A series of events took place recently demonstrating that the foundation of Japan's democracy has become fairly fragile. Particularly noteworthy are the issue surrounding the Emperor's political role and lawmakers' approach to it.
Under the Constitution, the Emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and "shall not have powers related to government." Japan's Imperial system is a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch "reigns but does not govern."
However, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have indeed been issuing political messages quite frequently — in ways that can only be inferred from between the lines.