Japan's Emperor Akihito is expected to abdicate1 on April 30, 2019, Japanese government said on Friday.
日本政府周五宣布,明仁天皇将于2019年4月30日退位。
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the meeting, which involved the prime minister, politicians, the judiciary and imperial family members,
decided2 on the
abdication3 date.
Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference that the emperor's abdication date will be reported to the Cabinet on Dec. 5.
After the emperor
abdicates4, his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito will
ascend5 the throne on May 1, 2019.
Japanese Emperor Akihito
ascended6 to the throne after the death in 1989 of his father Hirohito,
posthumously7 known as Emperor Showa.
He indicated his wish to
relinquish8 and hand over the throne to the crown prince in a rare video message in August last year, citing his age.
Japan's parliament
enacted9 in June a law to allow Emperor Akihito to step down and pass his duties over to Crown Prince Naruhito.
The law,
specially10 designed for the current emperor, would allow Emperor Akihito to be the first Japanese emperor that
relinquishes11 the throne in around 200 years.