Shinzo Abe Cabinet on Friday made a
decision of a government ordinance that determined the day of retiring of
Emperor Akihito to be April 30th, 2019. Crown Prince Naruhito is
going to take throne next day, May 1st of 2019, marking the start of
new era following Heisei. It will be the first case for the Imperial House to
have abdication not caused by death of Emperor, since the Emperor System was
defined in Constitution at the starting of Meiji Era about one and a half
century ago.
Prime Minister Abe announced in the
unofficial Cabinet meeting that new Emperor would take the throne on May 1st
of 2019. “I will do everything for smooth abdication and enthronement,” told
Abe to the Ministers. The government will establish a conference for discussing
details of the rituals for abdication mid-January, which will be presided by
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Suga told that new Era would start on
the same day of the enthronement.
The abdication will be the first case under
the Constitution of Japan, which upholds symbolic Emperor system. The new
conference is expected to discuss whether the ceremony of abdication has to be
an act in matters of state. With attendance of Cabinet Secretaries, Grand
Steward of Imperial Household Agency or Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office, the
conference will also discuss simplification of the rituals or cost cutting.
Ceremony of Enthronement will be held in
the fall of 2019 and the First Ceremonial Offering of Rice by new Emperor will
be scheduled in November 2019. Although Succession of Holy Sword and Privy Seal
has religious meaning, which may violate the principle of separation politics
and religion, the government considers making it a “ritual” as an act of
matters of state, as in the case of enthronement of Emperor Akihito.
The biggest issue for Japanese Emperor
System is stable maintenance of Imperial House in the future. The system has
been maintained by strict paternalism, which does not approve female Emperor.
Possible successors of next Emperor Naruhito are limited to two persons,
Naruhito’s younger brother Prince Fumihito of Akishino Family and his son
Sakihito. While there is a broad argument for female Emperor, the conservatives
in Japan, including Prime Minister Abe, firmly oppose changing the tradition of
paternal throne.
Another argument is returning of former
families. There are some male families who left Imperial House in 1947. Some
conservative expect those male families to get back to Imperial House. However,
the life in Imperial House is filled with many restrictions. Former Imperial
families are already accustomed to their life as free people. The returning of
those families is too late to be achieved.
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