Japan's 85-year-old Emperor Akihito declared his abdication on April 30, 2019, drawing the curtain on his three-decade reign. Here are various moments across the country captured by Kyodo News photographers on the last day of the Heisei Era. ・In the morning, Emperor Akihito, clad in a dark orange robe, visited the sanctuaries within the palace precincts to perform rituals to ceremonially report his abdication to his ancestors.・Braving the rain, well-wishers gathered in front of the palace to mark the last day of Heisei, taking commemorative photos and hoping for a glimpse of members of t…READ FULL ARTICLE
