TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Emperor Akihito, 82, in a rare video address to the public on Monday, said he worried that age may make it difficult for him to fully carry out his duties, remarks seen as suggesting the elderly monarch wants to abdicate. In nationally televised remarks, Akihito also said there were limits to reducing the emperor’s duties as the “symbol of the state”, the status accorded him under Japan’s post-war constitution. Akihito stopped short of saying outright that he wanted to abdicate, which could be interpreted as interfering in politics. Once considered divine, the emperor is defined in the constitution as a symbol of the state and the unity of the people, and has no political power. Public broadcaster NHK reported last month that Akihito, who has had heart surgery and been treated for prostate cancer, wanted to step down in a few years - a move that would be unprecedented in modern Japan.

Source: Huffington Post August 08, 2016 06:42 UTC