Japanese Emperor Akihito (82), in a rare video address to the public on Monday, said he worried that age may make it difficult for him to fully carry out his duties, remarks widely seen as suggesting he wants to abdicate.
Public broadcaster NHK reported last month that Akihito, who has had heart surgery and been treated for prostate cancer, wanted to step down in a few years — which would be unprecedented in modern Japan.
Once considered divine, the Emperor is defined in the Constitution as a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. He has no political power. Akihito stopped short of saying outright that he wanted to abdicate, which could be interpreted as interfering in politics.
Emperor since 1989 “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,” he said.
Akihito took the throne after the death in 1989 of his father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought World War II. Akihito has been cutting back on official duties, with his heir, Crown Prince Naruhito, taking his place. There were limits to how far that could go, he said on Monday.
The idea of abdication has sparked opposition from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s conservative base, which worries debate of the imperial family’s future could widen to the topic of letting women inherit and pass on the throne, anathema to traditionalists.
