On April 30, 2019, Japanese Emperor Akihito officially declared his abdication during his speech that he delivered during the state ceremony held at the Imperial Palace on his last day on the throne. Monarch becomes first to step down from Crysantheum Throne in over 200 years Earlier in the day, Akihito reported his abdication in sanctuaries inside the Imperial Palace, including one honouring the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, from whom mythology says the imperial line is descended, and two others for departed emperors and Shinto gods. Emperor Akihito: What you need to know about Japan’s historic abdication. New York Times: Akihito, Emperor of Japan, Says He Will Abdicate in 2019; The era of Emperor Akihito’s reign bears the name “Heisei” and according to custom, he will be renamed “Emperor Heisei” after his death. Thereby, he officially handed over the throne to his son Crown Prince Naruhito. Japanese Emperor Akihito gives a rare public speech while abdicating the Chrysanthemum Throne - the oldest continuous hereditary monarch in the … Emperor Akihito's 2016 address to the nation; Opinion polls showed that the vast majority of Japan sympathised with him, and a year later parliament enacted a law that made his abdication possible. The last abdication occurred 200 years ago when Emperor Kōkaku abdicated in 1817.