Naruhito

Naruhito is the current Emperor of the Empire of Japan and was the Emperor since his father Emperor Akihito's death in 2025.

## History

### Early Life

Naruhito was born on 23 February 1960 at 4:15 p.m. in the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Palace. As a prince, he later quipped, "I was born in a barn inside the moat". His parents, Akihito and Michiko, were then crown prince and crown princess of Japan, while his paternal grandfather, Hirohito, reigned as emperor. Reuters reported that Naruhito's paternal grandmother, Empress Kōjun, had driven her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to depression in the 1960s by persistently accusing Michiko of not being suitable for her son.

Naruhito's childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed activities such as mountain climbing, riding, and learning the violin. He played with the children of the royal chamberlain, and he was a fan of the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League, his favorite player being No. 3, later team manager, Shigeo Nagashima. One day, Naruhito found the remains of an ancient roadway in the palace grounds, sparking a lifelong fascination with the history of transportation, which would provide the subject of his bachelor's and master's degrees in history. He later said, "I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood. On roads you can go to the unknown world. Since I have been leading a life where I have few chances to go out freely, roads are a precious bridge to the unknown world, so to speak."

In August 1974, when the prince was 14, he was sent to Melbourne, Australia, for a homestay. Naruhito's father, then the Crown Prince Akihito, had had a positive experience there on a trip the year before, and encouraged his son to go as well. He stayed with the family of businessman Colin Harper. He got along with his host brothers, riding around Point Lonsdale, playing the violin and tennis, and climbing Uluru together. Once he even played the violin for dignitaries at a state dinner at Government House hosted by Governor-General Sir John Kerr.

### Education

When Naruhito was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushūin school system, where many of Japan's elite families and *narikin* (nouveaux riches) send their children. In senior high, Naruhito joined the geography club.

Naruhito graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters degree in history. In July 1983, Naruhito undertook a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom, where he studied until 1986. Naruhito did not, however, submit his thesis *A Study of Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century* until 1989. He later revisited these years in his book, *The Thames and I – a Memoir of Two Years at Oxford.* He visited some 21 historic pubs, including the Trout Inn. Naruhito joined the Japan Society and the drama society, and became the honorary president of the karate and judo clubs. He played inter-college tennis, seeded number three out of six on the Merton team, and took golf lessons from a pro. In his three years at Merton he also climbed the highest peaks in three of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom: Scotland's Ben Nevis, Wales's Snowdon and Scafell Pike in England.

While at Oxford, Naruhito also was able to go sightseeing across Europe and meet much of its royalty, including the British royal family. The relatively relaxed manners of the United Kingdom's royals amazed him: "Queen Elizabeth II, he noted with surprise, poured her own tea and served the sandwiches." He also went skiing with Liechtenstein's Prince Hans-Adam II, holidayed in Mallorca in the Mediterranean with Spain's King Juan Carlos I, and sailed with Norway's Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Upon his return to Japan, Naruhito enrolled once more in Gakushūin University to earn a Master of Humanities degree in history, successfully earning his degree in 1988.

### Marriage

Naruhito first met Masako Owada (staff working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) at a tea for Infanta Elena of Spain in November 1986, during her studies at the University of Tokyo. The prince was immediately captivated by her, and arranged for them to meet several times over the next few weeks. Because of this, they were pursued relentlessly by the press throughout 1987.

Despite the Imperial Household Agency's disapproval of Masako Owada, and her attending Balliol College, Oxford, for the next two years, Naruhito remained interested in Masako. He proposed to her three times before the Imperial Palace announced their engagement on 19 January 1993. The wedding took place on 9 June the same year at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo before 800 invited guests, including many of Europe's heads of state and royalty.

By the time of their marriage, Naruhito's father had ascended the throne, so Naruhito had been invested as the crown prince with the title **Prince Hiro** (浩宮, *Hiro-no-miya*) on 23 February 1991.

Masako's first pregnancy was announced in December 1999, but she miscarried. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have one daughter, Aiko, Princess Toshi (敬宮愛子内親王, *Toshi-no-miya Aiko Naishinnō*), born 1 December 2001 at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Palace.

### Hobbies and Interests

Naruhito is interested in water policy and water conservation. In March 2003, in his capacity as honorary president of the Third World Water Forum, he delivered a speech at the forum's opening ceremony titled "Waterways Connecting Kyoto and Local Regions". Visiting Mexico in March 2006, he gave the keynote address at the opening ceremony for the Fourth World Water Forum, "Edo and Water Transport". And in December 2007, he gave a commemorative talk at the opening ceremony for the First Asia-Pacific Water Summit, "Humans and Water: From Japan to the Asia-Pacific Region".

Naruhito plays the viola, having switched from the violin because he thought the latter "too much of a leader, too prominent" to suit his musical and personal tastes. He enjoys jogging, hiking, and mountaineering in his spare time.

### Crown Prince

The Crown Prince was a patron of the Japanese Olympic Games Committee. The prince is also a supporter of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and in 2006 attended the 14th Nippon Jamboree, the Japanese national jamboree organized by the Scout Association of Japan. The crown prince has also been an honorary vice-president of the Japanese Red Cross Society since 1994.

### Blackout

Japan was able to recover from the Blackout due to the fact Japan is able to survive stuff like the blackout as Japan had survived as a Feudal Nation for 200 years in Isolation. Naruhtio was able to power the Navy and Armed forces technology due to the fact that they had created the Pendants which were smuggled through California to the Monroe Republic. The Empire had gained many pendants to power their technology in which they were able to start a surge.

### Post Blackout

Naruhito had successfully used a surge to power the Technology of Japan back and helped Japan with the power of the 100 Pendants they had created to help the country recover. Japan had created an Empire to combat China who was planning to expand which is a threat to Japan.