Japan’s beloved emperor, Emperor Akihito, who, this year, will have officially reigned for 28 years, has hinted at his desire to abdicate from his role, and to pass on his role to his eldest son, Naruhito. This is due to his health issues, including prostate cancer and heart problems. His hints have been met with mostly positive and a few negative reactions. However, under current law, and even under the terrible conditions he is in with his failing health, he cannot abdicate.
The Emperor is seen as a figurehead for Japan, a symbol for Japan and for the unity of the people. He cannot have any powers whatsoever related to the government, nor can he say anything even remotely political. If Emperor Akihito were to abdicate, that would mean he had some role in Japanese politics by changing the regulations, which would then change the constitution.
This touches on a problem arising in Japan. The Emperors of Japan are said to be direct descendants from Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun, and there has been an unbroken line of male Emperors for almost 3000 years. Japanese Emperors may only relinquish their role when they pass away. For Emperor Akihito to abdicate while he is still alive, would be outwardly breaking tradition. Yet, it is now that we ask: should tradition, or human rights be valued more?
Kahoru Nakamachi, a Japanese teacher at ISB, believes that Emperor Akihito should be allowed to abdicate. She says, “I feel that he should be able to abdicate because the constitution does not have any consideration to the Emperor as a person. It [is] too strong to say that the emperor himself has no duty, but whatever his will, he has to be in the position… that means that we totally ignored his will, so we have to be respectful to his desire. That is why I totally agree with his desire as a person.” When asked about the conflict surrounding his desires, she goes on to say, “According to the opinion poll, about 85% of the people agree [with] the Emperor’s will and his wish to step down.”
According to the Japan Times, the situation itself is tricky, and could open a Pandora’s box in itself, creating conflicts surrounding “political debates on the status of an emperor”. When interviewed by the Japan Times, Koichi Yokota, the Professor Emeritus of Constitutional Studies at Kyushu University, stated, “If you start discussing issues involving abdication, it raises a number of complications. Under what conditions should an emperor be allowed to quit? That’s a very difficult question. What if an emperor refuses to serve because he does [not] want to work anymore, or because he is simply exhausted? Who should give a ruling in such a case?” Prince Akishino himself said during a news conference in December of 2011 that he thought a retirement age system would be necessary, saying that “after a human reaches a certain age, it gradually becomes more difficult to do various things.”
Perhaps it is now that the government should begin to take into consideration the Emperor’s wants and desires. Perhaps now is the time that Emperor Akihito’s role should be relinquished and passed on to his son, someone who is of healthy state and able to do the things that his father no longer can. However, to do so, tradition would have to be overlooked and rules which have lasted for thousands of years would have to be changed – but perhaps now is the time to make the sacrifice.
Darin Sumetanon
