Oldest ruling house

The oldest ruling house is the Yamato Dynasty, the Imperial House of Japan, which has had a succession of 126 emperors that can trace their lineage back to the country's first head of state. Japan's current emperor, Naruhito (b. 23 February 1960), is a direct descendant of Jimmu Tenno, whose reign was traditionally from 660 BCE to 581 BCE - but more probably dates as far back as c. 40 BCE to c. 10 BCE.

Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019. He replaced his father, Akihito, who is the first Japanese monarch to abdicate the throne.