A majority of the 16 experts summoned to a government advisory panel support the idea of enabling 82-year-old Emperor Akihito to abdicate entirely or conditionally, it has emerged as the grouping held its third and final hearing Wednesday.

But the experts, specialists in the imperial institution, history and law, were mostly opposed to the government's reported plan to let only the current emperor to relinquish the throne via one-off legislation.

Wednesday's meeting involved five experts who examined the matter from a legal standpoint, including constitutional scholars and a former Supreme Court justice. The first and second meetings were held earlier this month.