Tokyo -- A new emperor has taken over in Japan. Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne after his father, now-Emperor Emeritus Akihito, abdicated. It was the first time a Japanese emperor has stepped down in 200 years.

The change ushered in a new "era" in Japan. The era of Naruhito's reign on the Chrysanthemum Throne, as Japan's imperial seat has been known for centuries, has been dubbed Reiwa, or "enlightened happiness."

As CBS News senior foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reported on Wednesday, Naruhito is widely expected to continue the work of his father; humanizing the emperor's role, as well as pressing for modern reforms to normalize life for the royal family.

In a brief ceremony, Naruhito, 59 vowed to stay close to the Japanese people and work for world peace.

Japan's imperial court is a rigidly formal world, and the new emperor only escaped it once, briefly, when he went to Oxford to study history in the 1980s -- years he's described as the happiest of his life.

In 1993 he married Masako, a brainy Harvard-educated Japanese diplomat, and immediately the couple came under fierce pressure to produce an heir. When the first and only baby arrived, though, she was a girl; Princess Toshi.

Then-Princess, now Empress Masako expressed her joy at Toshi's birth, but in a country where girls can't take the throne, it wasn't good enough for everyone.

In rare public appearances the royal couple came across as happy, and surprisingly casual, but in private, Masako fell ill with depression.

"Naruhito tried to protect her but she continues to be somewhat reserved and not fully healthy," Professor Koichi Nakano of Sophia University told CBS News. "So I don't think she's likely to take her new role with great zeal or with an agenda."

As the Empress appeared alongside Naruhito on Wednesday, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. But everybody in Japan knows big questions loom, with only three direct male successors left in Japan's royal family.

Naruhito is on record as backing reforms that would mean the next time the elaborate ceremony is performed, his daughter could be ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Surveys show a majority of Japanese people would be in favor of opening the line of succession to girls, but so far, the conservative power elite is standing in the way of change.</s>Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne on May 1, 2019, ushering in the Reiwa Era. We asked people in Tokyo what they would do if they were emperor for a day.

I’d have a big party and everybody would come and celebrate and drink and have a good time — no fighting. Perhaps sometimes it seems everybody’s a little divided, so I’d just have a big celebration and it would be a nice way to bring whatever country I’m ruling together for a new holiday.

I’d like to change the situation of work harassment. People aren’t allowed to speak their minds. We’re pretending there’s freedom, but there’s no freedom — especially in the workplace. People in charge just want to control you, so if I were emperor I would be very strict against any kind of harassment.

I’d organize a huge party at the palace with catering by vegetarian restaurant Citron. The idea would be to promote vegetarianism, as compassion for animals is important to me. I’ve always dreamed of touring inside the palace and if I was with my friends it would be even better.

If I were emperor for a day I would try to make as many good decisions as I could, like implementing foreigner-friendly laws. Maybe outlaw kanji — I’ve been trying to learn it for a couple of months and I only know about 60! So I’d say use katakana and hiragana more. And I’d just have fun being emperor.

I’d make any change beneficial for the country and its people. Women aren’t seen as equal in society, especially at work. They aren’t paid as much as men for doing the same jobs, so that’s something I’d change. My friends and I were looking at research that men get paid triple what women do sometimes — that’s not fair.

As emperor I’d give back to the people as much as possible so that they would be better off. I’d make services free to taxpayers, like the underground or the bus. Actually, in my country the buses are free for residents. That kind of thing is good for the residents, it makes their lives easier on a day-to-day basis.</s>Naruhito has officially been named the new emperor of Japan, commencing a new era in the country's history, named "Reiwa", which can be translated as "beautiful harmony". The ceremony for passing the imperial regalia on to the new 59-year-old monarch will take place on 1 May.

85-year-old Akihito delivered his final speech as emperor on 30 April, expressing his "heartfelt gratitude to the people of Japan" before abdicating after a 30-year reign. With his voluntary move to step down, unique in the past 200 years, Akihito ended the country's previous historical era, which was named "Heisei", roughly interpreted as "peace everywhere".

With the adoption of the post-war constitution in 1946, the emperor began to play a more symbolic rather than political role in Japan. The imperial succession and the change of era are now purely symbolic in the country.

READ MORE: As Japanese Emperor Prepares Handover, What's Next for the 'Lost Generation'?

The last time that a Japanese emperor willingly vacated the Chrysanthemum Throne was in 1817, when Emperor Kokaku abdicated in favour of his son, Nink, after 37 years of reign.</s>TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Emperor Akihito, in his final remarks as his three-decade reign drew to a close on Tuesday, thanked the people for their support and expressed hope for a peaceful future.

Akihito, 85, the first monarch to abdicate in two centuries, had sought to ease the painful memories of World War Two and bring the monarchy closer to the people, including those marginalised in society.

The popular Akihito was the first monarch to take the Chrysanthemum Throne under a post-war constitution that defines the emperor as a symbol of the people without political power.

His father, Hirohito, in whose name Japanese troops fought World War Two, was considered a living deity until after Japan's defeat in 1945, when he renounced his divinity.

"To the people who accepted and supported me as a symbol, I express my heartfelt thanks," Akihito, wearing a Western-style morning coat, said at a brief abdication ceremony in the Imperial Palace's Matsu no ma, or Hall of Pine.

"Together with the empress, I hope from my heart that the new Reiwa era that begins tomorrow will be peaceful and fruitful, and pray for the peace and happiness of our country and the people of the world," said a solemn Akihito, referring to the new imperial era.

Standing on a white dais flanked by Empress Michiko, who wore a long white and grey dress, Akihito bowed after he spoke.

About 300 people attended the ceremony broadcast live on television. They included Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, as well as the heads of both houses of parliament and Supreme Court justices.

Akihito, together with Michiko, his wife of 60 years and the first commoner to marry an imperial heir, carved out an active role as a symbol of reconciliation, peace and democracy.

Akihito, who has had treatment for prostate cancer and heart surgery, said in a televised address in 2016 that he feared his age would make it hard for him to carry out his duties fully.

At the start of the ceremony, chamberlains carried the state and privy seals into the hall along with two of Japan's "Three Sacred Treasures" - a sword and a jewel - which together with a mirror are symbols of the throne. They are said to originate in ancient mythology.

"While keeping in our hearts the path that the emperor has walked, we will make utmost efforts to create a bright future for a proud Japan that is full of peace and hope," Abe said ahead of the emperor's remarks.

At the end of the ceremony, Akihito descended from the dais and took Michiko's hand as she stepped down. Before exiting the room, he paused, turned towards the audience and bowed again.

Earlier, Akihito performed a ritual announcement of his abdication in three palace sanctuaries, including one honouring the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, from whom mythology says the imperial line is descended, and two others for departed emperors and Shinto gods.

NHK television showed Akihito, wearing a dark orange traditional robe and black headdress, walking slowly into the first sanctuary with a white-robed courtier holding the train and another carrying a sword. Naruhito conducted a similar ceremony.

Crowds gathered outside the Palace, a 115-hectare compound in the heart of Tokyo protected by moats and walls, that is home to the emperor and empress. Security was tight with several thousand police officers on duty in Tokyo, media reports said.

"I think the emperor is loved by the people. His image is one of encouraging the people, such as after disasters, and being close to the people," said Morio Miyamoto, 48.

"I hope the next emperor will, like the Heisei emperor, be close to the people in the same way," he said.

The Heisei imperial era, which began on Jan. 8, 1989 after Akihito inherited the throne, saw economic stagnation, natural disasters and rapid technological change.

Not everyone was excited by the imperial changeover.

"It's a normal day. That kind of political stuff is irrelevant to us ordinary people," said Masato Saito, a 40-year-old construction worker.

"As long as they make our lives easy to live, that's all I care."

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania offered their "heartfelt appreciation" to the royal pair in a statement.

Naruhito, 59, will inherit the throne in ceremonies on Wednesday. He studied at Oxford and together with his Harvard-educated wife, Masako, will give the monarchy a cosmopolitan flavour.

Akihito officially remains emperor until midnight, when the new Reiwa era, meaning "beautiful harmony", begins. Informal countdown events for the start of the new era were scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Japanese traditionally refer to the date by the era name, or "gengo", a system originally imported from China, on documents, calendars and coins but many people also use the Western calendar.</s>TOKYO (REUTERS) - Japanese expressed warmth and gratitude toward Emperor Akihito ahead of his abdication on Tuesday (April 30), but judged his three-decade Heisei era as a period of difficulty and transition for Japan after the economic boom and confidence of the 1980s.

More than anything, people said they hoped peace would define the reign of Crown Prince Naruhito, who will become emperor on Wednesday, ushering in the Reiwa era.

"Heisei had a lot of disasters and the economy stagnated," 47-year-old Kaori Hisatomi said in the capital Tokyo, where ceremonies were underway at the Imperial Palace.

"It was a period of transition from the high-growth era, with its 'can-you-work-24 hours' mentality. Young people these days don't think that way. Now it's more, 'What can I do to survive?'"

Japan is marking the transition to 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, who will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday, with an unprecedented 10-day holiday.

The Heisei era began in early 1989, just before the collapse of Japan's "bubble economy", when sky-high stock and land prices plunged.

The decades of tepid growth and deflation that followed have tempered expectations about the economic future and Japan's place in the world.

"Thinking patterns have changed," Mr Hisatomi said. "There's not much confidence the economy will grow in a healthy way."

Japan suffered several tragedies in the past three decades, including a huge earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that led to a nuclear crisis.

In 1995, a quake devastated the port of Kobe, and sarin attacks launched by a cult in Tokyo's subway system shattered the myth of public safety.

Visits to disaster areas by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and their efforts to connect with ordinary people, have made them a popular royal couple.

Standing outside the Imperial Palace in a drizzle, 64-year-old Naoomi Kuroshima, from the northern island of Hokkaido, said he was there to "pay my last respect, to say my 'thank you'."

He recalled the couple's visit to Hokkaido after it was hit by a quake last year. "I'm so grateful for that."

Walking to a Shinto shrine to mark the day with his wife, 56-year-old Masatoshi Kujirai said he had mixed feelings.

"I'm sad, but also hopeful about the next era," he said."I hope it will be a peaceful, gentle period for the second half of my life."

Mr Masato Saito, a 40-year-old construction worker, said he had not given the abdication or the coming new era much thought.

"It's a normal day. That kind of political stuff is irrelevant to us ordinary people," he said. "As long as they make our lives easy to live, that's all I care."

Mr Eiji Kaneko, a restaurant owner from Osaka, said the abdication was a turning point for Japan in becoming a more open country and accepting of foreigners.

"More tourists and foreigners are coming to Japan and that's helping the economy and starting to change attitudes," he said, visiting Tokyo with his wife and four-year-old son.

"Japan is opening up, and Asia is opening up."</s>TOKYO — Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito inherits Imperial regalia as proof of succession in his 1st official duty as monarch.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of greetings to Emperor Naruhito of Japan on the occasion of his accession to the throne. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere greetings along with best wishes of good health and happiness to Emperor Naruhito, wishing him success in leading the friendly Japanese people towards further progress and prosperity, and the friendship relations between the two countries further development and growth.</s>TOKYO – Emperor Naruhito inherited the sacred sword and jewel that signaled his succession and pledged in his first public address Wednesday to follow his father’s example by devoting himself to peace and sharing the people’s joys and sorrows.

Naruhito, the first modern emperor to have studied abroad and the first born after Japan’s defeat in World War II, formally succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne at midnight after his father Akihito abdicated Tuesday.

“When I think about the important responsibility I have assumed, I am filled with a sense of solemnity,” Naruhito said in his address.

While noting his father’s devotion to praying for peace, Naruhito said he’ll “reflect deeply” on the path trodden by Akihito and past emperors. He promised to abide by the constitution that stripped emperors of political power, and to fulfill his responsibility as a national symbol while “always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them.”

“I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world,” he said.

Naruhito is considered a new breed of royal, his outlook forged by the tradition-defying choices of his parents. Emperor Emeritus Akihito devoted his three-decade career to making amends for a war fought in his father’s name while bringing the aloof monarchy closer to the people. Naruhito’s mother, Michiko, was born a commoner and was Catholic educated. Together, they reached out to the people, especially those who faced disability, discrimination and natural disasters.

Naruhito was presented with the Imperial sword and jewel, each in a box and wrapped in cloth, at a morning ceremony that marked his first official duty.

More: Japan’s Emperor Akihito announces abdication in final address to his people

His wife and daughter, Empress Masako and 17-year-old Princess Aiko, were barred from the ceremony, which only adult male royals – his brother, now Crown Prince Fumihito, and his uncle Prince Hitachi – were allowed to witness. Their guests included a female Cabinet minister, however, as the Imperial House Law has no provision on the gender of commoners in attendance.

The banning of female royals at the ceremony underscored the uncertain future of a paternalistic imperial family that now has just two heirs.

Nevertheless, Japan festively celebrated an imperial succession prompted by retirement rather than death. Many people stood outside the palace Tuesday to reminisce about Akihito’s era; others joined midnight events when the transition occurred, and more came to celebrate the beginning of Naruhito’s reign.

Dozens of couples lined up at government offices to submit marriage documents to mark the first day of Naruhito’s era, known as Reiwa, or “beautiful harmony.”

Natsumi Nishimura, a 27-year-old saleswoman, and Keigo Mori, a 32- year-old government worker, were at a Tokyo office on Wednesday, saying they decided to tie the knot at the start of a new era to mark their new life together.

“Opportunities like this don’t come by often so we thought it would be a day we won’t forget,” Nishimura said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe congratulated Naruhito on his ascension, pledging to create a “bright future” during the new era that is peaceful and full of hope.

Naruhito also received congratulations from abroad. President Donald Trump’s message said America and Japan will renew the bonds of friendship in the new era. Xi was quoted by state media as saying China and Japan should work together to promote peace and development and bilateral ties.

From a car window on his way to and from the palace, Naruhito smiled and waved at people cheering on the sidewalk. He and his family will continue living at the crown prince’s Togu Palace until they switch places with his parents after refurbishments.

Naruhito, 59, is the nation’s 126th emperor, according to a palace count that historians say likely included mythical figures until around the 5th century.

The emperor under Japan’s Constitution is a symbol without political power. Wartime militarist governments worshipped the emperor as a living god until Naruhito’s grandfather renounced that status after Japan’s 1945 war defeat.

Akihito during his three-decade reign embraced an identity as peacemaker and often made reconciliatory missions and carefully scripted expressions of regret on the war. His immersion in that role leaves Naruhito largely free of the burden of the wartime legacy, allowing him to carve his own path.

Palace watchers say he might focus on global issues, including disaster prevention, water conservation and climate change, which could appeal to younger Japanese, while also emulating his father’s focus on peace.

That’s what many Japanese hope Naruhito will pursue.

“I hope the new emperor will be like the Heisei Emperor (Akihito), who cherishes peace,” said Takayori Kobayakawa, a 71-year-old retiree who came from Shizuoka, central Japan. “I have high hopes for him.”

Naruhito also faces uncertainties in the imperial household. Crown Prince Fumihito, 53, and Fumihito’s 12-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, can currently succeed him. The Imperial House Law confines the succession to male heirs, leaving Naruhito’s daughter out of the running.

Naruhito’s wife Empress Masako is a Harvard-educated former diplomat who may prove an adept partner in his overseas travels and activities. But much will depend on her health, since she has been recovering from what the palace describes as stress-induced depression for about 15 years.

AP journalists Kaori Hitomi, Haruka Nuga and Richard Colombo contributed to this report.</s>The 126th of Japan, in his public address on the first day of his reign, promised to "reflect deeply on the course followed" by his father Emeritus who abdicated on Tuesday, bringing an end to the 30-year-old Heisei era.

The new era under Naruhito's rule will be known as "Reiwa," comprising the words "Rei", means "good fortune" and "Wa" that can be translated into "peace" and "harmony".

is the first Japanese emperor to abdicate since Kokaku in 1817. Akihito's had to be approved by parliament.

"Looking back, His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus, since acceding to the throne, performed each of his duties in earnest for more than 30 years, while praying for peace and happiness of the people, and at all times sharing in the joys and sorrows of the people," NHK quoted Emperor as saying, expressing gratitude to his father.

"In acceding to the Throne, I swear that I will reflect deeply on the course followed by His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus and bear in mind the path trodden by past emperors, and will devote myself to self-improvement," he stated as people all across ushered in the Reiwa imperial era with celebrations on May 1.

"I also swear that I will act according to the Constitution and fulfil my responsibility as the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people of Japan, while always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them. I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world," he added.

The 59-year-old Emperor took part in two key ceremonies to mark his accession to the Chrysanthemum throne. The first saw the sacred sword and jewel being passed down to the erstwhile Crown Prince, symbolising that he has inherited the Imperial Regalia from his father. The is proof of an Emperor's status in

He then met with the representatives of the people, including the Prime Minister, the Heads of both chambers of the Diet, the of the Supreme Court, and local government leaders. The Emperor then gave his first speech since acceding to the throne.

The Emperor Emeritus had indicated his desire to abdicate in a rare address made to the Japanese populace around three years ago, citing concerns related to his advanced age. The Diet enacted a law to specifically allow him to retire, as there was no provision in Japanese law for him to stand down.

The three-decade-long started on January 8, 1989, when Emperor acceded the throne following his father, Emperor Hirohito's, death. This is the first time Japan's modern history that the country has both an Emeritus.

Even though the reigning monarch has a 17-year-old daughter, Aiko, traditional imperial rules bar her from acceding to the throne after her father's Her 12-year-old cousin, of Akishino, who is Emperor Emeritus Akihito's only grandson and Emperor Naruhito's nephew, is now the second-in-line.</s>Japan's new Emperor Naruhito inherits Imperial regalia as proof of succession in his 1st official duty as monarch

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's new Emperor Naruhito inherits Imperial regalia as proof of succession in his 1st official duty as monarch.
The Japanese Era Reiwa (令和) begins as Emperor Naruhito accedes to the Chrysanthemum Throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan. The Emperor inherits two of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan during a symbolic ceremony, which formalises his ascension.