'I have performed my duties as the emperor with a deep sense of trust in and respect for the people': Japanese Emperor Akihito announced his abdication Tuesday as the nation marked the end of an era.
Japanese Emperor Akihito announced his abdication at a palace ceremony Tuesday in his final address, as the nation embraced the end of his reign with reminiscence and hope for a new era.
His reign ran through midnight, when his son Crown Prince Naruhito, who observed Akihito's abdication ceremony, became the new emperor and his era began. Many people gathered outside the palace compound hours before Tuesday's ceremony despite unseasonably wet and cold weather, and even though they were not allowed to look inside.
Security was extremely tight around the palace and across downtown Tokyo, with thousands of police mobilized. Police arrested a man on Monday night on suspicion of placing a pair of kitchen knives last week on the school desk used by Akihito's grandson. With his commoner-born wife, Empress Michiko, he reached out to the people, especially those who faced handicaps and discrimination, as well as those hit by disasters, illuminating the hardships of people often overlooked by society.
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