Japanese Emperor Akihito set to abdicate throne in April 2019

Dec 01, 2017, 12:54 IST | IANS

The government and the Japanese Imperial House Agency agreed on Friday to mark April 30, 2019 as the most propitious date for the abdication of Akihito, media reports said

The government and the Japanese Imperial House Agency agreed on Friday to mark April 30, 2019 as the most propitious date for the abdication of Akihito, media reports said. It will be the first resignation from the throne of a living emperor in two centuries, Efe news reported. A meeting here between representatives of the government, the Imperial House and Japanese legal experts decided on the timetable for the abdication after the emperor expressed his desire to leave office.

This file photo taken on January 2, 2017 shows Japan's Emperor Akihito waving to well-wishers during his new year speech on the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Japan's Emperor Akihito will step down on April 30, 2019, the prime minister announced on December 1, 2017, the first retirement in more than two centuries in the world's oldest imperial family. Pic/ AFP
Emperor Akihito  Pic/ AFP 

April 30 is ideal as it would coincide with the beginning of the Japanese fiscal and administrative year, facilitating all legislative and administrative procedures involved in the arrival of Naruhito, successor of Akihito, to the throne.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai, National and International news here

Trending video