Title: Official Function of Emperor Akihito of Japan
Headings: Emperor Akihito
Emperor Akihito
What Does the Current Japanese Emperor Actually Do?
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Content: Official Function of Emperor Akihito of Japan
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The current Emperor of Japan, Akihito. Sean Gallup / Getty Images
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By
Kallie Szczepanski
History Expert
Ph.D., History, Boston University
J.D., University of Washington School of Law
B.A., History, Western Washington University
Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. our editorial process
Kallie Szczepanski
Updated March 17, 2019
From the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the Japanese surrender that ended World War II, the Emperor of Japan was an all-powerful god/king. The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces spent the first half of the twentieth century conquering vast swathes of Asia, fighting the Russians and the Americans, and menacing even Australia and New Zealand. With the country's defeat in 1945, however, Emperor Hirohito was forced to renounce his divine status, as well as all direct political power. Nonetheless, the Chrysanthemum Throne endures. So, what does the current emperor of Japan actually do ? Today, Hirohito's son, Emperor Akihito, sits on the Chrysanthemum Throne.