The head of state of Japan is the Emperor. Prime Minister is the next.
However, the Emperor is not involved in politics. Emperor is positioned as a symbol of Japanese integration.
The main role of the Emperor is as follows.
- National acts (such as the appointment of ministers)
- Traditional ritual from ancient times
- Imperial diplomacy
- Consolation
For example, when a massive disaster occurs in the country, the Emperor and the Empress go to the site and encourage the victims. For ordinary citizens, consolation by the head of state is very honored and encouraged.
Some people may have different ideas, but almost all Japanese respect the emperor. This is not only a tradition from ancient times, but it depends largely on the personality of the Emperor and his father (previous Emperor).
Also, the current Emperor is a fish scholar. His specialty is goby. Sometimes, he was asked to identify the goby that is difficult to classify, from foreign researchers. And Yellow prawn-goby is common in the Philippine sea. The Japanese name “Gingahaze(ギンガãƒã‚¼)” of the fish was named by the Emperor and the Empress.
The December 23 is the national holiday called Emperor’s Birthday. However, the present Emperor is planning to make a concession to the Crown Prince, because of the elderly. February 23 will be the next Emperor ‘s birthday from 2019.