Conclusion First?

Receiving indication of wish to abdicate from current Emperor Akihito, the Experts’ Meeting on Reducing Official Duties of the Emperor held their first meeting on Monday. Although the Constitution of Japan assumes the status of Emperor to be derived from “the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power,” the experts have set the schedule to conclude the discussion by next spring. They are going to discuss legislating special law for Akihito’s abdication in the ordinary session of the Diet next year, paving the way to stepping down in 2018. Is it the will of Japanese people, anyway?

Shinzo Abe administration interpreted the words of Akihito in August as wishing to step down by 2018. “We have passed a major point of seventy-year anniversary from the end of the war and will be at thirtieth year of Heisei Era two years later,” told Akihito in his video message. To make his wish possible, Abe administration is dropping down the option of reforming Imperial House Law, which requires certain period of time for legal discussion. Special law is the fastest way for the administration to achieve the goal.

The meeting elected Takashi Imai, Honorable President of Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, and Takashi Mikuriya, Professor Emeritus of University of Tokyo, for his deputy. They will have hearings from experts on imperial issues in November. The theme will be role of the Emperor, official duty of the Emperor, how to reduce his official duties, Regency, commission of acts in matters of state, abdication, whether abdication should be a permanent rule, and status and activity of Emperor. Discussion over introducing system of the Empress was dropped.

In the polls, most people of Japan understand the wish of Akihito as reasonable, possibly with respect for his diligence in every official duty. However, that public sentiment does not endorse legislating a special law only applied to Akihito in the long history of Imperial House. Some Emperors had Ex-emperor, when they were unable to fulfill their duties. Regency was another way to support the Emperor.

Constitution of Japan assumes establishment of Regency in Article 5. While Abe administration interprets Akihito’s words as rejected Regency, rejecting Regency can be an exercise of political power by the Emperor, which the Constitution prohibits. There is a possibility of Akihito to have taken unconstitutional activity in the interpretation of Abe administration. It is reasonable for the government to thoroughly consider how Regency will work for the wish of Akihito first, before setting schedule of concluding the discussion.