Japanese emperor signals plan to abdicate
TOKYO— Japan’s popular emperor sent an unprecedented signal Monday of his desire to abdicate and hand over power to his son, sending the country into constitutionally uncharted waters.
In a video address to the nation — only the second time an emperor has spoken to the people in this way — 82-year-old Akihito described how his declining health was curtailing his abilities to fulfil his duties.
“When I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, 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,” Akihito said in the address Monday.
The first time he had recorded such a message was after the 2011tsunami, which claimed almost 20,000 lives.
Under the U.S.-drafted constitution imposed on Japan after the Second World War, the emperor was stripped of all his powers, becoming a figurehead only. He is legally constrained from saying anything political, meaning that Akihito could not declare his intention to step down because that would require the parliament to amend the imperial household law.
But he sent a clear message that he wants to abdicate and pass over his duties to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, saying that simply making him a regent, as legally allowed, would not be sufficient.
“In coping with the aging of the emperor, I think it is not possible to continue reducing perpetually the emperor’s acts in matters of state and his duties as the symbol of the state,” Akihito said, according to an official English translation of his remarks, which were aired on NHK, the public broadcaster. But having a regent would “not change the fact that the emperor continues to be the emperor till the end of his life, even though he is unable to fully carry out his duties as the emperor.”
Hirohito died at age 87; Akihito was 55 when he succeeded his father. His oldest son, Naruhito, is 56. Akihito clearly does not want to do only half the job, analysts say, and carefully parsed his words so as to convey this.
“He must have been in such a tough situation to come to make this statement, because he’s well aware that he shouldn’t be making any political comments,” said Yuji Otabe, a professor of Japanese history at Shizuoka University of Welfare.
“He wants to protect the law but he also has physical limits. He wanted everyone to understand his current situation.”
Professor Hidehiko Kasahara of Keio University said that the emperor was trying to express his personal desire to retire without saying the word “abdicate.”
“He sent out a strong message that he’d like to hand over to his successor and wants him to stably continue the duties as the symbol of the state,” Kasahara said.