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Japan has a new emperor

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Japanese Emperor - Level 0

Japan's Emperor Akihito, 85, has abdicated. He was emperor for 30 years. He abdicated because of his health. He thinks his son, Naruhito, can do the emperor's duties better. People will remember Akihito for his kindness. He always visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other natural disasters.

Emperor Naruhito, 59, is the 126th emperor of the world's oldest monarchy. He studied at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University. Naruhito received a sword and a jewel that are thousands of years old. There was a special ceremony. Millions of Japanese watched the historic event.

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Japanese Emperor - Level 1

Japan's emperor has abdicated for the first time in 200 years. Emperor Akihito, 85, was emperor for 30 years. He stepped down because of his health. He has been slowing down recently and had some health scares. He thinks his son, Naruhito, is better able to carry out the emperor's duties. People will remember Emperor Akihito for his personal touch. He always visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other disasters.

Emperor Naruhito, 59, became the 126th emperor of the world's oldest monarchy. He spent two years at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University. In a ceremony, Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that are thousands of years old. The ceremony was in the middle of a ten-day Japanese holiday. Millions of Japanese people watched the historic event on their TVs and smartphones.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Japanese Emperor - Level 2

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Japan's emperor has abdicated for the first time in 200 years. Emperor Akihito stepped down from the throne on April 30. He was emperor for 30 years. His son Crown Prince Naruhito is the new emperor. Akihito stepped down because of his health. He is 85 and has been slowing down recently. He has also had some health scares. He thinks his son is better able to carry out the duties of emperor. Emperor Akihito will be remembered for his personal touch with his people after many national disasters. He always visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other disasters.

Emperor Naruhito, 59, became the 126th emperor of the world's oldest monarchy. He spent two years at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University. She was a diplomat. A ceremony took place in which Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that date back thousands of years. The ceremony took place in the middle of a Japanese holiday that was extended to ten days to celebrate the new emperor. Millions of Japanese watched the historic event on their TVs and smartphones.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Japanese Emperor - Level 3

A Japanese emperor has abdicated for the first time in more than 200 years. Emperor Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30 after 30 years of being the Japanese monarch. He made way for his son Crown Prince Naruhito to become the new emperor. Akihito decided to step down because of his health. At the age of 85, he has been visibly slowing down for the past few years. He has also had a couple of health scares. He believes his son is now better able to carry out the duties of emperor. Emperor Akihito will be remembered for using a personal touch to bring his people together after many national disasters. He continually visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other tragedies.

The new Emperor Naruhito became the 126th emperor to ascend the throne of the world's oldest monarchy. Naruhito, 59, spent two years studying at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University and worked as a diplomat. A traditional ceremony took place as part of the historic handover. In the ceremony, Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that date back thousands of years. The ceremony took place in the middle of a ten-day Japanese holiday. The traditional Golden Week holiday was extended to allow people to celebrate the new emperor. Millions of Japanese were glued to their TVs and smartphones watching the historic event.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson



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