Japan’s Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 86, is recovering after collapsing and temporarily losing consciousness on Wednesday at his Tokyo residence.
Empress Emerita Michiko, 85, was near her husband when he collapsed and called a doctor for help by pressing the emergency alarm button.
The doctor arrived and reportedly found the Emperor Emeritus unconscious and snoring. When he regained consciousness, he was moved to his bedroom. The doctor then provided treatment.
The former monarch had a medical checkup on Thursday consisting of an MRI which found no abnormalities.
The Imperial Household Agency said that the Emperor Emeritus’s condition is back to normal and has his normal breakfast on Thursday morning.
In July 2019, Akihito suffered an episode of severe cerebral anaemia.
The Emperor Emeritus had been undergoing a regular health check-up when he was unable to continue standing up at one point. The cerebral anaemia was believed to have been the result of fatigue caused by the health check-up.
Akihito abdicated in favour of his elder son, Naruhito on 30 April 2019. Naruhito took the throne the following day. He announced his intent to abdicate in 2016 and a special law had to be enacted to allow for the abdication. His Imperial Majesty became the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in nearly 200 years.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito had reigned from 7 January 1989 upon the death of his father, Emperor Showa.
