Abdication Law Passed

House of Councillors passed the bill for Emperor’s abdication on Friday. After Meiji era when the status of Emperor was determined to be lifetime long, abdication would be introduced in Imperial system of Japan for the first time. It is supposed that Emperor Akihito will retire at the end of 2018 and Narihito is going to take the throne at the beginning of 2019. Heisei Era will end at the time.

Result of the vote in the House was unanimous, 235 of aye and no nay. Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party, Komeito, Japan Communist Party, Japan Restoration Party, Social Democratic Party, Party for Japanese Heart, Independent Club, Wind of Okinawa voted for the bill. Only Liberal Party defied voting. Four lawmakers with LP walked out of Plenary Hall before the vote. “It should be made not with temporary special law only applied to one throne, but with changing of Imperial House Law. But, the vote had to be unanimous,” told a LP lawmaker, Yuko Mori.

The law is titled Special Law for Imperial House Law on Emperor’s Abdication or Else. Japanese bureaucrats like to add “or else” in laws to enhance their arbitrary power. Although new law is only applied to Akihito, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told in the Diet that the law would be a precedent, making fundamental contradiction. The law described deep concern of Akihito to maintain fulfilling duty as state symbol and the people understand and are compassionate toward Emperor’s sentiment.

After the success of throne to Naruhito, Akihito will be called Retired Emperor, or Joko, and his wife Michiko will be Retired Empress, or Jokogo. Prince Akishino, the second son of Akihito, will be Deputy Emperor, or Koshi, with status of first rank for the successors. Imperial Household Agency is going to create sections for those new positions.

It is highly unusual that a law describes sentiment of the people. Although Article 1 of Constitution of Japan determines that the position of Emperor is derived from the will of the people, Japanese provision describes it as “all the will of the people.” So, abdication must be done with complete consensus of Japanese people. If LP voted nay to the bill, was the bill dismissed?

Timeline shows that the process of legislation for abdication started from Akihito’s TV message last summer. It is still doubted that Emperor might have involved in politics. Constitution of Japan denies political power of Emperor and determines that Imperial throne will be succeeded in accordance with Imperial House Law, not special law. The special law does not guarantee the stability of Imperial House in the future anyhow.