Emperor Akihito Hints at Desire to Abdicate

Japanese Emperor Akihito says that he’s worried that his age may make it difficult for him to fully carry out his duties. Speaking on Monday in a rare televised address, Akihito says there are limits to reducing the emperor’s duties as the ‘symbol of the state’, the status accorded to the monarch under Japan’s postwar constitution

THE GUARDIAN: Japan's Emperor Akihito says health is failing and hints at abdication: In TV address, 82-year-old monarch does not explicitly say he would stand down but raises prospect of appointing regent » | Martin Foster in Tokyo | Monday, August 8, 2016