Portrait of Naruhito

Birthday profile

Naruhito

Naruhito, Emperor of Japan

Born
February 23, 1960
Age in 2026
66
Zodiac sign
Pisces
Birth year
1960

About Naruhito

Naruhito (born 23 February 1960) is Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019 following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign is known as the Reiwa era. Naruhito is the elder son of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko. He was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Hirohito. He became heir apparent following his father's accession in 1989, and was formally invested as Crown Prince in 1991. He attended Gakushūin schools in Tokyo and later studied history at Gakushuin University and English at Merton College, Oxford. He married the diplomat Masako Owada in 1993. They have one daughter: Aiko, Princess Toshi. Continuing his grandfather's and father's boycott over the enshrinement of convicted war criminals, he has never visited Yasukuni Shrine. He is an advocate in the fields of water policy and water conservation. He was an honorary president of the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and is a supporter of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Naruhito first met Masako Owada, a staff member working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a tea gathering for Infanta Elena of Spain in November 1986, during her studies at the University of Tokyo. Naruhito was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, and became heir apparent when his father, Emperor Akihito, acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989. Naruhito became emperor upon his father's abdication in 2019, beginning the Reiwa era.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Naruhito timeline

  1. Naruhito first met Masako Owada, a staff member working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a tea gathering for Infanta Elena of Spain in November 1986, during her studies at the University of Tokyo.
  2. Naruhito was born during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, and became heir apparent when his father, Emperor Akihito, acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989.
  3. Naruhito became emperor upon his father's abdication in 2019, beginning the Reiwa era.

The world when Naruhito was born

Naruhito was born in 1960. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1960

  • #1 song"The Twist" – Chubby Checker
  • Top movieThe Apartment
  • Top TV showGunsmoke
  • Best-selling bookTo Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentCassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins Olympic gold in boxing
  • Top headlineJFK elected as youngest US president
  • Technology milestoneFirst working laser demonstrated
  • Defining fadThe Twist dance craze
  • Notable inventionLaser
  • World population3.03 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderDwight D. Eisenhower
  • Sports championPittsburgh Pirates (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population180.7M

1960 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Naruhito's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19602026
Gas$0.31$3.45/gal
Average home$12,700$435,000
Average income$7,400$67,500
Minimum wage$1.00$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.69$11.95
Postage stamp$0.04$0.73
Population180.7M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.