Abdication Ceremony Day -- The Last Day of the Heisei Era

What Was the Abdication Ceremony?

April 30th marks the day in 2019 when Emperor Akihito (now Emperor Emeritus) took part in the "Taiirei Seiden no Gi" (Ceremony of Abdication) at the Matsu-no-Ma state room of the Imperial Palace, bringing the Heisei era to a close.

The First Imperial Abdication in 202 Years

This abdication was an extraordinary event, carried out under a special law -- the Act on Special Provisions of the Imperial House Law concerning Abdication.

• Its legal basis: the special law, enacted in June 2017, permitted this one-time abdication specifically for the reigning emperor
• Its historical significance: the abdication of a living emperor had not occurred in Japan since Emperor Kokaku in the late Edo period -- a full 202 years earlier
• The ceremony itself: attended by the Empress, the then-Crown Prince and Princess, Prince and Princess Akishino, other adult imperial family members, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and roughly 290 total attendees

"I Am Deeply Grateful to the People Who Supported Me"

At the Abdication Ceremony, the Emperor delivered his final address of his reign, expressing gratitude to the people who had supported him. Following this ceremony, at midnight on May 1st, the Crown Prince ascended to the throne as the new Emperor, and the era name changed from Heisei to Reiwa.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Reflect on what kind of 30-year era Heisei was
• Learn about the special abdication law and the process that led to this abdication
• Recall the events and social atmosphere at the time of the transition to the Reiwa era
• Learn about the history of imperial abdication in Japan, going back to the Edo period

The End of One Era, the Beginning of Another

The Emperor's abdication, the first in 202 years, was an event watched by countless citizens on television, symbolizing the close of the Heisei era. Let April 30th be a chance to reflect on the day one era drew to a close and passed the torch to the next.