January 7th 1989 was the day a World War II figure passed into history. 20 years later, Emperor Hirohito was remembered by the Imperial Family, including his son and successor, Emperor Akihito. 
Akihito, along with his wife Empress Michiko, bowed before the burial mound of Hirohito, set in leafy grounds on the western edge of Tokyo. Prime Minister Taro Aso, other politicians and members of the imperial family also attended the Shinto ceremony. Akihito’s son and heir, Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife Crown Princess Masako held their own memorial away from the ceremony.
Hirohito, who was seen as a god by the Japanese, reigned when Japan invaded Asia in his name during the 1930s and ’40s, and his responsibility for wartime atrocities committed by Japanese troops remains a major topic of historical debate. Wednesday’s observance was without incident, however.
The anniversary comes as Akihito has cut back his official duties due to an irregular pulse and bleeding from his stomach — symptoms imperial doctors have attributed to “mental stress.” He has also undergone surgery and treatment for cancer.
On his birthday last month, Akihito assured the nation his health was improving.
Akihito‘s accession to the throne in 1989 helped Japan to turn the page in relations with its former colonies in Asia and forge a new identify as a peaceful nation.
In 1992, he became the first Japanese emperor to visit China, where he made a statement of regret about the war. He has also expressed feelings of kinship with Koreans, because one of his ancestors had come from there, an unprecedented statement from a Japanese royal that made front-page headlines in Seoul in 2001.
Akihito has also made efforts to get closer to ordinary Japanese, though the household remains more distant than the “bicycling royals” of northern Europe.
They are no longer seen as deities, something Hirohito gave up after World War II.
Events to mark the anniversary of Akihito’s accession to the throne will be held in November. The 75-year-old and his wife also mark their 50th wedding anniversary this year.
Parts of article taken from Reuters and Associated Press.
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