Akihito (明仁, Japanese: [akiꜜçi̥to]; English: /ˌækiˈhiːtoʊ/ ⓘ or /ˌɑːk-/; born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th Emperor of Japan from 1989 until his abdication in 2019. He presided over the Heisei (平成) era, Heisei being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.[1] Born in 1933, Akihito is the first son of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. During