Emperor Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday, as the new imperial era — known as Reiwa — began following his father's abdication the previous day after three decades as emperor.
The 59-year-old new emperor is expected to follow the footsteps of his father, who is now known as Emperor Emeritus Akihito, vowing to maintain close ties to the Japanese people as a "symbol of the state."
The new emperor and his wife, Empress Masako, are expected to inject a new level of worldly flavor into the monarchy, with the emperor having studied at England's prestigious Oxford University for three years and the empress being an Oxford- and Harvard-educated former diplomat.