WebAkihito (明仁, Japanese: [akiꜜçi̥to]; English: / ˌ æ k i ˈ h iː t oʊ / ⓘ AK-ee-HEE-toh or / ˌ ɑː k-/ AHK-; born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 1989 until his abdication in 2019.