Japan's constitution gives the emperor only symbolic status, and Naruhito is likely to emulate his father, who has embraced his role as national symbol. But he has never forgotten his duties as the crown prince, and he will never forget them as the emperor." Naruhito will be the 126th emperor, but his role will be strikingly different from that of his grandfather Hirohito. "The crown prince has closely watched the work of the Showa Emperor and the current emperor and learned from them, while trying to figure out what his role could be." Palace watchers say that as emperor, Naruhito might focus on global issues, including disaster prevention and water conservation.

Source: CBC News April 30, 2019 18:56 UTC