たぬくん専用スレ

たぬくん

In coping with the aging of the Emperor, I think it is not possible to continue
reducing perpetually the Emperor’s acts in matters of state and his duties as the
symbol of the State. A Regency may be established to act in the place of the Emperor
when the Emperor cannot fulfill his duties for reasons such as he is not yet of age or
he is seriously ill. Even in such cases, however, it does not change the fact that the
Emperor continues to be the Emperor till the end of his life, even though he is unable
to fully carry out his duties as the Emperor.

When the Emperor has ill health and his condition becomes serious, I am concerned that,
as we have seen in the past, society comes to a standstill and people’s lives are
impacted in various ways. The practice in the Imperial Family has been that the death
of the Emperor called for events of heavy mourning, continuing every day for two months,
followed by funeral events which continue for one year. These various events occur
simultaneously with events related to the new era, placing a very heavy strain on those
involved in the events, in particular, the family left behind. It occurs to me from time
to time to wonder whether it is possible to prevent such a situation.

As I said in the beginning, under the Constitution, the Emperor does not have powers
related to government. Even under such circumstances, it is my hope that by thoroughly
reflecting on our country’s long history of emperors, the Imperial Family can continue
to be with the people at all times and can work together with the people to build the
future of our country, and that the duties of the Emperor as the symbol of the State can
continue steadily without a break. With this earnest wish, I have decided to make my
thoughts known.

I sincerely hope for your understanding.