The emperor of Japan may be stepping down. Not immediately, but Japan’s national broadcaster NHK says he’s considering the move. And that was enough to dominate headlines across the country. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.
It’s been 199 years since a Japanese emperor has voluntarily given up the Chrysanthemum Throne. That was Emperor Kokaku….founder of the branch of the current royal family.
Akihito has been emperor since 1989….following the death and the 63-year reign of his father Hirohito. At the end of World War Two, the Japanese Emperor’s role shifted dramatically—from a living god to a living symbol….without any political power under the postwar constitution.
Akihito also broke some new ground. In 1959 he married a commoner---ending a tradition of some 1,500 years. He and Empress Michiko have maintained a hectic schedule—including public appearances, ceremonial duties and international travel.
The 82 year old Akihito was treated for prostate cancer in 2003…and had heart surgery in 2012. News about the royal family is tightly controlled in Japan…its affairs are overseen by a sprawling bureaucracy known as the Imperial Household Agency. A palace spokesman denies there are any plans for him to abdicate—which would require a change in the law. But state broadcaster NHK reports Akihito doesn’t want to remain emperor if he can’t keep up with his official duties.
