Given that the current Imperial House Law does not provide for such an event as an abdication, the government is considering stipulating a new title and position for Emperor Akihito in a bill to be drawn up to allow the 82-year-old monarch to abdicate, a government source said Sunday.
How the current Emperor will be addressed and what his status will be after he relinquishes the throne will be worked out in detail after discussions by a panel set up by the government to tackle issues regarding his potential abdication, the source said. The panel will hold its first session on Oct. 17.
The establishment of the panel and the move to enact a special law follow the Emperor's suggestion in a rare video message to the public in August in which he expressed his wish to abdicate in the future.