Resembling the radio address at the ending
World War II, Japanese Emperor Akihito released TV video footage on Monday, in
which he indicated a wish of abdication caused by aging. Although Constitution
of Japan does not vest Emperor any kind of political power, Akihito urged
Japanese people to understand his feelings. Japanese government led by Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe began to consider it.
In his eleven-minute TV speech, Akihito
reviewed his throne for twenty-eight years as happy time to achieve his duty to
think about the people and pray for them with deep confidence and reverence of
the people. And he revealed his uneasiness to stay on his status at the age of
82. “When I consider proceeding decline of my health, I am afraid of being unable
to carry out my duty as the symbol of the state with my whole body and soul,”
told Akihito. He insisted that it was his personal opinion.
Akihito was negative in reducing matters of
state, which had been occupying his time in the throne. He believed that
Emperor must not escape from the duties as symbol of the state. The
Constitution stipulates that the Regent can perform Emperor’s acts in matters
of state in the name of Emperor, when Emperor is unable to work. But, Akihito
was negative on continuing throne without full capability, even if the Regent could
support the function. He was also worried about negative impact on the people
who would be related to a series of rituals for Emperor’s decease.
Abe expressed his intention to deal with
the issue. “We have to consider what we can do, regarding Emperor’s uneasiness
on his official works,” told Abe. It is likely for the government to launch an
expert committee to discuss, a usual method which bureaucrats want to carry an
issue to their preferable direction.
It is not easy to introduce abdication in
the imperial system in Japan. “Upon the demise of the Emperor, the Imperial
Heir shall immediately accede to the Throne,” determines Article 4 of Imperial
House Law. The provision has to be amended through the discussion in the Diet,
if the government allowed abdication of Emperor. Although there is an argument
to pass special law only applicable to Akihito, it may violate the Constitution
that Emperor’s throne should be determined by Imperial House Law, not any other
special laws.
The discussion will take certain length of
time. While many people understand Akihito’s honest determination on his duty,
even the Emperor is under the principle of rule of law. It is inevitable for
politics to be motivated by Akihito’s expectation of abdication, possibly as
promotion of constitutional amendment or changing nature of current imperial
system of symbolic Emperor. Some experts recommend to firstly consider another
way than abdication.
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