The government Tuesday approved a plan to hold Emperor Akihito's abdication ceremony on April 30, 2019, providing a legal basis for the nation's first Imperial abdication in more than two centuries.

It approved one-off legislation for the abdication, which also enables the Emperor and Empress Michiko to be treated in the same way as the new emperor and his family members in terms of living costs and security guards, among other things.

"As there are a variety of things we need to prepare toward the Imperial succession, we will do our best so that the Emperor's abdication and the Crown Prince's accession will be carried out smoothly," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.