Japan

The Crown Prince of Japan calls for wider use of sign language

Shining a spotlight on disadvantaged people has always been important for royalty. Japan’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess have attended the 70th National Congress of the Deaf, people with hearing disabilities and those working for welfare services with these issues. More than 2.000 people attended the important congress which is an annual event in Japan. This year the congress is marking…
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Japan

Emperor of Japan plans for low-key abdication

On the 30th of April 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito will become the next Emperor of Japan. In an event that has not been seen for two centuries the current Emperor, Akihito, will formally relinquish his position on the Japanese throne and will retreat from public life into what…
Japan

2019 abdication date gaining traction in Imperial Household Agency

Ever since His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito, formally announced his intention to abdicate the Japanese throne in a rare televised address last year, the island nation of Japan has been somewhat abuzz with speculation as to what exactly such an occurrence would entail. With no abdication of a Japanese Emperor since Emperor Kokaku in 1817, and no provisions laid out in the 1947 Japanese…
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Japan

Emperor Akihito one step closer to abdication

It has been nearly a year since Emperor Akihito appeared on Japanese national television — a rare and auspicious event at the best of times — to announce his wish to abdicate the throne and leave imperial duties to his younger and more able-bodied son, Crown…