Emperor Akihito is steadily recuperating from the heart bypass operation he underwent a year ago, energetically carrying out his official duties, his doctor and officials of the Imperial Household Agency said.
A checkup in late January showed the Emperor was "largely in good health," with no need for a major change to his official duties, they said Sunday. It found only a small amount of fluid in his chest and no major problems with the functioning of his heart.
"The Emperor does not have an erratic pulse now and is expected to stay in good condition for the next 10 years, as he has had no problems in the year after the operation," Atsushi Amano of Juntendo University Hospital, who led the bypass operation, said during a recent interview.
The Emperor had coronary-artery bypass surgery on Feb. 18 last year and was discharged from the hospital the following month.