Emperor Akihito said Monday his advancing age and weakening health mean he may no longer be able to carry out his duties, setting the stage for Japan to prepare for an historic abdication.
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Japan came to a brief standstill on Monday as crowds gathered to watch the country’s Emperor Akihito’s second-ever televised message to the public.
Japan’s Emperor Akihito has said he fears age and deteriorating health mean he is finding it hard to continue in his role.
I am already 80 years old, and fortunately I am now in good health.
In 10-minute pre-recorded message, Emperor Akihito said he hoped the duties of the emperor as a symbol of the state could continue steadily without any breaks.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a swift response said the government would take the remarks “seriously”. That task is unlikely to be easy. Under the law that governs imperial succession, an emperor reigns until his death; the crown prince then succeeds him.
Any eventual move by Akihito to step down appears to have wide public support.
The government set up a special team shortly after and, according to local media reports, is now considering a law specifically permitting Akihito to step down.
Under the constitution the emperor is not allowed to have political powers so a wish to abdicate could be seen as him interfering in politics.
Once considered divine, the emperor is defined in the constitution as a symbol of the state and the unity of the people.
“Considering the emperor’s duties, as well as his age and the burden, we have to firmly look at what we can do”. He made the first one after a massive quake, deadly tsunami and nuclear disaster hit north-east Japan in March 2011.
Satoru Yamamoto, a senior official at the Imperial Household Agency, said in 1984 that the Imperial House Law does not allow an emperor to abdicate because it is designed “to stabilize the status of the emperor”.
While stopping just short of saying he was about to abdicate, the 82-year old head of state expressed fears over his ailing health and ability to carry out his duties due to illness and old age.He has undergone heart surgery and has suffered from prostate cancer treatment which have weakened his system and slowed down his usual active schedule.
“It occurs to me from time to time to wonder whether it is possible to prevent such a situation”, he concluded, perhaps as strongly as he could suggest he would like to see a smoother transition.
The emperor has served in his role since his father, Hirohito, died in 1989.
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After 28 years of being a steady and reassuring presence in Japan, the Emperor wants to abdicate the throne. The practice in the Imperial Family has been that the death of the Emperor called for events of heavy mourning, continuing every day for two months, followed by funeral events which continue for one year. An 82-year-old Emperor Akihito’s desire to leave his post became a reason of a concern among the people.
