Royalty · Science · Living
Born: 23 December 1933 · Age: 92
Akihito is 92 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 23 December 1933.
Emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019 who became the first Japanese monarch in two centuries to abdicate
Did you know?He is a published expert on fish biology and has written numerous scientific papers specifically on the classification of goby species.
Akihito brought Japan's monarchy closer to its people. As a boy he lived through the Second World War and its aftermath. He married Michiko Shōda, a commoner, in a break with tradition. As emperor from 1989 he knelt to speak with survivors of earthquakes and floods. He expressed deep remorse for Japan's wartime past. He is also a respected scientist who studies goby fish. In 2019 he became the first emperor to step down in 200 years.
Akihito (born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The era of his rule was named the Heisei era, Heisei being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
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Profile
Emperor of Japan, born 1933
Akihito was born in Tokyo on 23 December 1933.
He married Michiko Shōda, the first commoner to marry an heir.
He became emperor in 1989.
He abdicated on 30 April 2019.
Career highlights
Did you know?He published dozens of scientific papers on goby fish.
Questions people ask
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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.
Last reviewed: October 2026