Why is there still an emperor in Japan?

In Japan there have been many emperors throughout the years. Currently, the emperor of Japan is Akihito who has been in power since 1989. He is the head of the Imperial family. He also is considered the leader of their country without having any government powers. He also must be symbolic of the country and unify his people. The country of Japan is known for being a country that follows many traditions.

Since there have been emperors for hundreds of years, so many people would expect for Japan to keep to this tradition which they have. Also, the emperors have continued to bear children so they have passed the royalty leadership down to their children. Emperor Akihito’s eldest grandchild is Princess Mako.