Japan will officially begin a new era on 1 May when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne as the new emperor.

His father, Emperor Akihito, will be the first Japanese ruler in more than 200 years to abdicate, bringing the current Heisei imperial era to an end on 30 April.

The incoming emperor is different in many ways from his more tradition-bound predecessors.

Crown Prince Naruhito has consistently challenged expectations by prioritising his family and academic life.

Observers wonder whether the prince will adapt his future position to the needs of a changing world, but he may instead have to build on his predecessors’ legacy.

An academic at heart

Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, represents a Japan and imperial family that differ significantly from those of his predecessors.

Unlike his father, who was crown prince since birth, he had the opportunity to pursue his own education and dreams when he was young.

After graduating with a degree in history from Tokyo’s prestigious Gakushuin University, the prince studied at Oxford University’s Merton College from 1983 to 1985.

He studied the history of transport on the River Thames, highlighting an interest in waterways that continued with doctoral research at Gakushuin.

His Oxford years left a strong mark on Prince Naruhito. In his 1993 memoir “The Thames and I”, he described the period as the “happiest time” of his life.

Despite assuming more royal responsibilities since 1991 as crown prince, he maintained his passion for academia and global water issues. He was honorary president of the United Nations’ Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation from 2007 to 2015.

A devoted family man

Prince Naruhito lived with his family until the age of 30, a departure from imperial tradition requiring future emperors to be raised by their subjects.

The practice aimed to instil consideration for people in place of personal attachments, but by the time the crown prince was born family life was considered equally important.

The importance of family to Crown Prince Naruhito would later come to the fore when his wife struggled with a stress-related “adjustment disorder”.

Crown Princess Masako, a former diplomat, was diagnosed with the disorder in 2004 due to the strain of imperial life and the pressure to produce a son.

The prince thus took an active part in raising their child, Princess Aiko, and staunchly defended his wife from criticism that she was neglecting public duties.

Princess Aiko has herself been the subject of a wider debate on imperial succession. Under the Imperial Household Law of 1947, only men can ascend to the throne.

In 2004, then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi proposed a revision to allow for an empress, potentially making Princess Aiko a future ruler.

These plans stalled after the birth of her cousin Prince Hisahito in 2006, however, with the presence of a male heir negating the previous urgency.

Start of a new imperial era

When Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor on 1 May it will mark the dawn of Japan’s Reiwa era.

The name of the new imperial era, meaning “beautiful harmony”, was taken from Japan’s oldest poetry anthology Manyoshu.

This marks a departure from the tradition of deriving imperial era names from Chinese classics, a practice that lasted more than 1,300 years.

More than 70% of Japanese citizens approve of the name, according to polls, while the reaction to the incoming emperor himself is largely favourable.

Despite the public’s approval, there remain questions about the role the future Emperor Naruhito will play in a changing Japan.

The emperor’s role is largely ceremonial, focusing on public engagement with citizens and meeting foreign dignitaries.

But Naruhito, who will be the first emperor born after World War Two, may be expected to push for change.

“The world is changing and we are wondering how he will adjust his position and responsibilities to this new landscape,” an editorial in leading business daily Nikkei said.

The law barring his daughter from becoming empress is of particular relevance.

All eyes are on the incoming emperor to see whether he pushes for a revision to the law, but he has thus far avoided the subject of change.

The academically-inclined crown prince has instead emphasised a need to learn from his predecessors at first and carry on their work.

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