Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan and the 125th member of the world's oldest reigning dynasty. Akihito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father, Emperor Shōwa, died in January of 1989. It was announced at the end of 2017 that the now-84-year-old emperor will abdicate his throne in April of 2019 (though he will be the first Japanese Emperor to do so in over two centuries) and his oldest son, Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, will take his place.