Gov’t to discuss details of abdication ceremony

November 27, 2017

Tokyo- The Japanese government plans to set up an organization early next year to prepare for Emperor Akihito's planned handover of the throne to Crown Prince Naruhito.

The body will discuss details of a ceremony to mark Japan's first Imperial abdication in 200 years.

Members of the preparatory organization, to be led by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, are expected to include Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita and officials of related government agencies, including the Imperial Household Agency.

One focus of the discussions is expected to be on whether the abdication ceremony will be undertaken as a state act by the Emperor or as a private event by the Imperial Family.

Article 24 of the Imperial House Law stipulates that a ceremony of accession shall be held when the throne is succeeded to, but it has no description about an abdication ceremony.

A senior official at the Imperial Household Agency said that the abdication ceremony should be held as a state act because an Imperial succession is an important event for Japanese people. The agency has launched a research into the precedents of abdication.

The Imperial abdication will be the first since Emperor Kokaku relinquished his title in 1817 and the first since the country's current constitution took effect in 1947.

In the ceremony to mark Emperor Kokaku's abdication, a person read out on behalf of the Emperor a declaration to hand over the throne.

Whether such an arrangement should be made at the ceremony for Emperor Akihito's abdication is also expected to be discussed by the preparatory organization.

The government aims to ensure that the abdication ceremony does not violate the constitution's Article 4, which bans political activities by the Emperor.

On Friday, the Imperial House Council, whose members include the heads of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government, is set to meet to discuss the dates of Emperor Akihito's abdication and Crown Prince Naruhito's accession to the throne.

Based on the council's discussions, the government plans to decide on the dates in early December.

A leading option is that the Emperor will abdicate on April 30, 2019, with the Crown Prince acceding to the throne and a new era starting on May 1 that year, sources familiar with the government's thinking said. Jiji Press