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Japan will reportedly pardon 600,000 petty criminals to mark the new emperor’s enthronement.
In April Emperor Akhito became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate the chrysanthemum throne since 1817.
His son, Naruhito, succeeded him as emperor. Naruhito’s formal enthronement ceremony will take place later this month.
The full scope of the pardon order remains unclear but will involve amnesty for those who were sentenced to pay fines.
People with such sentences are banned from obtaining some qualifications and are unable to obtain physician and nurse licences for five years.
Show all 50 1 /50Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign Born in 1933, the 85-year-old emperor will step down in favour of his son after three decades on the Japanese throne
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1934 Akihito was born on 23 December 1933 in the Tokyo Imperial Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1934 Former Japanese Empress Nagako with her seven-month-old son Akihito
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1935 Baby Akihito sits on a rocking horse
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1938 Akihito visiting the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1938 Akihito riding a tricycle in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1939 Japan's former Emperor Hirohito (centre) poses for photographs with family members, including Akihito (front, second right) standing next to him at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1940 Akihito wears his school uniform at the Gakushuin elementary school in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1940 Six-year-old Michiko Shoda, the current Japanese Empress Michiko
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1945 Akihito pictured in sixth grade
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1948 Akihito playing tennis
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1949 Akihito practices Japanese archery
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1950 Prince Akihito having private English lessons with his American tutor Elizabeth Gray Vining
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1952 Prince Akihito poses before the ‘Rittaishi-no-Rei’ (Investiture as crown prince) ceremony when he was formally proclaimed successor to the Chrysanthemum Throne
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1952 Prince Akihito attend his ‘Rittaishi-no-Rei’ ceremony
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1958 Akihito clearing a fence at Gakushuin equestrian club in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1958 Michiko Shoda, the current Empress Michiko, at her house
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1959 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in traditional ceremonial attire after the ‘Kekkon-no-Gi’ (wedding ceremony), at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1959 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko alongside Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako after the ‘Choken-no-Gi’ (first greeting) following their wedding, in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1959 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko smile to wellwishers on the coach during a parade after their royal wedding in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1959 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko play tennis at Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club in May 1959
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1960 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko visiting the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1960 Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko’s son Naruhito at just two months old
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1961 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko with their son Naruhito
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1962 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko hold a young child at a national shelter for children in Manila, Philippines
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1962 Two-year-old Prince Naruhito playing
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1964 Naruhito after the ‘Chakko-no-Gi’ ceremony, marking his fifth birthday, at Togu Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1965 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko ride bicycles with their son Naruhito in Karuizawa, Nagano prefecture
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1967 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko with their sons Naruhito (left) and Fumihito (later Prince Akishino) playing at Togu Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1970 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko attend the closing ceremony of the Expo ’70 world’s fair in Osaka
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1970 Young Prince Naruhito (right) visits the Expo ’70 in Osaka, western Japan
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1975 Prince Naruhito studies Japanese classics at Togu Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1975 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko attend the opening ceremony of the Expo ’75 in Motobu, Okinawa
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1982 Prince Naruhito (left) and his father Crown Prince Akihito look at Brazilian traditional artwork at Togu Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1984 Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko attend a press conference ahead of their silver wedding anniversary at the Togu Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1986 Prince Charles and Princess Diana are welcomed by Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko, prior to their dinner at the Togu Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1987 Prince Naruhito on the summit of Mt Kitadake in Yamanashi, Japan
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1987 US President Ronald Reagan loses balance prior to the photo session with Crown Prince Akihito, at the White House
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1991 Crown Prince Naruhito pose for photographs during his ceremonial investiture as crown prince at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1992 Akihito and his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, enjoy climbing Mt Minamigassan in Nasu, Tochigi
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1992 Princess Sayako, Empress Michiko, Emperor Akihito, Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Akishino look at Prince and Princess Akishino’s elder daughter Mako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1992 Akihito and Empress Michiko visit the Great Wall, near Beijing, China
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1993 Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako wave to wellwishers during their wedding parade in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 1995 Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko walk after they offered flowers at the cenotaph of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 2006 Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko being greeted by sumo wrestlers upon their arrival at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 2013 Akihito and Empress Michiko dance during an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of the International Ladies Benevolent Society in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 2016 Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko wave to wellwishers celebrating the emperor's 83rd birthday with Crown Prince Naruhito (second left), Prince Akishino (right) and Crown Princess Masako (left) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 2018 Akihito leaves the balcony past Crown Prince Naruhito after delivering a speech marking his 85th birthday, which will be his last birthday on the throne, at the Imperial Palace
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 2019 Emperor Akihito attends the opening of an ordinary parliamentary session at the Diet in Tokyo
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Japan’s Heisei era: 30 years of Emperor Akihito’s reign 2019 Akihito waves to wellwishers through bullet-proof glass from a balcony during his New Year’s public appearance at the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo
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Under the pardon system, this rule will no longer apply to people convicted in the last three years, according to the Manchini Shimbun .
People found guilty of violating the Public Offices Election Act are usually punished with a bar on running for public office and the suspension of the right to vote.
Some of these offenders will also be pardoned to celebrate the enthronement.
“We are currently considering the matter carefully. I refrain from commenting on details,” said Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary.
The plan is expected to be approved later this month.
When an enthronement ceremony was held in 1990 for Emperor Akihito , 2.5m people were pardoned.
In 1989, around 30,000 people were pardoned for Emperor Hirohito’s funeral.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement will take place during a ceremony on 22 October.
The event will be attended by dignitaries from nearly 200 countries.
The new emperor is expected to wear a traditional robe and headdress.
He will then step into the “Takamikura” – a 6.5m high pavilion and sit on a cushioned chair within it, made from tatami straw.
Shortly afterwards, the pavilion curtains will be drawn and the emperor will stand.
At this point he will publicly declare his succession.
Additional reporting by agencies
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