Prince Akishino, the younger son of Emperor Akihito, said on the occasion of his 51st birthday Wednesday it was "good" that his father had expressed his desire in August to abdicate out of concern for his age.
"It was good that (the Emperor) was able to express in an appropriate manner what he had been thinking for a long time," the prince told a Nov. 22 news conference ahead of his birthday.
This is the first time that an Imperial family member who can ascend the Chrysanthemum throne has officially expressed their impressions over the issue following the 82-year-old Emperor's unprecedented video broadcast to the nation on Aug. 8.