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Kazuhiro Takii / Professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies
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The government says an abdication based on the special law would be “a possible precedent for the future.” If this is the case, we should proceed by revising the Imperial House Law. The special law may have been necessary in part to provide swift reassurances to the current Emperor, but now that we have approved one request to abdicate, it will be impossible to refuse future requests. We have to prescribe certain procedures that clarify when a request to abdicate should be approved. We should not avoid dealing with the issue by bandying about the word “precedent.”
[...] Allowing abdication amounts to an important systemic change, and we should continue to discuss it. Then we should make sure to properly include it in the Imperial House Law, which is a fundamental law.
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The ideal image of the emperor is changing with the times, and it is important to figure out what kind of emperor we need for the present era. With an eye toward the future, we must also discuss the issue of female emperors, female-line succession and female Imperial branches, and clearly codify the results of these discussions in the Imperial House Law.
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Hideya Kawanishi / Associate Professor at Kobe College
Looking back on the discussions that took place between the Emperor’s message and the enactment of the special law, participants seemed to accept that the abdication was going to happen. Understanding of the current Imperial system did not broaden.
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Public opinion polls organized by various newspapers showed that the public largely supported abdication, and this support pushed the government toward enactment of the special law.
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The Heisei era (1989-) has been marked by contrasts between lifestyles of abundance, increasing inequality and a succession of natural disasters. The Emperor has directly engaged with vulnerable members of society and victims of disasters, providing support on a spiritual level. He has functioned as the glue that binds a fragmenting society and nation.
In the Showa era (1926-1989), the image of a deified Emperor remained. Now, however, people have come to morally value and feel reverence toward an Emperor who consistently behaves with integrity. Younger generations are aware of the public activities that the Emperor has increasingly engaged in during the current Heisei era, rather than his acts in matters of state, as described in the Constitution.
This style of leadership has been well received by the general public. Every five years, NHK conducts a public survey which includes a question about “feelings toward the Emperor.” It is notable that while “reverence” toward the Emperor tended to decline from the Showa era to the beginning of the Heisei era, it is now showing a gradual rise. In 2013, the percentage of respondents who selected “reverence” reached 30 percent, which was close to the percentage of people with only a “favorable impression” of the Emperor.
This trend was observed among people aged 16 to 29, as well as among those aged 30 to 59. Support for the symbolic Imperial role that we see today can be attributed to the Emperor’s relationship with society, rather than traditions of the Imperial family or succession.
In that sense, a system of “female Imperial family branches” that allows women to remain part of the Imperial family even after marriage would be in keeping with the times. In an age where men and women are said to be equal, it would be good to give female Imperial family members the choice to remain in the Imperial family. [...]
Allowing a female emperor and female-line emperor would also be a realistic way to ensure stable Imperial succession. There are people who advocate for reinstating former members of the Imperial family, a concubine system, or marriages between female members of the Imperial family and descendants of former Imperial family members. The current Imperial couple and their children married for love. If people accept the idea the problem of Imperial succession is solved through politics, it could result in a loss of public support.
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Midori Miyazaki / Dean of the Faculty of Global Studies at the Chiba University of Commerce
When I took part in discussions about abdication at a government advisory panel, I was mindful of not deviating from the general will of the public and finding a solution that closely aligned with the hearts of the people.
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It is undesirable to bind the future with the common sense and values of the present day. It is not up to us to decide the conditions of abdication that will be valid in the future. Problems in each period of time should be dealt with by seeking the best possible solution at a particular time — all we can do is to keep continuing such efforts. Based on such perspectives, I approve of the special law.
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I believe there is no need to worry about the dual authority between a joko (retired emperor) and a reigning emperor. The Emperor has fully devoted himself to his duties as the symbol of the state. The situation today is different from the past when joko exercised power after retirement or were involved in power struggles. In the first place, the Constitution prohibits an emperor from engaging in political activities, so it is impossible for an emperor to seize power.
During interviews with experts, there was an opinion expressing the view that “all the emperor should do is pray,” but this is a one-dimensional view. The emperor embodies “what Japan is” and “what the Japanese people are.” Surely not only his existence, but also his entire behavior serves as the “symbol” of the state.
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A statement to begin discussions over the establishment of female Imperial branches was included in a supplementary resolution to the special law. New efforts and ideas are needed to ensure that the Imperial line, which has continued unbroken up until now, will continue long into the future. There have been times of crisis in the past, but the Imperial line has continued because people at those times focused their intellect on solving problems they faced. It is evident that we must consider this challenge with urgency.
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Thanks! Another step closer. 
