A government advisory panel on Imperial abdication issues publicized an interim report Monday detailing the pros and cons of allowing an emperor to abdicate due to advanced age, focusing in particular on a possible permanent revision to the Imperial House Law.
The six-member panel, launched in October after Emperor Akihito indicated his wish to retire in a video message two months earlier, did not reach a conclusion in the report.
However, it detailed a number of problems the panel believes could arise if a permanent reform is carried out to allow future emperors to abdicate by citing advanced age. That section was seen as reflecting the apparent consensus of the six panel members.