The 10-member Imperial Household Council includes lawmakers, royals and Supreme Court justices and the government was required by law to hear its views before formally deciding the date. "I feel deep emotion that today, the opinion of the Imperial Household Council was smoothly decided and a big step was taken toward the imperial succession." Once considered divine, Japan’s emperor is defined in the post-war constitution as a “symbol of the state and of the unity of the people”, but has no political power. He wanted to modernise the monarchy and take care of the unfinished business ... and bring the imperial household closer to the people," said Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University Japan. The last time a Japanese emperor abdicated was in 1817.

Source: bd News24 December 01, 2017 03:22 UTC