Season 1

Crown Prince Akihito grows up under the shadow of a war waged in his father's name, Emperor Showa (Hirohito). As the nation settles into peace, democracy takes root. The prince learns to fuse an imperial identity with a commitment to social equality. At nineteen, he attends Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. His inaugural journey abroad broadens his understanding of Japan's standing on the world stage and of a monarchy that reigns rather than rules.