Japan's Emperor Akihito, flanked by Empress Michiko, delivers a speech during a ritual called Taiirei-Seiden-no-gi, a ceremony for the Emperor's abdication, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan April 30, 2019. Japan Pool/Pool via REUTERS JAPAN OUT. Naruhito conducted a similar ceremony.NEW ERACrowds 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. He studied at Oxford and together with his Harvard-educated wife, Masako, will give the monarchy a cosmopolitan flavor.Akihito officially remains emperor until midnight, when the new Reiwa era, meaning “beautiful harmony”, begins.

Source: Egypt Today April 30, 2019 09:56 UTC