Off the wire
• Philippine president congratulates Filipino weightlifter for bagging silver in Rio Olympics  • 3rd LD Writethru: 30 killed, 50 injured in SW Pakistan hospital blast  • Urgent: 6 civilians killed in explosion in Afghanistan  • 1 soldier killed, 3 others wounded in roadside bombing in Kabul  • Urgent: Japanese emperor hints at possible abdication due to deteriorating physical strength  • FLASH: JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SAYS TO CONSIDER WHAT COULD BE DONE FOR EMPEROR  • S.Korea to deploy 5 reconnaissance satellites by 2022 for DPRK missiles  • FLASH: JAPANESE EMPEROR WORRIES DETERIORATING PHYSICAL STRENGTH UNABLE TO FULFILL DUTIES  • Ground breaks on Yangtze-spanning freeway bridge  • Cambodia hoists ASEAN flag to mark 49th ASEAN Day  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD: Japanese emperor hints at possible abdication due to deteriorating physical strength

Xinhua, August 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Japanese Emperor Akihito delivered on Monday a video message to the public, expressing worries that his deteriorating physical strength may hinder him from fulfilling duties in the future as a symbol of the state.

In the message, the 82-year-old emperor also said it could be hard to cope with the situation just by cutting duties.

The 10-minute video message came amid growing speculation on the emperor's abdication after local media reported last month that the emperor wishes to hand over the throne to 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released comments following the emperor's message, saying that he will take into consideration the emperor's condition and see what could be done. Endit