The Japanese government is planning to hold a ceremony for Emperor Akihito's envisioned abdication next December in what would be the nation's first such event in around 200 years, official sources said Wednesday.
The last time Japan held a ceremony for an emperor's abdication was in 1817, when Emperor Kokaku relinquished the Chrysanthemum Throne. The government will consider how to materialize the plan by studying documents describing ceremonial manners for abdications in the past.
The abdication ceremony is planned to be held aside from a series of enthronement ceremonies for Crown Prince Naruhito. It may be treated as a state act that requires Diet approval to conduct, the sources said.