Japanese Emperor Akihito yesterday said his advancing age and weakening health mean he might no longer be able to carry out his duties, setting the stage for Japan to prepare for a historic abdication.
“There are times when I feel various constraints, such as in my physical fitness,” the 82-year-old said in a national address.
“As we are in the midst of a rapidly aging society, I would like to talk to you today about what would be a desirable role of the emperor in a time when the emperor, too, becomes advanced in age,” he said.
Photo: Reuters
Speculation about Akihito’s future emerged last month with reports he had told confidantes that he would like to step down in a few years, in what would be the first abdication from the Chrysanthemum Throne in two centuries.
“I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state with my whole being as I have done until now,” he said, wearing a dark suit and sitting at a table in the pre-recorded video.
Akihito spoke obliquely — never mentioning the word abdication and stressing he is legally prevented from commenting on the imperial system — but analysts and media said his intention was clear.
“His majesty the emperor hints at abdication,” read a two-page extra edition by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily.
The comments would allow the government to begin creating the legal mechanism for a royal departure, which does not exist.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a swift response, said the government would take his remarks “seriously.”
“Considering the emperor’s duties, as well as his age and the burden [of the job], we have to firmly look at what we can do,” he said.
Tomitaro Hashimoto, an assistant professor at Reitaku University, said while the emperor did not use the word abdication, “his message clearly called on the public to concretely consider the way for that in the future.”
“Legally, he can’t request a revision of law,” said Hashimoto, an expert on the imperial system. “That’s why he can’t ask directly.”
Any eventual move by Akihito to step down, which would see him replaced by his eldest son Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito, appears to have wide support.
A survey by the Asahi Shimbun daily published yesterday showed that 84 percent of people surveyed backed the idea.
Akihito has had surgery for prostate cancer and heart problems, both of which he alluded to in his address, though he said that he currently enjoys good health.
Public reaction to the speech was sympathetic.
“Since his majesty is getting so old, I was worried about his health, but he made his intention clear and the abdication issue came up,” said 20-year-old Ryota Utsumi.
“It gives me a sense of relief,” added Utsumi, who watched the address on a big screen in a busy Tokyo shopping area.
It was only the second time Akihito had spoken directly to the nation.
The first was in the days after the March 2011 triple earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster as he sought to calm a nation undergoing its worst crisis since World War II.
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