The Emperor as Captive of the Constitution

On August 8, 2016, Emperor Akihito issued a video message to the people of Japan. Based on this message, Akihito abdicated to current Emperor Naruhito on April 30, 2019, and the name of the era was changed from Heisei to Reiwa. This was the first time since Japan established the Meiji Constitution and became a constitutional state that an emperor abdicated during his own lifetime. In this respect, Akihito's abdication was a challenge to constitutional order. In this paper, we will examine the continuity of Japan's national framework since the Meiji period and the strain that this framework is currently facing, as revealed by this question of abdication.