Abdication and Constitution

Government of Japan decided on Tuesday the outline of rituals related to abdication of Emperor Akihito and accession of throne by Crown Prince Naruhito scheduled next year. The ceremonies will be taken place as the acts in matters of state, which is determined in Constitution of Japan. Implementation of the constitution is the biggest issue for the abdication.

 

At the time when Emperor Akihito succeeded the throne from the late Hirohito in 1989, Ceremony of Accession in the State Room was taken place in Imperial Palace. In the ceremony, Akihito accepted the Sword and Jewels of Imperial Regalities. Then, Akihito attended the Ceremony of Levee for the Emperor after Accession, in which he made the first speech as new Emperor. That was a case of succeeding throne after the death of former Emperor.

 

It will be different this time. There has been no case of abdication under Constitution of Japan. The conservative groups demanded other ceremonies of delivering Imperial Regalities, based on their notion that the throne was always with those treasures. But that kind of ceremony may have some meanings of handing out the throne with Emperor’s political intention, which can violate Constitution of Japan that prohibits Emperor’s involvement in politics.

 

The government decided not to have the ceremony of the delivery of Imperial Regalities with consideration of constitutionality. Ceremony of Accession will be renamed as Ceremony of Abdication, which will not include the element of releasing the regalities. While it approves the ceremony to be taken place as abdication, the government denies old custom of releasing the throne as a decision of Emperor.

 

First Ceremonial Offering of Rice by Newly-enthroned Emperor will not be held as an act in matters of state, because it will have religious meaning and violate the principle of separation between politics and religion. At the time of Akihito’s throne, the ceremony was held not as an act in mattes of state, but a private event of Imperial House. The Cabinet led by Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu then decided to appropriate national budget for it, as a compromise to conservative argument.

 

The outline did not make clear decision on whether female royal families would attend the event of succeeding Imperial Regalities. Although some experts on the matters of Imperial House recommended to young families regardless their sexes, the government turned down the discussion on it, being afraid of complicated argument over possibility of female Emperor.