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Japan’s Emperor Akihito To Abdicate In The Next Three Years
Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko (Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)
The Japanese parliament, National Diet, has given the final approval for a legislation enabling Emperor Akihito, reigning since 1989, to abdicate. He will be the first Japanese Emperor to step down since emperor Kokaku in 1817.
The legislation, an amendment to the Imperial Household law, allows the government to determine the exact date of abdication, but it must happen in the next three years. The legislation will also enable the government to begin the process of handing over the position to his 57-year-old son, Crown Prince Naruhito.
Along with the amendment to the Imperial Household law, a resolution calling for a study on the status of women in the Imperial family was also approved. According to current Imperial law, female members of the royal family who desire to marry a commoner must surrender their status as a member of the family.
Emperor Akihito, 83, ascended the throne in 1989 after the death of his father, emperor Hirohito. The voting in the National Diet yesterday (8 June) concluded a process that began last August when the Emperor gave a rare ten-minute televised address emphasising his advanced age and his desire to see that the Imperial family’s duties are not neglected. This was widely seen as an indication that the ageing Emperor wished to step down.
The indicated dates of the Emperor's abdication are 31 December 2018 or 1 January 2019. His abdication will bring to end the Heisei era, which began with his ascension in 1989. The eras in the Japanese calendar are based on the reign of the Emperor.
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