The Emperor finally addressed the nation on Monday in a rare televised message where he hinted at his abdication, citing failing health and old age, which he says, makes it hard for him to carry out his responsibilities effectively.
Advertisement
Japan’s beloved Emperor Akihito said his time to go is approaching, in a rare television address to the nation Monday.
This marks only the second time for Akihito to speak directly to the nation, the first after the March 2011 triple quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster to bolster the nation. He has already received treatment for heart problems and cancer. The emperor’s birthday – December 23 – is a national holiday, when tens of thousands of well-wishers gather outside the Imperial Palace to greet the royal couple. Parliament would be required to change the law for Akihito to step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne, which has been held by his family for nearly 2,700 years, according to the official genealogy.
PM Shinzo Abe said the government would take the remarks “seriously” and discuss what could be done.
Emperor Akihito was enthroned at the age of 55 upon the death of his 87-year-old father Emperor Hirohito in 1989.
The speech was seen in part as an attempt to explain to the public why he might want to abdicate, and presumably win public understanding when the time comes.
In order to accommodate the emperor’s wishes, the Japanese Diet would have to revise the Imperial Household Act of 1947, the statute governing the line of succession of the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.
TOKYO (AP) Japan’s emperor expressed concern about fulfilling his duties as he ages in an address to the public Monday that was remarkable for its rarity and its hinted possibility that he may want to abdicate in a few years.
-Has adopted a more modern style, making efforts to draw the imperial family closer to the people.
Akihito still works, though his aides have shifted some of his duties to Crown Prince Naruhito – the elder of his two sons and most likely successor.
There is no mention of abdication in Japanese law, the BBC reports, so there would need to be a legal change if the emperor were to step down.
Once considered divine, Japan’s emperor is defined in the constitution as a symbol of the “unity of the people” and has no political power.
The emperor is constitutionally not allowed to make any political statements, and the desire to abdicate could be seen as being political.
A major milestone year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two has passed, and in two years we will be welcoming the 30th year of Heisei (the era beginning when the previous emperor died). He has been on Japan’s Chrysenthemum Throne for 27 years.
His wife Empress Michiko was a commoner when they met and they chose to raise their children themselves, forgoing the traditional use of nannies.
Advertisement
Japanese people stopped in the street, gathering to watch the historic address in public on big outdoor screens.
