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This is the third public address by an emperor since 1945
The 82-year-old has been in poor health recently
(CNN) —
In a rare televised address, Japan’s Emperor Akihito said if his health worsens he fears he will not be able to fulfill his duties.
“I am already 80 years old, and fortunately I am now in good health,” said the monarch, who turns 83 in December.
“However, when I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the State with my whole being as I have done until now,” he said.
The announcement was considered by many to be a plea by the emperor to Japanese lawmakers, asking them to change the law so that he can step down.
Japan’s imperial household law requires the emperor serve in the position until death. If he becomes incapacitated, his successor can act as regent, according to the constitution.
Akihito said that a regent may be appointed, most likely his son Crown Prince Naruhito, to serve in his place if he is seriously ill or incapacitated.
But he stressed that the regent is not an emperor, and the emperor must serve until death.
Photos: Photos: Japan's Emperor Akihito
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Japanese Emperor Akihito turned 84 on December 23, 2017. Akihito is the 125th Emperor of Japan, a direct descendant of Japan's first emperor Jimmu, circa 660 B.C. Here, we take a look at the life of the world's only monarch with the title of emperor.
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A portrait of Crown Prince Akihito in January 1936 at age 3. He is the son of Empress Nagako and Emperor Hirohito, whom he succeeded in 1989. The Chrysanthemum Throne is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world. Records show the imperial line to be unbroken for 14 centuries.
Photos: Photos: Japan's Emperor Akihito
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Crown Prince Akihito with some of his school friends at the Imperial School in Tokyo, circa 1938.
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Crown Prince Akihito in ceremonial robes for his formal investiture as crown prince at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on November 10, 1952.
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Prince Akihito in his private study at the Imperial Palace in 1952.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Akihito are seen in the royal box at the Epsom Downs Racecourse on June 6, 1953, in England. Crown Prince Akihito made the trip to attend her coronation.
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Akihito addresses the crowd upon arrival at Oahu Airport on October 8, 1953, in Honolulu. During seven months of travel, the crown prince visited 14 countries.
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Akihito during his wedding to Michiko Shoda in 1959. He is the first Japanese crown prince to marry a commoner.
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Akihito with his pet dog Dingo in December 1963, on the grounds of Togu Palace, his residence in Tokyo.
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Prince Akihito takes a walk with Princess Michiko and their son Naruhito in 1964.
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In a 1969 portrait, Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako pose with their children and grandchildren. Crown Prince Akihito stands on the far right.
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Visitors to China's Forbidden City walk beneath Japanese and Chinese flags, flown to welcome Emperor Akihito on October 23,1992. Akihito's visit to China was the first ever by a Japanese emperor.
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President Bill Clinton offers a toast to Emperor Akihito at the White House in June 1994, during the first state dinner of Clinton's administration.
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South African President Nelson Mandela and Emperor Akihito toast during a banquet at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in July 1995.
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Emperor Akihito leaves the Imperial Palace for the hospital in January 2003. The emperor had a successful operation to remove his cancerous prostate.
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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko leave the residence of the late Princess Kikuko after paying their respects in Tokyo on December 19, 2004. The princess was Akihito's aunt.
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Akihito's eldest son and heir-apparent, Crown Prince Naruhito, granddaughter Princess Aiko, and Crown Princess Masako enter the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on September 2, 2006.
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The Emperor and the Empress greet U.S. President Barack Obama at the Imperial Palace on November 14, 2009.
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Akihito leaves the University of Tokyo Hospital in Tokyo on February 12, 2012. Akihito was scheduled to undergo heart bypass surgery after tests showed the narrowing of his arteries had worsened.
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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are greeted at Chennai International Airport in India on December 4, 2013, after arriving from New Delhi on the second leg of their weeklong trip to India. This was the first time they had been to India in 53 years.