Panel issues report supporting special legislation for emperor's abdication

Imagine if they spent even half the time they have spent on deciding the fate of someone they call a god on debating laws and legislation that affects the people instead of just ramming bills through.

The panel, after interviewing constitutional and monarchy experts, agreed that allowing an abdication was the most appropriate way to meet Akihito’s request, but that setting a permanent system covering all future emperors would be difficult

Really?

At the moment I believe Article 2 of Chapter 1 of the constitution reads like this:

The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House law passed by the Diet

Surely it could be changed or amended to read like this:

Article 2: The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House law passed by the Diet.

(2) When it is deemed that the Emperor is incapacitated, ill or unable to carry out his duties in line with the provisions set out within, succession may be permitted under the provision of the Imperial Abdication Law as set out by the Diet with approval by the Imperial Household and the successor.

(3) If such actions result in a Regency then paragraph 5 will be applicable

(4) The Emperor, once abdicated, will continue to be afforded the full rites and customs of a former head of state yet will devolve all powers once contained and responsible for to their successor.

(5) The former Emperor will be referred to and addressed as Emperor Emeritus

(6) The instrument of abdication will be made public at the start of the new era in accordance with the provision of succession.

Just a thought! And I came up with this in a matter of minutes and at no cost to the Japanese tax payer!

A Japanese government panel studying a possible abdication of Emperor Akihito is set to release Monday an interim report that supports enacting special legislation that is applicable only to him.

A gift to future generations of bureaucrats who can waste the same time and taxpayer funds reinventing the wheel post-Heisei.

Ginza tonight, gentlemen?

The current law, established in 1947, is largely inherited from a 19th century constitution that banned abdication as a risk to stability. But the experts said there was no such risk in today’s political system.

So, an archaic law based on an ever more archaic law, which the experts readily admit is of no relevance in the here and now...

Get on with it then! Let the man enjoy RETIREMENT!

Clinging to the past will impede forward movement.

Abe sets up a panel that recommends what Abe wanted all along. Funny that.

We will be reading articles about this subject for the next two years or so, get used to it folks...it's just starting.

joyridingonthetitanic...interesting points, but for here in Japan it's not that simple, even though it's a simple problem to solve. The panel and government are making things difficult.

For dog's sake, let the man retire already! He's been enslaved by this archaic system long enough! Have a little mercy on the man.

government are making things difficult

Isn't that their job?

Everyday he remains captive is another day of disrespect. Let him go and retire

All talk and no action, like so many things in J land im sad to say.