Alive and ruling: The Imperial House of Japan

The monarchy of Japan is the oldest-surviving one in the world.

The reign of Emperor Jimmu, the founder of the Yamato dynasty and the first emperor of Japan, began in 660 BC. Emperor Suizei succeeded Jimmu, and the emperorship has prevailed thus for centuries now through traditional succession. As of today, the Yamato dynasty, revered as the Imperial House of Japan, has a history of over 2,600 years!

The Reigning Emperor Akihito (b. 1933) is the country’s 125th emperor. He succeeded the throne in 1989, after his father and predecessor Emperor Shōwa, better known as Hirohito, passed away.