2019 – the start of a new era? Emperor Akihito`s abdication and its consequences

The article tries to analyze the reasons of Emperor Akihito`s abdication and to foresee changes it might imply both in terms of the name of the new era as well as in terms of regulations needed to be implemented in order to allow the monarch to step down from the throne. It explains in detail the process of introducing new abdication law by presenting different approaches of main political parties. Finally, it describes the future emperor – Naruhito providing the lecturers with assumptions about his upcoming reign