New guidelines set to reduce duties of emperor, empress

Friday 30th January, 05:48 AM JST

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Samuraiiki at 11:09 AM JST - 30th January

Not enough. He should be able to retire with some more dignity and not having to work past retirement age. He should be able to enjoy his last years with some kind of freedom. Ideally, after reaching certain age, he should be given the choice to abdicate and enthrone the next in sucession so that he can say that he lived a happy life. Spending his whole life in a cage is not like living.
techall at 11:12 AM JST - 30th January

@Samuraiiki:

They used to retire and become bhuddist monks.
neverknow2 at 11:20 AM JST - 30th January

Lets be realistic. As tough as it is may be to be an Emporer of Japan, these people have never done a hard days work in their lives. They can have no idea of how the real world lives. Not so different from Japanese polititians.
tmarie at 11:31 AM JST - 30th January

Does that mean they expect Masako to actually do something??
Samuraiiki at 12:06 PM JST - 30th January

I certainly do not envy him.
herefornow at 12:27 PM JST - 30th January

Amazing, this guy's father was considered a "god" here, and unquestioned loyalty to him led the country into war. But, now the Emperor can only make ten appearances a year, and suffers stomach problems just like the rest of us. Pretty amazing "fall from grace".
Disillusioned at 01:12 PM JST - 30th January

Hang on! Does this mean Japan may be accepting that people are not machines and they need a break from time-to-time? Or is it only for the royals?
cleo at 01:17 PM JST - 30th January

What stops the Crown Prince doing a bit more? He and Masako could take over all the strenuous stuff that involves travel, award ceremonies and addressing crowds.

At 75 and in poor health, the Emperor should be allowed to put his feet up and get a pension (assuming that he's paid into the scheme, and they haven't lost his records).

herefornow -

this guy's father was considered a "god" here,..... Pretty amazing "fall from grace"

You should have been here to see the way they handled the slow demise of the old Emperor - regular bulletins on how much blood he'd vomited that day, when he'd last had a bowel movement, his blood pressure was non-existent, etc., etc., all the stuff you never wanted to know about a dying old man. Dignified and graceful it was not.
asiabytes at 01:23 PM JST - 30th January

Even if you think they're useless, you gotta feel for them. They are completely captive to the Imperial Household Agency. They have no freedom at all.
blvtzpk at 02:07 PM JST - 30th January

What stops the Crown Prince doing a bit more?

You're not suggesting a palace coup, are you? You remember what happened in Nepal!
tmarie at 02:34 PM JST - 30th January

For some reason I have a feeling they didn't pay into the pension but will be and are being looked after...
borscht at 07:17 PM JST - 30th January

The ‘‘Shunsai,’’ a festive event held at the Imperial Palace on the first day of each month, will be carried out mostly by imperial officials in charge of such events

Well, you can just cancel my subscription to the Shunsai, then, if the emperor isn't going to be there. Of all the nerve of those 'imperial' officials.
okapake at 07:58 PM JST - 30th January

Hey, in the old times wasn't there a "retired" or cloistered" emperor? Maybe with Japan's way too much hype and concern on tradition, it's time to bring that back? So the guy can last longer? By the way, what does he do anyway?
sensei258 at 09:32 AM JST - 31st January

asiabytes - Well said. And, they are in their 70's, let them enjoy the rest of their lives.
zhazam05 at 01:08 PM JST - 31st January

Both the Emporer and Empress have done the people of JAPAN proud and deserve anything they want in their golden years. Quite unlike their european counterparts No Scandelous episodes played out daily in the tabloids no disrespecting your country . Thank you ,Your freinds in America!!!