The Experts’ Meeting on Abdication of the
Emperor finished its hearing from the specialists on this issue on Wednesday.
In the third and last hearing, four out of five specialists approved
resignation of Emperor before death. Result of all hearings from sixteen
specialists was clearly divided with eight approvals and six denials and two
undecided opinions. Nevertheless, Shinzo Abe administration is going forward to
approving abdication with special legislature only applied to Akihito on the
throne now.
In the third hearing, even conservative
scholars were divided on abdication. Akira Momochi, Visiting Professor in
Kokushikan University supported the argument that abdication should be approved
in terms of meeting requirement of highly aged society. “If an ailing Emperor
stays on the throne for a long time, he will not be able to take activities as
symbol of the nation, his dignity will be seriously eroded by media reports on
his situation,” said Momochi, casting doubt on news reports about Emperor.
Hidetsugu Yagi, Professor in Reitaku
University, fundamentally opposed the option of abdication, realizing action of
the government to make new system with request from the Emperor would violate
Constitution of Japan that denied political power of the Emperor. “The greatest
meaning of Emperor is existing as the host of feasts. The elaboration of Akihito
that Emperor must be workable is based more on function than existence, leads
to evaluation of Emperor’s capability, and erodes stabilization of Emperor’s
status,” said Yagi, upholding Emperor as an existence close to god.
Looking at whole discussion, argument over
abdication can be wrapped up to be a choice between human rights or rule of law
in terms of democratic governance. Some recognize the Emperor as a human,
different from the notion as god in old regime, and approve retirement for not
forcing cruel labor. The others do not approve Emperor’s participation in
politics. The Conservatives want to protect holiness of the status and the
liberals hope to protect superiority of the Constitution.
Abe administration, however, has not been
interested in the argument over Imperial system or constitutionalism, but in
probability of making special law. Even though only six experts out of sixteen
approved special legislation only applied to Akihito, the meeting is going to
wrap up the discussion as approval of special law, along with preference of Abe
administration. The only cause for special law is that they have no time. Not
good at finding a consensus in complicated discussion, the Japanese people tend
to deal only with foreseeable future, leaving fundamental problems behind. And bureaucrats
like something special.
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