On Tuesday, Emperor Akihito of Japan stepped down in the first abdication of the Chrysanthemum Throne in 200 years. His son Naruhito will be installed atop the world’s oldest monarchy the next day. In Episode 3 of this series, Naruhito persuaded a reluctant diplomat named Masako to marry him. Their story continues here. The Asahi Shimbun had the scoop. On the morning of Dec. 10, 1999, Japan’s No.
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