What is Akihito's Net Worth?
Akihito, the former Emperor of Japan, has an impressive net worth of $40 million. He served as the 125th Emperor of Japan from 1989 until his abdication in 2019.
Early Life & Education
Born on December 23, 1933, in the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Akihito is the eldest son of Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun. As the Heir-Apparent, he was given the title Prince Tsugu and received education from private tutors before attending Peers' School from 1940 to 1952.
During the American firebombing raids in 1945, Akihito and his younger brother were evacuated. During the Allied occupation of Japan, Elizabeth Gray Vining tutored him in English and Western manners. Although he attended Gakushuin University for political science, he did not obtain a degree, completing his university education in 1956.
Name
During his reign, Akihito was referred to as "His Majesty the Emperor" or simply "His Majesty." Following his abdication on April 30, 2019, he was titled Emperor Emeritus. Posthumously, he will be known as Emperor Heisei according to traditional customs.
Reign As Emperor
Following his Investiture as Crown Prince in 1952, Akihito began his official duties and represented Japan at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. He ascended to the throne in 1990 after Emperor Hirohito's death in 1989.
Akihito's reign was marked by his efforts to bring the imperial family closer to the Japanese people. He visited all 47 prefectures and many remote islands of Japan. Akihito visited the World War II battle site in Saipan in 2005, made a historic television appearance in 2011 after the Tohoku earthquake, and expressed remorse to Asian countries affected by Japanese occupation.
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He was served by 17 prime ministers, from Noboru Takeshita to Shinzo Abe. He received numerous honors, including The Royal Society King Charles II Medal and the Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan in 1971.
Akihito's reign ended in 2019 due to age and health issues, and his eldest son Naruhito succeeded him, ushering in the Reiwa era. At 89, Akihito became the longest-lived verifiable Japanese emperor in history.
Personal Life
Akihito married Michiko Shoda in 1959 in the first televised imperial wedding in Japan, watched by 15 million viewers. The couple has three children: Naruhito, Fumihito, and Sayako.
In 2003, Akihito had surgery for prostate cancer. He suffered from pneumonia in 2011 and underwent successful heart bypass surgery in 2012.
Beyond his imperial duties, Akihito is a published ichthyological researcher with papers in scholarly journals.
