Emperor Akihito resumed his public duties Tuesday after a month of rest following prostate cancer surgery Jan. 18.

The Cabinet officially endorsed the 69-year-old Emperor resuming his state duties. In the afternoon, he was tasked with signing government papers and performing other duties.

While hospitalized at the University of Tokyo Hospital and recuperating at the Imperial Palace, the Emperor temporarily shifted his state duties to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

The Emperor was discharged from the hospital Feb. 8 -- earlier than scheduled because he has been making a steady recovery. He has since been recuperating at the Imperial Palace, occasionally walking in the grounds, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

The agency said that through March, the Emperor will refrain from outings and public functions other than essential constitutional duties, until he fully recovers.

Doctors said earlier that the Emperor's cancerous tissues had been entirely removed and had not spread to other parts of his body.

Although not a state duty, the Emperor is expected to meet at the palace with Afghan President Hamid Karzai when he visits Japan later this week, the agency said.

Karzai will be in Japan for four days starting Thursday to attend an international conference to help establish peace in Afghanistan.