TOKYO (AFP): Draped in ornate golden-brown robes and wearing a towering black hat, Japan's Emperor Akihito on Tuesday kicked off ceremonies for his abdication, the first in 200 years for the world's oldest monarchy. "I'd like to thank the emperor for his hard work," said 76-year-old Hironari Uemara, visiting Tokyo from Okayama in western Japan. Akihito has sought to modernise Japan's imperial family, which has a sensitive position given the role his father Hirohito played in the country's militaristic past. Succession fearsThe new emperor inherits a country very different to when it last crowned a new emperor. -AFPRelated stories:Japan's Emperor Akihito ends reign marked by modernisationJapan's new imperial couple face heavy burden of traditionSecurity beefed up in Tokyo

Source: The Star April 30, 2019 05:26 UTC