Emperor Akihito: A unifying figure who carved out a role as Japan's 'symbol of the state'

With Emperor Akihito abdicating the Chrysanthemum Throne on Tuesday, three decades of Heisei — an era named in the hopes of "achieving peace" — will come to a close.

Fittingly, it was an era in which Japan enjoyed a period of continuous peace — and yet it was also marked by economic stagnation and disaster.