A former clerk of Tynwald has recalled the moment he met the future Emperor of Japan.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s ascension to the throne was formalised at a ceremony in Tokyo’s Imperial Palace yesterday (Wednesday).

It came a day after the abdication of his father Akihito after three decades, citing his age and failing health.

Some time in the early 1980s, the then Clerk of Tynwald Robert Quayle welcomed a student to the Tynwald Chamber, only to find out that he was the grandson of the then Emperor of Japan who would go on to take the crown himself this week.

He said: ’One day I received a message to say that some young Japanese undergraduate from Oxford was touring the British Isles in his vacation with his tutor and would greatly appreciate seeing the Tynwald Chamber.

’Intrigued, I arranged to give them a tour - and it turned out that the student was the grandson of the then Emperor, his grandfather, none other than Narohito who on Wednesday was made Emperor.’

He added: ’Sadly I don’t think I had the presence of mind to ask him to sign the Tynwald visitors’ book so I can neither prove my story or be any clearer on dates!

’But he seemed a very nice young man and was clearly interested in the history and work of Tynwald and the Manx constitution.’

Emperor Akihito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne in January 1989 upon the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito.