Continuing his grandfather's and father's boycott over the enshrinement of convicted war criminals, Naruhito has never visited Yasukuni Shrine.

Reuters news agency reported that Naruhito's paternal grandmother, Empress Kōjun, had driven her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to depression in the 1960s by persistently accusing Michiko of not being suitable for her son.

[14] When the prince was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushūin school system, where many of Japan's elite families and narikin (nouveaux riches) send their children.

[17] In July 1983, he undertook a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom,[18] where he studied until 1986.

[21] In his three years at Merton he also climbed the highest peaks in three of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom: Scotland's Ben Nevis, Wales's Snowdon and Scafell Pike in England.

[22] The relatively relaxed manners of the United Kingdom's royals amazed him: "Queen Elizabeth II, he noted with surprise, poured her own tea and served the sandwiches.

[25] Naruhito first met Owada Masako, a staff member working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a tea gathering for Infanta Elena of Spain in November 1986,[26][21] during her studies at the University of Tokyo.

The wedding took place on 9 June the same year at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo before 800 invited guests, including many of Europe's heads of state and royalty.

[32][33] The Japanese imperial succession debate started around the time when it became increasingly clear over the following years that Princess Aiko would be their only child.

[14] According to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the emperor and King Charles III's families share an "intimate relationship".

[37] For two weeks in 2012, the crown prince temporarily took charge of his father's duties while Emperor Akihito underwent and recovered from heart bypass surgery.

[38] Naruhito's birthday was named "Mount Fuji Day" by Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures because of his reported love of the mountain.

[39][40] Following an abdication ceremony on the afternoon of 30 April, Akihito's reign and the Heisei era continued until the end of the day.

In his first statement as emperor, he pledged to reflect deeply on the course followed by his father, and fulfill his constitutional responsibility "as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan".

Unlike most other constitutional monarchs, the emperor lacks even nominal powers related to government;[41] he is barred from making political statements.

The imperial couple's first trip abroad as emperor and empress took place in September 2022, to the United Kingdom to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

[46][47] In February 2024, the emperor marked his 64th birthday with a message mourning the victims of the Noto earthquake, and expressed desire to visit the affected areas.

[52] The Emperor and Empress embarked on a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom in late June 2024, at the invitation of King Charles III.

[53] The rescheduled visit went ahead despite concerns of postponement due to the British general election campaign that began in late May.