Japan’s Emperor to Express Intention to Abdicate, NHK Says
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Japanese Emperor Akihito, the first to serve from the outset in a purely ceremonial role, will on Monday express his intentions to step down, national broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.
The Emperor, 82, will speak for about 10 minutes about his duties as the symbol of the nation and his desire to abdicate from the throne in a pre-recorded video that will be posted on the Imperial Household Agency’s website at 3 p.m., NHK said, citing unnamed sources. Akihito is the 125th Emperor of Japan, and has reigned since succeeding his father in 1989.