The Emperor as a Symbol: The Meaning of the Unity of the People Has Evolved with Time

The tours around Japan started in February 1946. Here Emperor Hirohito is seen here visiting people living in Yokohama. (© Kyōdō)

Crown Prince Akihito and Shōda Michiko enjoying a game of tennis at the Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club on December 6, 1958. (© Jiji)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko chat with evacuees at the Asahi City Health Center in Chiba Prefecture on April 14, 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake. (© Jiji)

Emperor Naruhito, at right, waving at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games alongside Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, on July 23, 2021. (© Jiji)