After Akihito’s announcement last year, the government established a panel of experts to help decide how best to proceed as the issue is fraught with historical and legal challenges.
Though abdications have occurred in Japan’s long imperial history there hasn’t been one in 200 years and under current laws there is no legal mechanism for one.
The six-member panel has discussed various legal options, with speculation rampant it will propose parliament pass a special one-time law to allow Akihito to step down.
