On this day: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed arrives in Japan to pay respect to departed emperor

The crown prince arrived in Tokyo on February 21, 1989, days before the funeral of Emperor Hirohito

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is seen on arrival ahead of the funeral of late Emperor Hirohito at Haneda Airport on February 21, 1989 in Tokyo, Japan. Getty ImagesShow less

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on February 21, 1989, a few days before the funeral of Emperor Hirohito.

The Japanese ruler, who is also now referred to as Emperor Showa, reigned from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989. He was succeeded by his eldest son, and fifth child, Akihito, who abdicated the throne on April 30 last year.

Hirohito holds the record for being the longest-reigning Japanese emperor in history and, at the time of his death, was the longest-­reigning monarch in the world.

He was laid to rest near his parents at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Hachioji, a city about 44 kilometres west of Tokyo, during a state funeral on February 24 that year, an event Japan's Foreign Ministry had reportedly been planning for seven years. 

A hearse drove through Tokyo alongside a procession of 60 cars, as an estimated 800,000 spectators lined the streets to pay their respects. At the funeral, Sheikh Mohamed was surrounded by an unprecedented number of other world leaders and dignitaries, including former US president George Bush.

At the time, the funeral held the record for the largest gathering of international leaders in history. Other than meetings of the UN, that record was only surpassed 16 years later, at Pope John Paul II's funeral.