09.08.2016
In his message, Akihito stopped short of saying directly that he wanted to abdicate, which could be interpreted as interfering in politics in Japan. The Japanese law, which says an emperor serves until death, has no provision for abdication. He appears to have taken pains to keep his distance from emperor-worshipping conservatives and historical revisionists who have contributed to hard relations with neighboring China and South Korea, which suffered under Japan's wartime and colonial ...
