Japan’s Emperor Akihito Told the Nation of His Wishes and Concerns

At 15:00 sharp on Monday, August 8, the whole nation turned on TV and radio for a special video message from Japan’s Emperor Akihito addressed direct to the public on his wishes and concerns.

The 10-minute message read out by His Majesty impressed on most Japanese as being a very candid expression of His Majesty's feelings at age 82 and evoked warm empathy toward His Majesty and his roles as the symbol of the state. The news circulated fast worldwide, leaving varied impressions in different countries.

In the message His Majesty carefully bypassed words and expressions directly implicating abdication but made his wishes clear enough between the lines to step aside in due course.

His Majesty already expressed his to abdicate while active five years ago and never since has he changed his position, according to informed sources. Her Majesty Empress Michiko and the members of the Imperial Household Agency first learned of His Majesty's wish to abdicate while active with "a great surprise".

Her Majesty is said to have often "changed the subject" each time the issue surfaced to ascertain His Majesty's true intent. One time the IHA staff advised His Majesty that the whole nation well understood what he had discharged to the nation as the symbol of the state and that there could not be any objection from anywhere to his employing a subsidiary in his place.

His Majesty condemned at a word such an option, according to the sources. His Majesty reportedly stressed:

"That is not my point. It is vital that whoever fully discharges the role of the symbol of the state must assume the position of the Emperor."

His Majesty never budged an inch on the issue - so steadfastly that Her Majesty gradually resigned to "let him have his way". Princes Naruhito and Fumihito and their families are said to be fully in agreement.

Let him have his way - that's exactly how I feel as a liege subject. (Nathan Shiga)