Japan’s emperor to abdicate, first time in 200 years

nazzse · Post time 26-4-2019 04:47 PM

Edited by nazzse at 26-4-2019 08:48 AM

TOKYO (Reuters) - Emperor Akihito, who has spent much of his nearly three decades on Japan's throne seeking to soothe the wounds of World War Two, will step down on April 30, 2019 - the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in about two centuries.

A 10-member Imperial Household Council of lawmakers, royals and supreme court justices, chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, agreed on the timing on Friday.

Akihito, who turns 84 on Dec. 23 and has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, said in rare remarks last year that he feared age might make it hard for him to fulfil his duties.

He will be succeeded by his heir, 57-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito.

"This is the first abdication by an emperor in 200 years and the first under the (post-war) constitution," Abe told reporters after announcing the recommendation.

"I feel deep emotion that today, the opinion of the Imperial Household Council was smoothly decided and a big step was taken toward the imperial succession."

The cabinet still has to sign off on the decision on the date, which it will likely do next week.

Once considered divine, Japan’s emperor is defined in the post-war constitution as a "symbol of the state and of the unity of the people", but has no political power.

Akihito, along with Empress Michiko, has spent much time trying to address the legacy of World War Two, which was fought in the name of his father Hirohito, and consoling victims of disasters or other woes.

Akihito and Michiko, the first commoner to wed a Japanese monarch, have worked to reconcile ties across Asia, soured by Japan's aggression before and during World War Two, with numerous visits abroad.

In 1992, he became the first Japanese monarch in living memory to visit China, where bitter memories of the war run deep. During that visit the emperor said he "deeply deplored" an "unfortunate period in which my country inflicted great suffering on the people of China".

HORRORS OF WAR

Akihito has consistently urged the Japanese never to forget the horrors of war, remarks that have garnered increased attention since Abe took office in 2012 and sought to adopt a less apologetic tone over Japan's past military aggression.

Eleven-year-old Prince Hisahito, the son of Akihito's younger son Prince Akishino, is the emperor’s only grandson and will be second in line to the throne after his father following the abdication. Naruhito’s daughter, Princess Aiko, who turned 16 on Friday, cannot inherit the males-only throne.

nazzse · Post time 26-4-2019 04:52 PM

key dates in Akihito’s life.

- Aug. 15, 1945 - Akihito, 11, evacuated from Tokyo to the mountains, hears his father, Emperor Hirohito, announce on radio Japan’s surrender ending World War Two. In November he returns to Tokyo, vast swathes of which had been devastated by U.S. firebombing.

- Nov. 10, 1952 - Akihito is formally invested as crown prince in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

June, 1953 - As crown prince, Akihito attends coronation of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.

- August 1957 - Crown Prince Akihito meets Michiko Shoda, daughter of an industrialist, at a tennis tournament in the mountain resort of Karuizawa.

- April 10, 1959 - Wedding of Akihito and Michiko Shoda, the first commoner to marry an heir to the Japanese throne.

- July 17, 1975 - Akihito and Michiko visit Okinawa, site of fierce fighting in final months of World War Two. A fire bomb is hurled at them as they lay flowers at a memorial but the royal couple are unharmed.

- Jan. 7, 1989 - Death of Akihito’s father, Emperor Hirohito (known posthumously as Emperor Showa), in whose name Japanese soldiers fought in World War Two. Akihito becomes emperor.

- Nov. 12, 1990 - Akihito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne in the first enthronement ceremony to be shown on television.

- May 24, 1990 - Akihito expresses “deepest regret” for the suffering of the Korean people caused by Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean peninsula and the war.

- Oct. 23, 1992 - Akihito is Japan’s first modern monarch to visit China. Right-wing groups at home oppose the trip, while Chinese activists demand an apology. The emperor expresses “deep sorrow” for the suffering Japan inflicted on the Chinese people.

- April 23, 1993 - Akihito visits Okinawa again, becoming the first Japanese monarch to visit the southern island.

- Jan. 31, 1995 - Akihito and Michiko visit western city of Kobe following a huge earthquake. In a break with conservative tradition, they kneel to speak with survivors.

- May 26, 1998 - Akihito visits Britain, speaks at a banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth despite protests from former British prisoners of war.

- Jan. 27, 2005 - Akihito and Michiko visit wartime battlesite in the U.S. territory of Saipan to pray for peace and console war dead of all nations, one of several such trips outside Japan.

- March 16, 2011 - Akihito makes unprecedented televised address urging the public to help each other after the March 11 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

- Aug. 15, 2015 - On the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War Two, Akihito expressed “deep remorse” over the war, a nuanced departure from his annual script. Liberals and moderate conservatives see it as a subtle rebuke to conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his less apologetic stance.

Aug. 8, 2016 - In rare video address, Akihito says he worries that age will make it difficult to fully carry out his duties, remarks seen as suggesting that he wanted to abdicate.

- Feb. 24, 2019 - Akihito marks 30 years on the throne with a call for Japan to open up and forge sincere ties with the world.

multinicky · Post time 26-4-2019 05:18 PM

comel sgt theyols..

takayama · Post time 26-4-2019 05:49 PM

Berakhirnya era hei sei maka new emperor pun appointed
Apa pun mmg comel aje dedua tu

nazzse · Post time 26-4-2019 07:02 PM

Edited by nazzse at 26-4-2019 11:06 AM

takayama replied at 26-4-2019 09:49 AM
Berakhirnya era hei sei maka new emperor pun appointed
Apa pun mmg comel aje dedua tu

Finally kan, complicated sangat nak turun takhta pun..dari takdapewaris lelaki, nak ubah law utk pewaris perempuan naik takhta, ke dpt cucu lelaki akhirnya...lagipun lama sangat dah he tak muncul dkt public

kechikchomel · Post time 26-4-2019 08:19 PM

Macam pakai baju kurung modern lak empress tu

RED 666 · Post time 26-4-2019 08:29 PM

skrg era heisei, era yg akan datang bermula mei ini namanya reiwa, siapa2 yg biasa layan citer kamen rider biasalah dgr nama era heisei ni

CiliPadiSedap · Post time 26-4-2019 08:33 PM

shin chan asal jepun kan?

takayama · Post time 26-4-2019 08:37 PM

RED 666 replied at 26-4-2019 08:29 PM
skrg era heisei, era yg akan datang bermula mei ini namanya reiwa, siapa2 yg biasa layan citer kamen ...

Meols x layan kamen rider tp meols lyn group Jpop yg namanya hey say jump so dr situ meols familiar dgn nama era heisei ni dan perubahan era br di jepun... Hihihi