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Japanese PM officially declares Emperor Akihito’s abdication

The Emperor is abdicating today in accordance with the provisions of a special law

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe AP Photo/Petr David Josek

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

© AP Photo/Petr David Josek

TOKYO, April 30. /TASS/. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially declared on Tuesday that Emperor Akihito is abdicating.

"His Majesty is abdicating today in accordance with the provisions of a special law," he said in a statement read out in a live broadcast on NHK television by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

The premier expressed deep gratitude of the people to Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. "We remember that during the 30-year rule his Majesty Emperor and her Majesty Empress have always been together with their people. I would like to take advantage of this moment and once again express cordial thanks to them," the document said.

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Japan’s Emperor Akihito to abdicate on April 30, 2019 — TV

Later on Tuesday, the prestigious Matsu no Ma (Hall of Pine) at the imperial palace will host a state ceremony of the monarch’s abdication. Some 300 people will attend the event, including Emperor Akihito and his family members, cabinet ministers, heads of both houses of parliament, the chief justice, representatives of local authorities and the public.

The abdication ceremony will feature the emperor’s stamp and also the so-called imperial treasures or regalia - a sword, a gem and a mirror, which symbolizes the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythic founder of the imperial dynasty.

Emperor Akihito, 85, announced his wish to step down back in 2016 due to his old age. Under Japan’s law, the monarch rules for life, but the parliament passed a law making a one-off exception for Akihito. He will remain emperor until the last minute of April 30.

Starting from May 1, his eldest son Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, will become a new emperor.

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