Naruhito, who studied at Oxford, expected to follow modernising path of his father, Akihito

When palace officials informed crown prince Naruhito of the name chosen for Japan’s new imperial era earlier this month, he responded with a nod and the hint of a smile. “I understand,” he said.

A similarly phlegmatic disposition will serve Naruhito well after he is made Japan’s 126th emperor on Wednesday, a day after his father, Akihito, becomes the country’s first monarch to abdicate for more than two centuries.

Related: Reiwa: how Japan's new era name is breaking tradition