as others elsewhere, dependent on making alliances with powerful chiefs and other monarchs. Many such alliances were sealed by marriages. The specific feature in Japan has been the fact that these marriages have been soon incorporated as elements of tradition which controlled the marriages of later generations, though the original practical alliance had lost its real meaning. A repeated pattern has been an imperial son - in - law under the influence of his powerful non-imperial father - in - law. Beginning from the 7th and 8th centuries, Emperors primarily took women of the Fujiwara clan as their highest wives -- the most probable mothers of future monarchs. This was cloaked as a tradition of marriage between heirs of two kami ( Shinto deities ) : descendants of Amaterasu with descendants of the family kami of the Fujiwara. ( Originally, the Fujiwara were descended from relatively minor nobility, thus their kami is an unremarkable one in the Japanese myth world. ) To produce imperial children, heirs of the nation, with two - side descent from the two kami, was regarded as desirable -- or at least it suited powerful Fujiwara lords, who thus received preference in the imperial marriage market. The reality behind such marriages was an alliance between an imperial prince and a Fujiwara lord, his father - in - law or grandfather, the latter with his resources supporting the prince to the throne and most often controlling the government. These arrangements created the tradition of regents ( Sesshō and Kampaku ), with these positions held only by a Fujiwara sekke lord. Earlier, the Emperors had married women from families of the government - holding Soga lords, and women of the imperial clan itself, i.e. various - degree cousins and often even their own sisters ( half - sisters ). Several imperials of the 5th and 6th centuries such as Prince Shōtoku were children of half - sibling couples. These marriages often were alliance or succession devices : the Soga lord ensured his domination of a prince who would be put on the throne as a puppet ; or a prince ensured the combination of two imperial descents, to strengthen his own and his children 's claim to the throne. Marriages were also a means to seal a reconciliation between two imperial branches. After a couple of centuries, Emperors could no longer take anyone from outside such families as primary wife, no matter what the expediency of such a marriage and power or wealth brought by such might have been. Only very rarely did a prince ascend the throne whose mother was not descended from the approved families. The earlier necessity and expediency had mutated into a strict tradition that did not allow for current expediency or necessity, but only dictated that daughters of a restricted circle of families were eligible brides, because they had produced eligible brides for centuries. Tradition had become more forceful than law. Fujiwara women were often Empresses, and concubines came from less exalted noble families. In the last thousand years, sons of an imperial male and a Fujiwara woman have been preferred in the succession. The five Fujiwara families, Ichijō, Kujō, Nijō, Konoe, and Takatsukasa, were the primary source of imperial brides from the 8th century to the 19th century, even more often than daughters of the imperial clan itself. Fujiwara daughters were thus the usual empresses and mothers of Emperors. This restriction on brides for the Emperor and crown prince was made explicit in the Meiji - era Imperial House Law of 1889. A clause stipulated that daughters of Sekke ( the five main branches of the higher Fujiwara ) and daughters of the imperial clan itself were primarily acceptable brides. The law was repealed in the aftermath of World War II. The present Emperor, Akihito, became the first crown prince for over a thousand years to marry a consort from outside the previously eligible circle. Burial traditions Entrance of the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachiōji, Tokyo During the Kofun period, so - called `` archaic funerals '' were held for the dead Emperors, but only the funerary rites from the end of the period, which the chronicles describe in more detail, are known. They were centered around the rite of the mogari ( 殯 ), a provisional depository between death and permanent burial. Empress Jitō was the first Japanese imperial personage to be cremated ( in 703 ). After that, with a few exceptions, all Emperors were cremated up to the Edo period. For the next 350 years, in - ground burial became the favoured funeral custom. In 2013, the Imperial Household Agency announced that Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko would be cremated after they die. Until 1912, the Emperors of Japan were usually buried in Kyoto. From the Taishō Emperor onward, the Emperors have been buried at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Tokyo. Succession Tokyo Imperial Palace The Japanese imperial dynasty bases its position in the expression that it has `` reigned since time immemorial '' ( 万世 一 系 bansei ikkei ). It is true that its origins are buried in the mists of time : there are no records of any Emperor who was not said to have been a descendant of other, yet earlier Emperors. There is suspicion that Emperor Keitai ( c. 500 AD ) may have been an unrelated outsider, though the sources state that he was a male - line descendant of Emperor Ōjin. However, his descendants, including his successors, were according to records descended from at least one and probably several imperial princesses of the older lineage. The tradition built by those legends has chosen to recognize just the putative male ancestry as valid for legitimizing his succession, not giving any weight to ties through the said princesses. Millennia ago, the Japanese imperial family developed its own peculiar system of hereditary succession. It has been non-primogenitural, more or less agnatic, based mostly on rotation. Today, Japan uses strict agnatic primogeniture, which was adopted from Prussia, by which Japan was greatly influenced in the 1870s. The controlling principles and their interaction were apparently very complex and sophisticated, leading to even idiosyncratic outcomes. Some chief principles apparent in the succession have been : Women were allowed to succeed ( but there existed no known children of theirs whose father did not also happen to be an agnate of the imperial house, thus there is neither a precedent that a child of an imperial woman with a non-imperial man could inherit, nor a precedent forbidding it for children of empresses ). However, female accession was clearly much more rare than male. Adoption was possible and a much used way to increase the number of succession - entitled heirs ( however, the adopted child had to be a child of another member agnate of the imperial house ). Abdication was used very often, and in fact occurred more often than death on the throne. In those days, the Emperor 's chief task was priestly ( or godly ), containing so many repetitive rituals that it was deemed that after a service of around ten years, the incumbent deserved pampered retirement as an honored former Emperor. Primogeniture was not used -- rather, in the early days, the imperial house practiced something resembling a system of rotation. Very often a brother ( or sister ) followed the elder sibling even in the case of the predecessor leaving children. The `` turn '' of the next generation came more often after several individuals of the senior generation. Rotation went often between two or more of the branches of the imperial house, thus more or less distant cousins succeeded each other. Emperor Go - Saga even decreed an official alternation between heirs of his two sons, which system continued for a couple of centuries ( leading finally to shogun - induced ( or utilized ) strife between these two branches, the `` southern '' and `` northern '' Emperors ). Towards the end, the alternates were very distant cousins counted in degrees of male descent ( but all that time, intermarriages occurred within the imperial house, thus they were close cousins if female ties are counted ). During the past five hundred years, however, probably due to Confucian influence, inheritance by sons -- but not always, or even most often, the eldest son has been the norm. Historically, the succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne has always passed to descendants in male line from the imperial lineage. Generally, they have been males, though of the over one hundred monarchs there have been nine women ( one pre-historical and eight historical ) as Emperor on eleven occasions. Over a thousand years ago, a tradition started that an Emperor should ascend relatively young. A dynast who had passed his toddler years was regarded suitable and old enough. Reaching the age of legal majority was not a requirement. Thus, a multitude of Japanese Emperors have ascended as children, as young as 6 or 8 years old. The high - priestly duties were deemed possible for a walking child. A reign of around ten years was regarded a sufficient service. Being a child was apparently a fine property, to better endure tedious duties and to tolerate subjugation to political power - brokers, as well as sometimes to cloak the truly powerful members of the imperial dynasty. Almost all Japanese empresses and dozens of Emperors abdicated, and lived the rest of their lives in pampered retirement, wielding influence behind the scenes. Several Emperors abdicated to their entitled retirement while still in their teens. These traditions show in Japanese folklore, theater, literature, and other forms of culture, where the Emperor is usually described or depicted as an adolescent. Before the Meiji Restoration, Japan had eleven reigns of reigning empresses, all of them daughters of the male line of the Imperial House. None ascended purely as a wife or as a widow of an Emperor. Imperial daughters and granddaughters, however, usually ascended the throne as a sort of a `` stop gap '' measure -- if a suitable male was not available or some imperial branches were in rivalry so that a compromise was needed. Over half of Japanese empresses and many Emperors abdicated once a suitable male descendant was considered to be old enough to rule ( just past toddlerhood, in some cases ). Four empresses, Empress Suiko, Empress Kōgyoku ( also Empress Saimei ), and Empress Jitō, as well as the mythical Empress Jingū, were widows of deceased Emperors and princesses of the blood imperial in their own right. One, Empress Genmei, was the widow of a crown prince and a princess of the blood imperial. The other four, Empress Genshō, Empress Kōken ( also Empress Shōtoku ), Empress Meishō, and Empress Go - Sakuramachi, were unwed daughters of previous Emperors. None of these empresses married or gave birth after ascending the throne. Article 2 of the Meiji Constitution ( the Constitution of the Empire of Japan ) stated, `` The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by imperial male descendants, according to the provisions of the Imperial House Law. '' The 1889 Imperial Household Law fixed the succession on male descendants of the imperial line, and specifically excluded female descendants from the succession. In the event of a complete failure of the main line, the throne would pass to the nearest collateral branch, again in the male line. If the Empress did not give birth to an heir, the Emperor could take a concubine, and the son he had by that concubine would be recognized as heir to the throne. This law, which was promulgated on the same day as the Meiji Constitution, enjoyed co-equal status with that constitution. Article 2 of the Constitution of Japan, promulgated in 1947 by influence of the U.S. occupation administration, provides that `` The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial Household Law passed by the Diet. '' The Imperial Household Law of 1947, enacted by the ninety - second and last session of the Imperial Diet, retained the exclusion on female dynasts found in the 1889 law. The government of Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru hastily cobbled together the legislation to bring the Imperial Household in compliance with the American - written Constitution of Japan that went into effect in May 1947. In an effort to control the size of the imperial family, the law stipulates that only legitimate male descendants in the male line can be dynasts ; that imperial princesses lose their status as Imperial Family members if they marry outside the Imperial Family ; and that the Emperor and other members of the Imperial Family may not adopt children. It also prevented branches, other than the branch descending from Taishō, from being imperial princes any longer. Current status Main article : Line of succession to the Japanese throne Succession is now regulated by laws passed by the National Diet. The current law excludes women from the succession. A change to this law had been considered until Princess Kiko gave birth to a son. Until the birth of Prince Hisahito, son of Prince Akishino, on September 6, 2006, there was a potential succession problem, since Prince Akishino was the only male child to be born into the imperial family since 1965. Following the birth of Princess Aiko, there was public debate about amending the current Imperial Household Law to allow women to succeed to the throne. In January 2005, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed a special panel composed of judges, university professors, and civil servants to study changes to the Imperial Household Law and to make recommendations to the government. The panel dealing with the succession issue recommended on October 25, 2005 amending the law to allow females of the male line of imperial descent to ascend the Japanese throne. On January 20, 2006, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi devoted part of his annual keynote speech to the controversy, pledging to submit a bill allowing women to ascend the throne to ensure that the succession continues in the future in a stable manner. Shortly after the announcement that Princess Kiko was pregnant with her third child, Koizumi suspended such plans. Her son, Prince Hisahito, is the third in line to the throne under the current law of succession. On January 3, 2007, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced that he would drop the proposal to alter the Imperial Household Law. See also Japan portal Monarchy portal Reigning Emperor Daijō Tennō ( Retired Emperor of Japan ) List of Emperors of Japan Japanese imperial family tree Sacred king Chrysanthemum taboo Japanese official state car Japanese Air Force One Japanese honors system State Shinto Divine right of kings References Citations ^ Jump up to : Kanʼichi Asakawa. The early institutional life of Japan : a study in the reform of 645 A.D.. Tokyo : Shueisha ( 1903 ), p. 25. `` We purposely avoid, in spite of its wide usage in foreign literature, the misleading term Mikado. If it be not for the natural curiosity of the races, which always seeks something novel and loves to call foreign things by foreign names, it is hard to understand why this obsolete and ambiguous word should so sedulously be retained. It originally meant not only the Sovereign, but also his house, the court, and even the State, and its use in historical writings causes many difficulties which it is unnecessary to discuss here in detail. The native Japanese employ the term neither in speech nor in writing. It might as well be dismissed with great advantage from sober literature as it has been for the official documents. '' Jump up ^ `` Japan desperate for male heir to oldest monarchy ''. London : independent.co.uk. March 1, 1996. Retrieved June 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Kinsley, David ( 1989 ). The goddesses ' mirror : visions of the divine from East and West. Albany : State University of New York Press. pp. 80 -- 90. ISBN 9780887068355. Jump up ^ `` Amaterasu ''. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 October 2017. Jump up ^ Enjoji, Kaori ( December 1, 2017 ). `` Japan Emperor Akihito to abdicate on April 30, 2019 ''. CNN. Toyko. Retrieved December 1, 2017. Jump up ^ The formal investiture of the Prime Minister in 2010, the opening of the ordinary session of the Diet in January 2012 and the opening of an extra session of the Diet in the autumn of 2011. The 120th anniversary of the Diet was commemorarated with a special ceremony in the House of Councillors in November 2010, when also the Empress and the Prince and Princess Akishino were present. Jump up ^ Boscaro, Adriana ; Gatti, Franco ; Raveri, Massimo, eds. ( 2003 ). Rethinking Japan : Social Sciences, Ideology and Thought. II. Japan Library Limited. p. 300. ISBN 0 - 904404 - 79 - X. Jump up ^ Charles Holcombe ( January 2001 ). The Genesis of East Asia : 221 B.C. -- A.D. 907. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 198 --. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8248 - 2465 - 5. Jump up ^ Kelly, Charles F. `` Kofun Culture '', Japanese Archaeology. 27 April 2009. Jump up ^ Titsingh, pp. 34 -- 36 ; Brown, pp. 261 -- 262 ; Varley, pp. 123 -- 124. Jump up ^ Hoye, Timothy. ( 1999 ). Japanese Politics : Fixed and Floating Worlds, p. 78 ; excerpt, `` According to legend, the first Japanese emperor was Jinmu. Along with the next 13 emperors, Jinmu is not considered an actual, historical figure. Historically verifiable Emperors of Japan date from the early sixth century with Kinmei. Jump up ^ Aston, William. ( 1896 ). Nihongi, pp. 109. Jump up ^ 役員 、 総代 として の 基礎 知識 全国 神社 総代 会 編集 発行 「 改訂 神社 役員 、 総代 必携 」 ( in Japanese ) Jump up ^ `` The Ritual Ceremonies of the Imperial Palace - The Imperial Household Agency ''. www.kunaicho.go.jp. Retrieved 22 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` List of main ritual ceremonies of the Imperial Palace - The Imperial Household Agency ''. www.kunaicho.go.jp. Retrieved 22 September 2017. Jump up ^ Screech, ( 2006 ). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns : Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779 -- 1822, p. 232 n4. ^ Jump up to : François Macé. `` The Funerals of the Japanese Emperors ''. Jump up ^ `` Emperor, Empress plan to be cremated ''. The Japan Times. Retrieved November 21, 2013. Jump up ^ Seidensticker, Edward. ( 1990 ). Tokyo Rising, p. 20. Jump up ^ Martin, Alex, `` Imperial law revisited as family shrinks, Emperor ages '', Japan Times, December 16, 2011, p. 3. Jump up ^ `` Report : Japan to drop plan to allow female monarch ''. USA Today. McLean, VA : Gannett. The Associated Press. January 3, 2007. ISSN 0734 - 7456. Retrieved October 20, 2011. Sources Asakawa, Kan'ichi ( 1903 ). The Early Institutional Life of Japan. Tokyo : Shueisha. OCLC 4427686 ; see online, multi-formatted, full - text book at openlibrary.org Screech, Timon ( 2006 ). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns : Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779 -- 1822. London : RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0 - 7007 - 1720 - X ; ISBN 978 - 0 - 7007 - 1720 - 0. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` article name needed ''. Encyclopædia Britannica ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emperors of Japan. Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Mikado. The Imperial Household Agency List of the Emperors, accompanied with the regents and shoguns during their reign and a genealogical tree of the imperial family The Emperor of Japan, explanation of the title of Emperor in the context of western terminology Japan opens imperial tombs for research Emperor of Japan 's New Year Address 2017 ( YouTube ) Links to related articles Japanese monarchs Italics mark imperial consort and regent Jingū, who is not traditionally listed. Years given as CE / AD Legendary Jimmu Suizei Annei Itoku Kōshō Kōan Kōrei Kōgen Kaika Sujin Suinin Keikō Seimu Chūai Jingū Kofun Ōjin Nintoku Richū Hanzei Ingyō Ankō Yūryaku Seinei Kenzō Ninken Buretsu Keitai Ankan Senka Asuka 552 -- 710 Kinmei Bidatsu Yōmei Sushun Suiko Jomei Kōgyoku Kōtoku Saimei Tenji Kōbun Tenmu Jitō Monmu Genmei Nara 710 -- 794 Genmei Genshō Shōmu Kōken Junnin Shōtoku Kōnin Kanmu Heian 794 -- 1185 Kanmu Heizei Saga Junna Ninmyō Montoku Seiwa Yōzei Kōkō Uda Daigo Suzaku Murakami Reizei En'yū Kazan Ichijō Sanjō Go - Ichijō Go - Suzaku Go - Reizei Go - Sanjō Shirakawa Horikawa Toba Sutoku Konoe Go - Shirakawa Nijō Rokujō Takakura Antoku Go - Toba Kamakura 1185 -- 1333 Tsuchimikado Juntoku Chūkyō Go - Horikawa Shijō Go - Saga Go - Fukakusa Kameyama Go - Uda Fushimi Go - Fushimi Go - Nijō Hanazono Go - Daigo Northern Court 1333 -- 1392 Kōgon Kōmyō Sukō Go - Kōgon Go - En'yū Go - Komatsu Muromachi 1333 -- 1573 Go - Murakami Chōkei Go - Kameyama Go - Komatsu Shōkō Go - Hanazono Go - Tsuchimikado Go - Kashiwabara Go - Nara Ōgimachi Azuchi - Momoyama 1573 -- 1603 Ōgimachi Go - Yōzei Edo 1603 -- 1868 Go - Yōzei Go - Mizunoo Meishō Go - Kōmyō Go - Sai Reigen Higashiyama Nakamikado Sakuramachi Momozono Go - Sakuramachi Go - Momozono Kōkaku Ninkō Kōmei Meiji Empire of Japan 1868 -- 1947 Meiji Taishō Shōwa Japan ( Post-war Japan ) 1947 -- present Shōwa Akihito ( Heisei period ; Reigning Emperor ) Imperial family tree Imperial house List Category Book Japan articles History Chronology Prehistory Paleolithic Ancient history Jōmon Yayoi Kofun Antiquity history Asuka Nara Heian Post-antiquity history Kamakura Muromachi Azuchi -- Momoyama Edo Modern history Bakumatsu Empire of Japan Meiji Taishō Shōwa Post-war Post-occupation Heisei By topic Economic Education Military Naval Imperial Army Imperial Navy Overseas actions Geography Addresses Archipelago Cities Districts Earthquakes Environment Extreme points Islands Lakes Prefectures Regions Rivers Towns Villages Politics Constitution Pre-war Elections Emperor list Foreign relations Human rights LGBT Judiciary Law Law enforcement National Diet House of Councillors House of Representatives Political parties Self - Defense Forces Air Ground Maritime Government Cabinet Fiscal policy Foreign policy Ministries Prime Minister list Deputy Prime Minister Economy Agriculture, forestry, fishing Central bank International rankings Labor Manufacturing Energy solar power Telecommunications Transport Yen Society Crime Demographics Education Etiquette Gambling Housing Languages Religion Sexuality Smoking Women Kyariaūman Culture Aesthetics Anime / Manga Architecture Art Bonsai Cinema Cuisine Festivals Folklore folktales Gardens Geisha Games Ikebana Kawaii Literature Martial arts Media Music Mythology Names Onsen / Sentō Sport Tea ceremony Television Theatre Japan portal Category Heads of state of the Group of 20 Macri Elizabeth II ( Governor - General : Cosgrove ) Temer Elizabeth II ( Governor General : Payette ) Xi Tusk Macron Steinmeier Kovind Jokowi Mattarella Akihito Peña Nieto Putin Salman Zuma Moon Erdoğan Elizabeth II Trump LCCN : sh85069411 GND : 4232704 - 0 NDL : 00572851 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emperor_of_Japan&oldid=818855677 '' Categories : Deified people History of Japan Japanese emperors Japanese nationalism Japanese Shintoists Ceremonial heads of state 7th - century BC establishments 660 BC Hidden categories : Articles with Japanese - language external links Use mdy dates from January 2015 Articles containing Japanese - language text Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2011 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2007 Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with no article parameter Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Afrikaans Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bahasa Banjar Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Bikol Central Català Cebuano Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Íslenska Italiano עברית Къарачай - малкъар ქართული Latina Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Lumbaart Magyar Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 文言 吴语 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 6 January 2018, at 00 : 17. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the emperor's role in japan
Answer: "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people"