Naruhito is followed by his wife, Masako, as he walks to make his first address as Emperor.
Japan Pool via AP
Japan's new Emperor Naruhito, right, attends his coronation ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday, May 1. Standing at left is his brother, Crown Prince Akishino.
Japan Pool via AP
In pictures: Japan's Naruhito ascends to the throne
Updated 11:58 AM ET, Wed May 1, 2019
Japan's new Emperor Naruhito, right, attends his coronation ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday, May 1. Standing at left is his brother, Crown Prince Akishino.
Japan Pool via AP
Japan's new emperor, Naruhito, has formally ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne, replacing his father, Akihito, who had abdicated a day earlier.
Naruhito is the 126th Emperor of Japan, the latest in an unbroken line that stretches back 14 centuries.
During a special ritual in the Imperial Palace's Matsu-no-Ma state room, an almost exclusively male audience saw Naruhito, 59, take possession of royal regalia and seals that provide ceremonial proof of his ascension.