Conservatives have already raised objections to changing the law to let Akihito step down, citing problems ranging from his title and possible strife with a new emperor, to worry the next step would be letting women succeed and pass on the throne, anathema to traditionalists.
Even more, conservatives fear that a debate over the imperial family's future would divert political energy from Abe's push to revise the postwar, pacifist Constitution, which they see as a symbol of defeat, but admirers consider the guarantor of Japan's democracy.
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Still, public opinion in favor of letting him abdicate could sway the debate if the emperor's appeal is emotionally moving, some experts said, noting that while many Japanese find the royals irrelevant, others are fond of Akihito himself.
"Depending on how the TV appeal is done, it could stir up public opinion," said Naotaka Kimizuka, an expert in European monarchies at Kanto Gakuin University. "Or, people could lose interest and things will go as Abe's administration prefers."