Duterte holds audience with Japanese Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his common-law wife, Madame Cielito 'Honeylet' Avancena, made a courtesy visit with His Majesty Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, as his final itinerary during the President's 2-day Official Visit to Japan.


Duterte expressed his gratitude to the Japanese Imperial couple for their visit to the Philippines last year.  The Imperial couple also conveyed their warm gratitude for the help the Philippine government extended during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  The visit lasted for about twenty five minutes.

His Majesty the Emperor is scheduled to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne next year, to be succeeded by his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

The last Japanese monarch to abdicate the throne was Emperor Kokaku in 1817.

The Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and the traditional head of state of Japan. 

According to the 1947 Constitution, he is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people."  Historically, he was also the highest authority of the Shinto religion.

In Japanese, the Emperor is called "Tenno" which translates to "heavenly sovereign."  In English, the use of the term Mikado for the Emperor was once common, but is now considered obsolete.

Currently, the Emperor of Japan is the only head of state in the world with the English title of "Emperor."  The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing monarchical house in the world.

The historical origins of the Emperors lie in the late Kofun period of the 5th-6th centuries A.D., but according to the traditional account of the Kojiki (finished 712) and Nihon Shoki (finished 720), Japan was founded in 660 B.C. by Emperor Jimmu, who was said to be a descendant of the sun-goddess Amaterasu.

The current Emperor is Akihito.  He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Showa (Hirohito), in 1989.