Japan’s 85-year-old monarch retiring as the people’s Emperor

On Tuesday, Emperor Akihito will abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne — the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world — becoming the first Japanese monarch in modern history to do so. His son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, will be inaugurated as the 126th emperor the next day, ushering in the Reiwa era.

The much-loved Emperor Akihito will be remembered for connecting with his public in a way that no other Japanese monarch has done and expressing “deep remorse” for the country’s actions during World War II.