An advisory panel of six intellectuals will hold its first meeting Monday to address a critical issue facing the Imperial system: Emperor Akihito¡¯s wish to abdicate sometime in the next few years due to his advanced age.
These discussions could drastically transform the future of the world¡¯s oldest royal system, which has a dearth of male heirs and faces concerns over the sustainability of the male-only succession line.
However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to be trying to limit the scope of the panel¡¯s discussion to avoid any controversy over politically sensitive issues that could enrage conservative nationalists, his core supporters.
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