Interesting article. It’s pretty clear the Emperor wants to step down and there is plenty of precedent in Japanese history (indeed there’ve been periods where abdication was actually the norm, but not only is there no current law allowing him to do the Constitution itself might need to be amended (a huge deal in Japan as the current one hasn’t been changed since it was adopted after WWII). It would also open of a can of worms re allowing female succession. Of course Abe could always just drag this out and let nature solve the problem for him.
Abe has long wanted to amend the Constitution. He already has the 2/3 majority in the Diet; this would be striking the iron when it’s even hotter.
Pope Benedict, Beatrix of the Netherlands, Albert of Belgium, Juan Carlos of Spain, Hamad of Qatar, and now Akihito. Are these people forming a club?
What exactly are they going to do if he refuses to Emperor?
Can’t they just make the next-in-line a regent?
That’s what seems to be the proposal, yes.
Emper 'er? I barely know 'er?
The same thing they always could: absolutely nothing.
I don’t see it. Hisahito pushed aside the urgency of changing how the monarch is chosen by being a boy in the chain of succession. Akihito probably still objects to female succession, and it’s unlikely his son would give his approval, if his father were still alive. Soooo, that question’s not likely to be opened again until after Akihito’s death, and even then, only if Hisahito fails to produce a male heir, and forces the issue.
How so? Isn’t there divine precedent in the form of Amaterasu? 
For that matter, what exactly are the constitutional duties of the Emperor in this day and age?
Agree that there will be zero chance of change to allow female succession.
The people who care the most about the imperial system are the conservatives and they do not want that at all. It was only when that seemed to be the only option were they considering it.
The emperor only has ceremonial duties and no political power at all. Not even to the same level of the British monarch.
He does have some Shinto religious responsibilities (and it needs to be pointed out that Shinto is not really a religion).
The Chrysanthemum Throne is screwed if Prince Hisahito, the only male born in the Imperial family during the past 50 years, has an accident or turns out to be gay & unwilling to lay back and think of Japan. They would always revive one of the old cadet branches though.
And Prince Charles has to keep representing his mother at their successors’ installations.
Which will be true, no matter how Akihito vacates the throne. His abdication isn’t going to speed Hisahito’s aging, or damage his health.
An amendment to change succession is not going to happen until the matter is forced again. They spent over 2 years arguing over it (not female succession specifically, but changing succession) when it looked like it might actually be an issue, then tabled it immediately after it became clear it wouldn’t. It’s not actually something anybody wants to do unless the issue is forced. Even trying to attach it to a hypothetical amendment to allow Akihito to abdicate is more likely to scratch the latter.
Hisahito’s 9 years old, so we have at least 20, probably closer to 30, years before his ability to produce an heir is written off (his willingness honestly seems unlikely to be an issue), unless he dies young. So, barring an accident, ~2040 is likely to be the earliest the issue of changing succession is reopened.
I appreciate that the Emperor seems to be trying to resist Abe’s attempts to return to a prewar constitution.
Agree that there will be zero chance of change to allow female succession.
The people who care the most about the imperial system are the conservatives and they do not want that at all. It was only when that seemed to be the only option were they considering it.
The emperor only has ceremonial duties and no political power at all. Not even to the same level of the British monarch.
He does have some Shinto religious responsibilities (and it needs to be pointed out that Shinto is not really a religion).
While this is said tongue-in-cheek, Abe does want to become more militant, but no one will restore the Meiji Constitution.
Update; it looks like the Japanese government is leaning towards an ad hoc law that would only apply to the current Emperor and not any of his successors.
:dubious: Unless your definition of ‘religion’ is ‘almost a 1-to-1 match with how Christianity operates’, I can’t think of anything other than ‘religion’ to classify Shinto as.
I can’t speak for all of these, but in Netherlands and Belgium abdication after a certain age is the norm, whereas in UK, Norway, Denmark, etc. the throne is normally held until death, barring unusual circumstances (Eddie8).
The Imperial family is technically descended from a cadet branch of sorts.