The government's abdication panel submitted its final report to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, skipping politically sensitive issues but following the Diet's consensus that Emperor Akihito should be allowed to retire after a special temporary law is enacted.
The panel's report also made a number of recommendations regarding the title, status and other legal details considered appropriate for a retired emperor and his heir.
For example, the panel recommended that a retired emperor should be called joko, which literally means grand emperor, and should not engage in any public duties as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people," which is the status accorded to the emperor by Article 1 of the Constitution.