- Category:
- Richest Politicians › Royals
- Net Worth:
- $40 Million
- Birthdate:
- Dec 23, 1933 (90 years old)
- Birthplace:
- Tokyo
- Gender:
- Male
- Profession:
- Statesman
- Nationality:
- Japan
What is Akihito's Net Worth?
Akihito is the former Emperor of Japan. Akihito has a net worth of $40 million. Akihito served as the 125th Emperor of Japan from 1989 until 2019.
Early Life & Education
Akihito was born in the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, on December 23, 1933. He is the eldest son of Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun. At birth, Akihito was the Heir-Apparent of the Chrysanthemum Throne. As a child, he was given the title Prince Tsugu and educated by private tutors before attending elementary and secondary classes at Peers' School from 1940 to 1952.
He and his younger brother were evacuated during the American firebombing raids in 1945. Akihito was tutored in the English language and Western manners by Elizabeth Gray Vining during the Allied occupation of Japan. He later attended Gakushuin University for political science but didn't receive a degree. Akihito completed university education in 1956.
Name
During his reign in Japan, Akihito was never referred to by his given name but "His Majesty the Emperor" or "His Majesty" instead. According to customs, he will be renamed posthumously to Emperor Heisei. Upon his abdication on April 30, 2019, he received the title Emperor Emeritus.
Reign As Emperor
Akihito's Investiture as Crown Prince was held in 1952. He then began to undertake his official duties of the title, and the next year made his first journey overseas to represent Japan at the coronation of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom. He formally acceded to the throne in 1990 following the death of Emperor Hirohito in 1989. He presided over the Heisei era, referring to a period of worldwide peace. During his reign, Akihito was served by 17 prime ministers, beginning with Noboru Takeshita and ending with Shinzo Abe. He always made efforts to try to bring the imperial family closer to the Japanese people and made official visits to all 47 prefectures of the country and to many of the remote islands of Japan.
In 2005, he visited the site of a World War II battle in Saipan and offered prayers and flowers at memorials. He made a historic television appearance in 2011 following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima I nuclear crisis. Akihito has expressed remorse to Asian countries, including China, for their suffering under Japanese occupation. He received many honors over the course of his tenure, including The Royal Society King Charles II Medal and Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan in 1971.
Akihito was succeeded by his eldest son Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, citing age and health issues in April of 2019, establishing the new era of Reiwa. Akihito, at age 89, was the longest-lived verifiable Japanese emperor in history.
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Personal Life
In 2003, Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer. In 2011, he suffered from pneumonia, and in 2012, he underwent successful heart bypass surgery.
Akihito married Michiko Shoda in 1959. The Emperor and Empress have three children together, Naruhito, Fumihito, and Sayako. It was the first imperial wedding televised in Japan, and 15 million viewers tuned in to watch.
Akihito is a published ichthyological researcher and has written papers for scholarly journals.
